Greek Underworld

  • Who is the god of the Underworld?
  • Who is his queen?
  • What are the five rivers in the Underworld?
  • Who is Charon? What does it take to board his boat? What river does his boat cross?
  • Describe the following segments of the Underworld and/or what their function was:
  • Elysian Fields
  • Asphodel Meadows
  • Fields of Mourning
  • Tartarus
  • Name 3 Greek figures condemned to Tartarus and their corresponding punishments:

Persephone and Demeter

  • How are Persephone and Demeter related?
  • What is Demeter’s realm?
  • What is Persephone commonly called?
  • Why does Persephone go to the Underworld?
  • What happens to the earth when Persephone is in the Underworld? Why?
  • Who do the gods send to Hades to demand Persephone’s release?
  • How does Hades contrive to keep Persephone for part of the year?
  • Who do the gods send to tell Demeter that Persephone will return to Hades each year?
  • How long does Persephone have to stay in the Underworld every year?

Ishtar’s Descent into the Underworld

  • Ishtar is the ______goddess of love.
  • Ishtar is the ______“Lady of Heaven”.
  • Describe Ishtar’s relationship with Gilgamesh.
  • Ishtar’s sister is ______, the Great Queen of the Earth. Who is this sister’s husband (in English)?
  • Why does Ishtar’s sister hate her?
  • What rule does Ishtar have to follow if she is to enter the Underworld?
  • What happens to Ishtar at every gate into the Underworld?
  • What happens to the earth in Ishtar’s absence? Why?
  • How do the gods trick Ereshkigal into letting Ishtar go?
  • What Christian holiday is named for Ishtar’s return from the Underworld?
  • What yearly phenomenon do Ishtar and Persephone’s descents into the Underworld explain?

Dante’s Inferno

Dante Alighieri is a poet from the ______era. What year is his Inferno set in?

What literary device is named for Dante?

What is Dante’s Inferno about? Describe the basic structure of his underworld.

Canto III

  • Circle name:
  • What kind of sinner is stuck here?
  • How are they punished?
  • Who is angry at Dante trying to pass here? Why?

Canto IV

  • Circle name:
  • What kind of sinner is stuck here?
  • How are they punished?
  • What Greek Underworld structure is this circle most like?
  • Name one figure from this circle whose writings you have read in this course.

Canto V

  • Circle name:
  • What kind of sinner is stuck here?
  • How are they punished?
  • What Greek Underworld structure is this circle most like?
  • Who is Minos and why is he here? Describe his job.

Canto VI

  • Circle name:
  • What kind of sinner is stuck here?
  • How are they punished?
  • Describe the parallels between these sinners’ punishment and that of Tantalus.
  • Who is Cerberus? What is he doing here? What is his job in the Greek Underworld?

Canto VII

  • Circle name:
  • What kind of sinner is here?
  • How are they punished?
  • Describe the parallels between these sinners’ punishment and that of Sisyphus.