Elysium

This article is about the place in Greek mythology. For other uses, see Elysium (disambiguation) and Elysian (disambiguation).
"Elysion" redirects here. For the minivan produced by Honda, see Honda Elysion. For the Greek gothic-metal band, see Elysion (band). For the American deathcore band, see Elysia (band).
Ancient Greek funerary vase (5th century BC). On the face a young woman and a young man pick fruit from a tree. This depicts the afterlife in the Elysian Fields, where the blessed dead enjoyed golden fruits.

Elysium (/ɪˈlɪzi.əm, ɪˈlɪʒəm/[1]), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields (Ancient Greek: Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, Ēlýsion pedíon) or Elysian Plains, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cults. It was initially separated from the Greek underworld – the realm of Hades. Only mortals related to the gods and other heroes could be admitted past the river Styx. Later, the conception of who could enter was expanded to include those chosen by the gods, the righteous, and the heroic. They would remain at the Elysian Fields after death, to live a blessed and happy afterlife, and indulge in whatever they had enjoyed in life.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

The Elysian Fields were, according to Homer, located on the western edge of the Earth by the stream of Okeanos.[2] In the time of the Greek poet Hesiod, Elysium would also be known as the "Fortunate Isles", or the "Isles (or Islands) of the Blessed", located in the western ocean at the end of the earth.[2][8][9] The Isles of the Blessed would be reduced to a single island by the Theban poet Pindar, describing it as having shady parks, with residents indulging in athletic and musical pastimes.[2][3]

The ruler of Elysium varies from author to author: Pindar and Hesiod name Cronus as the ruler,[10] while the poet Homer in the Odyssey describes fair-haired Rhadamanthus dwelling there.[7][8][11][12] "The Isle of the Blessed" is also featured in the 2nd-century comedic novel A True Story by Lucian of Samosata.

  1. ^ Wells, John C. (2000) [1990]. Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (new ed.). Harlow, England: Longman. p. 257. ISBN 978-0-582-36467-7.
  2. ^ a b c d Peck, Harry Thurston (1897). Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities, Volume 1. New York: Harper. pp. 588, 589.
  3. ^ a b Sacks, David (1997). A Dictionary of the Ancient Greek World. Oxford University Press US. pp. 8, 9. ISBN 0-19-511206-7.
  4. ^ Zaidman, Louise Bruit (1992). Religion in the Ancient Greek City. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 78. ISBN 0-521-42357-0.
  5. ^ Clare, Israel Smith (1897). Library of Universal History, Volume 2: Ancient Oriental Nations and Greece. New York: R. S. Peale, J. A. Hill.
  6. ^ Petrisko, Thomas W. (2000). Inside Heaven and Hell: What History, Theology and the Mystics Tell Us About the Afterlife. McKees Rocks, PA: St. Andrews Productions. pp. 12–14. ISBN 1-891903-23-3.
  7. ^ a b Ogden, Daniel (2007). A Companion to Greek Religion. Singapore: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 92, 93. ISBN 978-1-4051-2054-8.
  8. ^ a b Westmoreland, Perry L. (2007). Ancient Greek Beliefs. Lee And Vance Publishing Co. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-9793248-1-9.
  9. ^ Rengel, Marian (2009). Greek and Roman Mythology A to Z. Infobase Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-60413-412-4.
  10. ^ Evelyn-White, Hugh G. (1914). The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
  11. ^ Burkert, Walter (1985). Greek Religion. United Kingdom: Blackwell. p. 198. ISBN 0-631-15624-0.
  12. ^ Murray, A.T. (1919). Homer, The Odyssey with an English Translation. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press – via Perseus Digital Library Project.