Underworld

The Underworld is where the souls of the dead go when they die. The Underworld is divided into various sections. Judges of the Underworld decide where a soul should go based upon their life's accomplishments. In Ancient Greek times, a man named King Radamanthus judged the dead and was later joined by King Aeacus and King Minos.

Door of Orpheus
The Door of Orpheus is a lesser-known entrance, which stands in Central Park, New York. Orpheus created it to retrieve the dead spirit of his wife, Eurydice.

River Styx
Charon's ferry floats along this river on its way to the main gate on the Walls of Erebus. In ancient history, Achilles used the Styx to become invincible (His mother, Thetis, held him by his heel to keep him anchored to the mortal world, dipping him into the river.) Since the river is so powerful, the person bathing in it has to pick one vulnerable spot on their body to make sure they are anchored to their human life, or else they will dissolve into the river. Thus the saying "Achilles' Heel" came to be because he was defeated in his vulnerable spot, his heel. There is also a place on the human heel that is called the "Achilles Tendon", mainly because that is what scientists discovered and named with Achilles.

The Fields of Punishment
The Fields of Punishment are fields of complete and brutal torture for souls of people who have done extreme wrongs in their lifetime.


 * King Sisyphus cheated death numerous times with the first one having him chain up Thanatos so that no one can die. He even appealed to Persephone that his wife never gave him a proper funeral. Sisyphus was sentenced to roll a boulder up a hill that would roll back down when it gets close to the top, and was constantly plagued by the fact that he wanted to roll the stone up again, probably as an added side effect.


 * King Tantalus was invited to dine with the gods and was said to have stolen nectar and ambrosia and brought it back to his people alongside the secret of the gods. Tantalus later chopped up his son Pelops and served him as food to the gods. Upon his death, his punishment was to stand in the middle of a lake under the branches of a fruit tree, but whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches would retreat from his grasp, and whenever he leaned down for a drink, the water would recede from him.


 * Ixion was the king of the Lapiths, the most ancient tribe of Thessaly. Ixion got mad at his father in law and ended up pushing him onto a bed of coal and woods, committing the first kin-related murder. The princes of other lands ordered that Ixion be denied of any sin cleansing. Zeus took pity on Ixion and invited him to a meal on Olympus. But when he saw Hera, he fell in love with her and did some under the table caressing until Zeus signaled him to stop. Zeus created a cloud-clone of Hera to test him and Ixion made love to her which resulted in the birth of Centauros who mated with some Magnesian mares on Mount Pelion engendering the race of Centaurs who are called the Ixionidae from their descent. Zeus ended up driving Ixion from Mount Olympus and then struck him with a thunderbolt. He was sentenced to eternity in the Fields of Punishment tied to a winged flaming wheel that was always spinning. Only when Orpheus came down to the Underworld to rescue Eurydice did it stop spinning because of the music Orpheus was playing.

The Fields of Asphodel
Souls who don't wish to be judged go the Asphodel Fields. Also for people who are judged and who have not done enough good or bad in their life end in Asphodel. Most souls forget their lives when they are in these fields.

Elysium
Elysium is the place of paradise for the heroic and the virtuous. The souls of those who had either died a hero's death or led a virtuous life will live in peace in Elysium forever.

Isles of the Blest
The Isles of the Blest is reserved for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium.

Tartarus
Tartarus is the darkest and deepest area of the Underworld. Tartarus is where the gods imprison their enemies, chiefly the Titans. Kronos is known for being held there. When a monster is slain, its essence is sent to Tartarus until they can reform.

Tartarus is the lowest region of the world, as far below earth as earth is from heaven. Tartarus is described as a dark, gloomy pit, surrounded by a wall of bronze, and beyond that a three-fold layer of night. According to the Iliad, it is a 9-day anvil fall from the other regions of Hades.