Session 3 - Death and the Underworld

Suffering

key element of the human experience, leads to understanding, wisdom, and greatness

Rituals

done by the living, could serve, appease, or commune with the spirits of the dead and/or deities

Nekyia

refers to the summoning of the shades of the dead to communicate with them, powerful literary device

Katabasis

a purposeful descent of a living hero or character into the realm of the dead without dying, returns with knowledge (orpheus)

Herakles - Transcending Death

brute force and great deeds

Achilles - Transcending Death

literary immortality through a glorious death

Odysseus - Transcending Death

long life, peaceful death, immortal story

Orpheus - Transcending Death

transcend with music, mysteries

Cult of Orpheus

cult and mysteries were essential elements of ancient religious beliefs

Greek Mystery

a hidden thing, sacred secret, religious rite known only to those who have been initiated

Eleusian Mysteries

told of persephone abduction and demotes grief, initiates believed ceremony transformed them, granting profound wisdom comfort in life and blessed afterlife, anyone welcome to join

Dionysian Mysteries

participants used one, loud music, and wild dancing to break down everyday social rules and experience divine possession, welcomed everyone

Orphic Cult

beliefs of rebirth (immortal soul), mystery religion that centered around the mythical poet orpheus, focused more on personal spiritual purity afterlife and salvation of the individual soul

Pythagoras

mathematician, philosopher, and influential teacher, immortal transversal soul, conncections to morphism

Bacchanal

wild drunken party in celebration of dionysus