Tartarus was the final dwelling place for those who had been wicked in their mortal lives. It was said to be as far beneath Hades as heaven was above it. In Tartarus many men received their punishments for misdeeds, and it was there that Zeus imprisoned the Titans and the Giants who had warred with the gods. The evildoers in Tartarus had offended the gods (Zeus in particular) and were condemned to an everlasting torture. Sisyphus had to push a rock up a hill and then watch it roll back down. Ixion was chained to a wheel that eternally turned.

Tantalus had stolen the Olympians' nectar and ambrosia for mortals; he attempted to test the omniscience of the gods by cutting up his own son, Pelops, and serving him in a stew to the gods. Everyone saw through the vile trick; everyone except Demeter, who absently-mindedly ate her piece, which happened to be Pelops' shoulder. The Olympians quickly restored Pelops to life and Hephaestus constructed a new shoulder for him. Tantalus' punishment was to stand neck-deep in a deep pool of water, always thirsty but never able to catch a sip. A bough filled with fruit hung above his head, but whenever he tried to pluck the fruit the wind would blow the bough away out of his reach.

Theseus, although a hero, was also detained in Tartarus. During his middle age Theseus lost his common sense and together with his great friend, Pirithous, decided they would marry daughters of Zeus: Pirithous desired Helen and Theseus desired Persephone. First they kidnapped Helen, who was only ten or twelve (her brothers, Castor and Pollux, rescued her). Then they attempted to kidnap Persephone from the Underworld. Hades greeted his guests and invited them to sit in the stone chair of Lethe, the chair of Forgetfulness. Hercules later succeeded in rescuing Theseus but not Pirithous.

ACTIVITIES:
Tartarus activity

KEY TEST WORDS:
Tartarus, Sisyphus, Ixion, Tantalus

The Underworld

Creatures

Footnotes:
None

SOURCES:
Jane Smith
Edith Hamilton's Mythology
Bulfinch's Mythology
"Manual of Mythology" by Alexander S. Murray.