The Underworld of Greek mythology was the domain of Hades, the brother of Zeus, and as such was often referred to as Hades in recognition of its ruler.

The domain of the deceased, it is easy to visualise the underworld simply being a Greek version of the Christian hell, after all hell is often referred to as Hades. The Greek underworld is not quite that simple as that and there are various stories relating to it.

The Underworld is often depicted as being found underground, and certainly there were entrance points mentioned as being present across Greece. At the same time it is also said that it can be reached by sailing across the ocean to the furthest extremities of the earth.

Hades was said to comprise of three distinct areas; Tartarus, the Asphodel Meadows and the Elysian Fields. The Underworld was also said to be crossed by five (or seven rivers) including the Rivers Styx, Lethe, Phlegethon, Cocytus and Acheron. It was across the last of these that Charon would ferry those able to pay.

Tartarus can best be described as Hell, and was the place where the most troublesome of mortals and immortals were sent by the gods. Tartarus was said to be at the deepest extremes of the Underworld, a place where it would take an anvil nine days to fall to. Tartarus was also one of the oldest of the primordial beings.

The Asphodel Meadows was a place where the majority of the dead would end up, being a place where those who were neither good nor bad would end up. It was not of course described in the best of lights, being a place where people acted like a mindless group. These individuals were said to have drank from the River Lethe to forget their previous lives.

The living were meant to aspire to achieve an afterlife in the Elysian Fields, a place where heroes would spend eternity after their deaths. This was paradise for the ancient Greeks.  

There was though a judge to determine where the dead would spend the afterlife. The main judge was said to by Rhadamanthys, a just king of Crete, although a further two judges were added, Aeacus and Minos, in later tales.

The Underworld was of course meant to be a place for the dead, and the living were never meant to be able to leave, if they had been foolish enough to enter. To this end the River Acheron was guarded by Cerberus. Some mortals and demi-gods managed to both enter and leave, including Heracles, Orpheus, Theseus and Odysseus.

The Underworld of ancient Greece served to give the living a purpose to their lives, as well as explaining elements of the world in which they lived.