5. Hades and his underworld Summary 赫西奥德( Hesiod)在其作品《神谱》中把宇宙分为三层:最上面的是万众仰 羡的奥林匹斯众神聚集地的天庭,中间是充满艰辛和苦难的人间,而下层则是哈 迪斯和伯尔塞福涅所统治的冥界。希腊神话的死亡观不存在带善恶判断的天堂与 地狱,而是认为冥界是所有死者唯一的去处,因此哈迪斯的神话形象虽冷酷但并 无大多宗教神话中的恶神色彩,古希腊神话中的哈迪斯形象也是典型的英挺男 子。即便如此,在这个“有去无回的神秘之国( the undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns)”(W. Shakespeare: Hamlet,I1i.79-80),不同的魂灵有着 具体的、不同的归宿,而其中的神祗更是令凡人感到阴间的恐怖。 Selected Reading The kingdom of the dead was ruled by one of the twelve great Olympian, Hades ( Pluto), and his queen, Persephone. It is often called by his name, Hades. It lies beneath the secret places of the earth. Tartarus and erebus are sometimes two divisions of the Underworld, Tartarus the deeper of the two the prison of the Sons of the Earth; Erebus where the dead pass as soon as they die The Underworld is vague, a shadowy place inhabited by shadows. Nothing is real there. The ghosts'existence, if it can be called that, is like a miserable dream. The path down ten tache.a to it leads to where Acheron. the river of woe pours into Cocytus", the river of lamentation Three other rivers, besides Acheron and Cocytus, separate the underworld from the world above: Lethe, the river of forgetfulness; Phlegethon, the river of fire; Styx, the river of hate. An aged boatman named Charon ferries the souls of the dead across the water to the farther bank, where stands the adamantine* gate to Tartarus. Charon will receive into his boat only the souls of those under whose tongue the passage money---a coin---was placed when they dies and who were duly buried On guard before the gate sits Cerberus. the three-headed or. some say, fifty-headed, dragon-tailed dog, who permits all spirits to enter, but none to eturn. On his arrival each one is judged by Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus at a place where three roads meet Rhadamanthus tries Asiatics and Aeacus tries Europeans but both refer the difficult cases to Minos. As each verdict is given the ghosts are directed along one of the three roads: that leading to the Asphodel Meadows, where those ghosts who are
19 5. Hades and his Underworld Summary 赫西奥德(Hesiod)在其作品《神谱》中把宇宙分为三层：最上面的是万众仰 羡的奥林匹斯众神聚集地的天庭，中间是充满艰辛和苦难的人间，而下层则是哈 迪斯和伯尔塞福涅所统治的冥界。希腊神话的死亡观不存在带善恶判断的天堂与 地狱，而是认为冥界是所有死者唯一的去处，因此哈迪斯的神话形象虽冷酷但并 无大多宗教神话中的恶神色彩，古希腊神话中的哈迪斯形象也是典型的英挺男 子。即便如此，在这个“有去无回的神秘之国(the undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns)”(W. Shakespeare: Hamlet, III.i.79-80)，不同的魂灵有着 具体的、不同的归宿，而其中的神祗更是令凡人感到阴间的恐怖。 Selected Reading The kingdom of the dead was ruled by one of the twelve great Olympian, Hades (Pluto), and his queen, Persephone. It is often called by his name, Hades. It lies beneath the secret places of the earth. Tartarus and Erebus are sometimes two divisions of the Underworld, Tartarus the deeper of the two, the prison of the Sons of the Earth; Erebus where the dead pass as soon as they die. The Underworld is vague, a shadowy place inhabited by shadows. Nothing is real there. The ghosts’ existence, if it can be called that, is like a miserable dream. The path down to it leads to where Acheron1 , the river of woe, pours into Cocytus2 , the river of lamentation. Three other rivers, besides Acheron and Cocytus, separate the underworld from the world above: Lethe, the river of forgetfulness; Phlegethon, the river of fire; Styx, the river of hate. An aged boatman named Charon ferries3 the souls of the dead across the water to the farther bank, where stands the adamantine4 gate to Tartarus. Charon will receive into his boat only the souls of those under whose tongue the passage money---a coin---was placed when they dies and who were duly buried. On guard before the gate sits Cerberus5 , the three-headed or, some say, fifty-headed, dragon-tailed dog, who permits all spirits to enter, but none to return. On his arrival each one is judged by Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus at a place where three roads meet. Rhadamanthus tries Asiatics and Aeacus tries Europeans; but both refer the difficult cases to Minos. As each verdict6 is given the ghosts are directed along one of the three roads: that leading to the Asphodel Meadows, where those ghosts who are
neither virtuous nor evil delight in libations of blood poured to them by the living when they drink they feel themselves almost men again; that leading to the punishment-field of Tartarus, if they are evil; that leading to the orchards of Elysium if they are virtuous Elysium, ruled over by Cronus, lies near Hades'dominions, its entrance close to the pool of Memory, but forms no part of them; it is a happy land of perpetual day, without cold or snow, where games, music, and revels never cease, and where the inhabitants may elect to be reborn on earth whenever they please. Nearby are the Fortunate Islands. reserved for those who have been three times born and three times attained Elysium Somewhere in this vast region is Plutos pala around which are wide wastes. wan' and cold. and meadows of asphodel, presumabl ghostly flowers. Hades never knows what is happening in the world above, or in Olympus, except for fragmentary information which comes to him when mortals strike their hands upon the earth and invoke him with oaths and curses. His most prized possession is the helmet of invisibility, given him as a mark of gratitude by the Cyclopes when he consented to release them at Zeus's order. All the riches of gems and precious metals hidden beneath the earth are his, but he owns no property above ground. Queen Persephone is faithful to Hades, but has had no children by him and prefers the company of Hecate, goddess of witches, to his. Zeus himself honors Hecate so greatly that he never denies her the ancient power which she has always enjoyed of bestowing on mortals, or withholding from them, any desired gift. She has three bodies and three heads---lion, dog, and mare The Erinye(the Furies), are said to roam the underworld to punish evildoers They are usually represented as three: Tisiphone, Megaera and Alecto. These Erinyes are crones with snakes for hair dog s heads. coal-black bodies bats'wings and blood-she die in torment. Their names are Alecto(unceasing in Anger), Tisiphone(Avenger of Murder), Megaera(Jealous). Sleep, and Death, his brother, dwell in the lower world Dreams too ascend from there to men. They pass through two gates, one of horn through which true dreams go, one of ivory for false dreams he fortune of mortals are decided by two goddesses Tyche, a daughter of Zeus, is an irresponsible and capricious dispenser of good and ill fortune, who runs about juggling with a ball to exemplify 8 the uncertainty of chance; sometimes up sometimes down. But if it ever happens that a man, whom she has favored boasts of his abundant riches and neither sacrifices a part of them to the gods, nor alleviates the poverty of hi fellow-citizens, then the ancient goddess Nemesis steps in to
20 neither virtuous nor evil delight in libations of blood7 poured to them by the living: when they drink they feel themselves almost men again; that leading to the punishment-field of Tartarus, if they are evil; that leading to the orchards of Elysium, if they are virtuous. Elysium, ruled over by Cronus, lies near Hades’ dominions, its entrance close to the pool of Memory, but forms no part of them; it is a happy land of perpetual day, without cold or snow, where games, music, and revels8 never cease, and where the inhabitants may elect to be reborn on earth whenever they please. Nearby are the Fortunate Islands, reserved for those who have been three times born, and three times attained Elysium. Somewhere in this vast region is Pluto’s palace, around which are wide wastes, wan9 and cold, and meadows of asphodel, presumably10 strange, pallid11, ghostly flowers. Hades never knows what is happening in the world above, or in Olympus, except for fragmentary information which comes to him when mortals strike their hands upon the earth and invoke12 him with oaths and curses. His most prized possession is the helmet of invisibility, given him as a mark of gratitude by the Cyclopes13 when he consented to release them at Zeus’s order. All the riches of gems and precious metals hidden beneath the earth are his, but he owns no property above ground. Queen Persephone is faithful to Hades, but has had no children by him and prefers the company of Hecate14, goddess of witches, to his. Zeus himself honors Hecate so greatly that he never denies her the ancient power which she has always enjoyed: of bestowing15 on mortals, or withholding from them, any desired gift. She has three bodies and three heads---lion, dog, and mare. The Erinye16 (the Furies), are said to roam the underworld to punish evildoers. They are usually represented as three: Tisiphone, Megaera and Alecto. These Erinyes are crones17, with snakes for hair, dog’s heads, coal-black bodies, bats’ wings, and blood-shot eyes. In their hands they carry brass-studded scourges, and their victims die in torment. Their names are Alecto (unceasing in Anger), Tisiphone (Avenger of Murder), Megaera (Jealous). Sleep, and Death, his brother, dwell in the lower world. Dreams too ascend from there to men. They pass through two gates, one of horn through which true dreams go, one of ivory for false dreams. The fortune of mortals are decided by two goddesses. Tyche, a daughter of Zeus, is an irresponsible and capricious dispenser of good and ill fortune, who runs about juggling with a ball to exemplify18 the uncertainty of chance; sometimes up, sometimes down. But if it ever happens that a man, whom she has favored, boasts of his abundant riches and neither sacrifices a part of them to the gods, nor alleviates19 the poverty of his fellow-citizens, then the ancient goddess Nemesis steps in to
humiliate him. Nemesis carries an apple-bough in one hand, and a wheel in the other, and wears a silver crown adorned with stags; the scourge hangs at her girdle. She is the daughter of Oceanus and has something of Aphrodites beauty. In post-Homeric mythology, Nemesis is pursued by Zeus, who eventually turned himself into a swan then laid the egg from which Helen of Troy was hatched adition, Nemesis(not Leda) and caught her in the form of a goose. According to this tr NOTES 1悲怆河 2.痛泣河(悲怆河的支流) 3.摆渡 4非常坚硬的 having the hardness of a diamond 5刻耳柏洛斯,希腊神话中的地狱看门犬,这条狗有三 个头(赫西奥德的《神谱》中记载有50个头,为了雕刻 方便而减为3个),狗嘴滴着毒涎,下身长着一条龙尾, 头上和背上的毛全是盘缠着的条条毒蛇。 6裁决、定论 7浇奠的血 8狂欢 unrestrained merrymaking 9苍白、病态 0大概、大部分 by reasonable assumption 1l苍白的、暗淡的、无生气的 lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble 12.求助、请求 request earnestly( something from somebody), ask for aid or protection 13库克罗普斯(希腊神话中的独眼巨人) 14.赫卡特(司夜和冥界的女神) 15授予、给予 give as a gift 16.厄里倪厄斯是司复仇的三女神——阿勒克图(不安女神 Alecto)、墨纪拉(妒嫉女 神) Megaera)和提希丰(报仇女神)( Tisiphone)—的总称,她们是黑夜的女儿,任务是追 捕并惩罚那些犯下严重罪行的人,无论罪人在哪里,她们总会跟着他,使他的良心受到痛悔 的煎熬。因此只要世上有罪恶,她们就必然会存在 17.干瘪的老太太 18.例证;示范 clarify by giving an example of 19减轻;使缓和 make easier 20海洋之神 Questions for review and discussion 1. What are the different ghosts conveyed in the underworld? 2. Do the Furies and Nemesis perform the same kind of duties? 3. Describe the differences between Elysium and Tartarus and the situation of their respective inhabitants?
21 humiliate him. Nemesis carries an apple-bough in one hand, and a wheel in the other, and wears a silver crown adorned with stags; the scourge hangs at her girdle. She is the daughter of Oceanus20 and has something of Aphrodite’s beauty. In post-Homeric mythology, Nemesis is pursued by Zeus, who eventually turned himself into a swan and caught her in the form of a goose. According to this tradition, Nemesis (not Leda) then laid the egg from which Helen of Troy was hatched. NOTES 1.悲怆河 2.痛泣河（悲怆河的支流） 3.摆渡 4.非常坚硬的 having the hardness of a diamond 5.刻耳柏洛斯，希腊神话中的地狱看门犬，这条狗有三 个头（赫西奥德的《神谱》中记载有 50 个头，为了雕刻 方便而减为 3 个），狗嘴滴着毒涎，下身长着一条龙尾， 头上和背上的毛全是盘缠着的条条毒蛇。 6.裁决、定论 7.浇奠的血 8.狂欢 unrestrained merrymaking 9.苍白、病态 10.大概、大部分 by reasonable assumption 11.苍白的、暗淡的、无生气的 lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble 12.求助、请求 request earnestly (something from somebody); ask for aid or protection 13.库克罗普斯（希腊神话中的独眼巨人） 14.赫卡特(司夜和冥界的女神) 15.授予、给予 give as a gift 16.厄里倪厄斯是司复仇的三女神——阿勒克图 (不安女神)(Alecto) 、墨纪拉(妒嫉女 神)(Megaera)和提希丰（报仇女神）(Tisiphone)——的总称，她们是黑夜的女儿，任务是追 捕并惩罚那些犯下严重罪行的人，无论罪人在哪里，她们总会跟着他，使他的良心受到痛悔 的煎熬。因此只要世上有罪恶，她们就必然会存在。 17.干瘪的老太太 18.例证；示范 clarify by giving an example of 19.减轻；使 ... 缓和 make easier 20.海洋之神 Questions for review and discussion 1. What are the different ghosts conveyed in the underworld? 2. Do the Furies and Nemesis perform the same kind of duties? 3. Describe the differences between Elysium and Tartarus and the situation of their respective inhabitants?
趣味阅读 冥界旅游(单程) 根据神话记载,冥界的主体由三个部分和五大河流组成。组成冥界的三个区域分别是 阿斯福德草原 Asphodel Meadow、极乐园 Elysium、地狱幽冥 Tartarus。冥界的五大河为:辛 酸之河 Acheron、忘川 Lethe、火河 Phlegethon、悲欢河 Cocytus、恨河Stx。 假设你生活在古希腊传说世界中,有一天你一不小心摊上大事了”了,请恕我冒犯。当 然,个人“摊事ˆ很容易比如战争中被敌人杀死因惹怒神灵而被诛灭、竞赛中落马而死 反正死法很多,挑—个就是。考虑到阁下不可能是位勇猛无敌的大英雄,也不是才华横溢 的乐手,更没有强大的神祗后台,你还是乖乖的按照普通亡魂的方式去去冥界报到 当你发现自己已经倒在地上浑身冰冷,这说明你已经灵魂出窍了。你的灵魂会长时间徘 徊在自己的躯体前。或许你一直看着伤心悲痛的亲人,但是你却无法安慰他们,这时亡灵的 引导者 Hermes会将你的灵魂牵到冥界的入口。进入冥界,你会发现这里是永恒的黑夜, 大片荒原上,有些弯弯曲曲的小路,沿着这条小路走向更加昏暗深邃的幽冥之中。这样缓缓 的往里面游移,几天之后你会来到条河边。也就是传说中的辛酸之河 Acheron,这条河的 水质非常之清,即使一片轻巧的羽毛也会立即沉下去,所以欲过此河,必须搭乘船夫 Charon 的船,因为只有这只特殊的船能够浮于此水。 Charon也独家垄断了该生意,并对渡河的灵 魂收取一枚钱币的费用。古希腊人死后,亲属都会往他嘴里含一枚钱,用以支付船的费用 当然,没有亲戚就没有渡船的费用,他们的灵魂会一直飘荡在 Acheron河畔,得不到安息。 冥界的五大河流在这里形成了一片沼泽,当船夫 Charon载着亡灵穿过 Acheron河后,还要 穿过静寂阴森的沼泽。下船时你张开嘴巴, Charon会拿走你口中衔着的那一枚钱币。 现在你正式进入冥国了。离开河岸,往冥国的深处走,不久你会遇到看守冥府的三头犬 Cerberus现在我需要正式声明一下,这条线路是单程的,一个亡魂一旦进入冥国中就再也
22 趣味阅读 冥界旅游（单程） 根据神话记载，冥界的主体由三个部分和五大河流组成。组成冥界的三个区域分别是： 阿斯福德草原 Asphodel Meadow、极乐园 Elysium、地狱幽冥 Tartarus。冥界的五大河为：辛 酸之河 Acheron、忘川 Lethe、火河 Phlegethon、悲欢河 Cocytus、恨河 Styx。 假设你生活在古希腊传说世界中，有一天你一不小心“摊上大事了”了，请恕我冒犯。当 然，一个人“摊事”很容易，比如战争中被敌人杀死、因惹怒神灵而被诛灭、竞赛中落马而死….. 反正死法很多，挑一个就是。考虑到阁下不可能是一位勇猛无敌的大英雄，也不是才华横溢 的乐手，更没有强大的神祇后台，你还是乖乖的按照普通亡魂的方式去去冥界报到。 当你发现自己已经倒在地上浑身冰冷，这说明你已经灵魂出窍了。你的灵魂会长时间徘 徊在自己的躯体前。或许你一直看着伤心悲痛的亲人，但是你却无法安慰他们，这时亡灵的 引导者 Hermes 会将你的灵魂牵到冥界的入口。进入冥界，你会发现这里是永恒的黑夜，一 大片荒原上，有些弯弯曲曲的小路，沿着这条小路走向更加昏暗深邃的幽冥之中。这样缓缓 的往里面游移，几天之后你会来到一条河边。也就是传说中的辛酸之河 Acheron，这条河的 水质非常之清，即使一片轻巧的羽毛也会立即沉下去，所以欲过此河，必须搭乘船夫 Charon 的船，因为只有这只特殊的船能够浮于此水。Charon 也独家垄断了该生意，并对渡河的灵 魂收取一枚钱币的费用。古希腊人死后，亲属都会往他嘴里含一枚钱，用以支付船的费用。 当然，没有亲戚就没有渡船的费用，他们的灵魂会一直飘荡在 Acheron 河畔，得不到安息。 冥界的五大河流在这里形成了一片沼泽，当船夫 Charon 载着亡灵穿过 Acheron 河后，还要 穿过静寂阴森的沼泽。下船时你张开嘴巴，Charon 会拿走你口中衔着的那一枚钱币。 现在你正式进入冥国了。离开河岸，往冥国的深处走，不久你会遇到看守冥府的三头犬 Cerberus。现在我需要正式声明一下，这条线路是单程的，一个亡魂一旦进入冥国中就再也
别想出来了,除非你能够制服这只凶恶的三头犬。传说中只有著名的乐手 Orpheus用优美无 比的音乐迷醉了这只恶犬,经过重重困难才将自己的亡妻子带出冥国。其他的情况下,逃逸 的鬼魂都会被这只恶犬吃掉的。不过现在你已经是一个飘荡的游魂了,不用怕这只怪物,因 为它只吃从冥府里逃出来的幽魂,以及任何试图进入冥国的活人。现在你已经踏上了一片冥 土中的大草原,也就是传说中的 Asphodel Meadow脚下无边无际的漫草在昏暗的光线中摇 曳,这里永远的如同黄昏或夜晚一般。没有灯。所有平庸的人死后,灵魂都被发配到这个地 方,在这之前他们须饮用忘川 Lethe之水,忘记生前的切。亡魂在草原上到处游荡,以金 穗花 asphodels为食。因此当你的魂灵沿着那条草隙间的小径行走,路上会遇见很多漫无目 的、漂泊游移的鬼魂,也许你还会遇到自己熟悉的人,但此时他们的记忆已经被 Lethe之水 洗刷的空空荡荡,早已经不认识你了。对他们来说,没有回忆、没有将来、没有情感、没有 目的,只有饿的时候来到河畔,以 asphodels花朵充饥。 游荡很久之后,你会来到这条路的尽头,面前是一座巨大的宫殿,这就是传说中的冥王 哈戴斯的宫殿了。宫殿的前殿中坐着冥界三大判官米诺斯 Minos、拉达曼达斯 Rhadamanthus、 埃阿科斯 Aeacus,判官们根据生前的善恶对每个亡灵进行审判,神灵的后代、大英雄、伟 大的人死后被判往 Elysiun,在那里享受着无忧无虑、不用劳作的天堂般的日子;平庸人的 灵魂则被留在 Asphodel Meadow中,并须饮忘川之水,遗忘生前的切;而生那些前亵渎 神灵、罪大恶极者,他们的魂灵则被打入地狱幽冥 Tartarus中,承受无休无止的折磨。 三判官肯定已经对你的生平审判完毕了,打发你去 Lethe河饮忘却之水,喝完这水之后 你就会忘却所有,以后就只能在阿斯福德草原飘荡了。真不好意思,进入冥界只有单程路线, 再也回去不了,毕竟你不是大英雄,也没有强大的背景。对了,出了宫殿一直往前走就是忘 川,喝完忘川之水后你会连本文中所说的路线都忘得—干二净了。哎,就当我啥都没说
23 别想出来了，除非你能够制服这只凶恶的三头犬。传说中只有著名的乐手 Orpheus 用优美无 比的音乐迷醉了这只恶犬，经过重重困难才将自己的亡妻子带出冥国。其他的情况下，逃逸 的鬼魂都会被这只恶犬吃掉的。不过现在你已经是一个飘荡的游魂了，不用怕这只怪物，因 为它只吃从冥府里逃出来的幽魂，以及任何试图进入冥国的活人。现在你已经踏上了一片冥 土中的大草原，也就是传说中的 Asphodel Meadow。脚下无边无际的漫草在昏暗的光线中摇 曳，这里永远的如同黄昏或夜晚一般。没有灯。所有平庸的人死后，灵魂都被发配到这个地 方，在这之前他们须饮用忘川 Lethe 之水，忘记生前的一切。亡魂在草原上到处游荡，以金 穗花 asphodels 为食。因此当你的魂灵沿着那条草隙间的小径行走，路上会遇见很多漫无目 的、漂泊游移的鬼魂，也许你还会遇到自己熟悉的人，但此时他们的记忆已经被 Lethe 之水 洗刷的空空荡荡，早已经不认识你了。对他们来说，没有回忆、没有将来、没有情感、没有 目的，只有饿的时候来到河畔，以 asphodels 花朵充饥。 游荡很久之后，你会来到这条路的尽头，面前是一座巨大的宫殿，这就是传说中的冥王 哈戴斯的宫殿了。宫殿的前殿中坐着冥界三大判官米诺斯 Minos、拉达曼达斯 Rhadamanthus、 埃阿科斯 Aeacus，判官们根据生前的善恶对每个亡灵进行审判，神灵的后代、大英雄、伟 大的人死后被判往 Elysium，在那里享受着无忧无虑、不用劳作的天堂般的日子；平庸人的 灵魂则被留在 Asphodel Meadow 中，并须饮忘川之水，遗忘生前的一切；而生那些前亵渎 神灵、罪大恶极者，他们的魂灵则被打入地狱幽冥 Tartarus 中，承受无休无止的折磨。 三判官肯定已经对你的生平审判完毕了，打发你去 Lethe 河饮忘却之水，喝完这水之后 你就会忘却所有，以后就只能在阿斯福德草原飘荡了。真不好意思，进入冥界只有单程路线， 再也回去不了，毕竟你不是大英雄，也没有强大的背景。对了，出了宫殿一直往前走就是忘 川，喝完忘川之水后你会连本文中所说的路线都忘得一干二净了。哎，就当我啥都没说。