Greek Underworld Research Paper

Greek mortuary offerings of consumable things had a far more colloquial or honorary nature, when compared to their Egyptian counterparts. Ancient Greeks did not believe that you required earthly food or any food for that matter to survive in the underworld. The role of offering sustenance to the deceased was far more symbolic, not necessarily executing the function of allaying hunger. Instead, offerings were generally manifested as, libations (post death), and quite commonly lekythos, all of which were given not to literally feed but as a gesture of recognition of the deceased’s achievements in life and their passing to the afterlife. The bleak nature of the Greek underworld meant that many of these offerings, served as a form of comfort for
the dead, reminding them of the joys of life.
The main form of food offering in Greek mortuary cultures was libations.
These were a liquid offering poured over the grave, often right into the soil, where, it was believed that through running down into the dirt, it would reach the underworld. This custom can be seen depicted on the vase image, where the individuals are pouring a mixture (this mixture was usually a combination of wine, water, blood and honey) onto the tomb stone. Contrary to Egyptian practices which provided a more regular offering, which consisted not only of liquids but also solid food, the Greek libations were generally only done once a year, and were often done by priests who had been paid to perform the service. The outsourcing of the libations to a third party with no personal relations to the dead, demonstrates the far more colloquial approach the Greeks had towards the practice of feeding the dead; it was more of a duty than a
necessity.
The images on the vase depict a libation, most likely wine mixed with ether wine, honey, water, or a combination of such. The libation was meant to seep into the ground where it could reach the dead in the underworld.
The role of food in Greek culture of death was not of a shallow nature though.
Their mythology provides ample evidence for food acting as a bridge between the underworld and real world where the living resided. In the odyssey, when Odysseus goes to the gates of the underworld, he must make a sacrifice of blood and wine to summon the dead. Furthermore, until the dead he has summoned have drunk from the offering they are unable to communicate with him. So here we observe how foodstuff functions as a medium through which the dead can interact with the living, since they are consuming a piece of the living world. This ceremony executed by Odysseus is the same as the libations commonly performed by the Greeks, since in both cases liquids are being poured in order to create a connection between both worlds. This relationship is also valid in the other direction, as demonstrated in the story of Persephone. On being released from the underworld, Hades convinces her to eat a single pomegranate seed. This binds her to the underworld, forcing her to return there once every year for a period of several months, creating winter as her mother mourns her
absence.
These myths when considered together with the real life customs of gifts such as libations or offerings for hero cults create an image of food not as a literal form of sustenance as in Egyptian culture, but as a powerful catalyst for enabling the dead and living to interact. Both cultures held “feeding” of the dead in great import; however, the Egyptian practice treated it as a necessity, due to their perception of life and death as being very close together, and intrinsically similar in many aspects. The Greek’s perception of the practice focused more on the ritual aspect of the custom, viewing it not as a necessity in terms of the literal role of food in sustenance, but instead as a means to achieving or fulfilling certain bonds with the deceased or in the case of hero cults, the offering food had the function of honoring and petitioning a specific hero.