Myths of the Underworld Journey: Plato, Aristophanes, and the 'Orphic' Gold Tablets

Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 13
THE START OF THE JOURNEY......Page 15
DEFINITION OF MYTH......Page 18
THE TALE OF THE JOURNEY TO THE UNDERWORLD......Page 27
DISTINCT AND DIFFERENT WAYS......Page 34
THE ROUTE OF THE TEXTS......Page 39
THE ENDS OF THE ROAD......Page 41
INTRODUCTION......Page 43
Placing the Gold Tablets......Page 44
The Approach: Obstacle–Solution–Result......Page 48
Orphic Controversies......Page 51
Replacing ‘Orphism’......Page 54
FINDING THE PATH IN THE UNDERWORLD......Page 60
Obstacle: Finding the Way to the Right Spring......Page 63
Solution: The Second Spring, from the Lake of Mnemosyne......Page 64
Result: Memory......Page 66
Obstacle: Confrontation with the Powers of the Underworld......Page 69
Audience with Persephone in the A and P Tablets......Page 70
The Thirsty Soul and the Guardians of the Spring in the B Tablets......Page 75
Conclusion......Page 77
Solution: Statement of Identity......Page 78
Gender Issues......Page 79
Ritual Purity......Page 83
The Payment of the Penalty......Page 84
Struck by Lightning......Page 87
Divine Lineage......Page 89
Statements of Identity as Solution......Page 94
Result: Eschatological Hopes......Page 96
The Symposium of the Blest......Page 98
Rebirth......Page 102
Apotheosis......Page 105
Conclusion......Page 113
‘Orphic’ Sources......Page 116
The Ritual Approach......Page 118
Conclusion......Page 122
INTRODUCTION......Page 125
The Initiation of Dionysos: The Abuse of a Pattern......Page 127
Aristophanes and the Mysteries......Page 131
A CARNIVALESQUE REFLECTION......Page 134
Dionysos’s Comic Katabasis......Page 135
Obstacle: Crossing the Acherusian Lake......Page 139
Solution: Dionysos Rows Charon’s Skiff......Page 140
Result: Rendezvous at Withering Heights......Page 149
Obstacle: Lost in the Muck......Page 150
Solution: Join the Festivals of the Mystai......Page 152
Result: Guidance to the House of Hades......Page 160
Obstacle: The Doorkeeper at the Gate......Page 161
Solution: Declaration of Identity – Herakles, Slave, or Dionysos?......Page 163
Result: Put in One’s Place......Page 168
CONCLUSION......Page 170
Socrates’ Final Myth of Hades......Page 173
Mythos and Logos in Plato’s Dialogues......Page 175
ENTERING THE REALM OF HADES......Page 185
Obstacle: Departure from the Mortal World......Page 186
Solution: Philosophy Replaces Funeral Ritual......Page 194
Result: Ghosts in the Graveyard......Page 198
Obstacle: Wandering Astray in Hades......Page 202
Solution: Following the Guide on the Simple Path......Page 204
Result: Soul Goes to Its Appointed Place without Wanderings......Page 205
CONFRONTATION WITH THE POWERS OF THE UNDERWORLD......Page 209
Obstacle: The Judgement of the Soul......Page 210
Solutions: Heroic Deeds, Virtue, Relations with the Gods, and Philosophy......Page 212
Result: The Places of Punishment and Reward......Page 221
CONCLUSION......Page 233
5 Conclusions: The End of the Road......Page 235
RETRACING THE PATHS......Page 236
ORPHISM AS ORIGIN OR ORIENTATION?......Page 241
MYTHIC REFLECTIONS OF THE WORLD......Page 242
THE POWER OF MYTH......Page 245
THE AGON FOR AUTHORITY......Page 246
AUDIENCE AND INFLUENCE......Page 248
MANIPULATIONS OF MYTH......Page 250
Bibliography......Page 255
Index Locorum......Page 277
Index......Page 287