Nekyia
conceptOdysseus's ritual summoning of the dead in Book 11 of the Odyssey, where he speaks with ghosts at the edge of the Underworld to learn the way home.
The Myth
The Nekyia describes Odysseus's journey to the threshold of the Underworld, following instructions from Circe. He sailed to the land of the Cimmerians, shrouded in perpetual darkness, and dug a pit at the confluence of the rivers Acheron, Pyriphlegethon, and Cocytus. He poured libations of milk, honey, wine, and water, then sacrificed a black ram and ewe. The blood attracted ghosts. He first met Elpenor, a crewman who had fallen from Circe's roof and begged for burial. The prophet Tiresias appeared and revealed the route to Ithaca and the dangers ahead. Odysseus spoke with his mother Anticlea, who had died of grief at his absence. He saw Agamemnon, murdered by Clytemnestra; Achilles, who said he would rather be a living slave than king of the dead; and Ajax, who still refused to speak to him over their quarrel for the arms of Achilles.
Symbols
Fun Fact
Achilles' famous line in the Nekyia — "I would rather be a serf to a living man than king over all the dead" — is one of the most quoted sentences in Western literature, and it directly contradicts the heroic code of the Iliad, where Achilles chose a short glorious life. Homer essentially has Achilles review his own life choice and declare it was a mistake. It's literature's first and most devastating buyer's remorse speech.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Ajax (Shield)
conceptAjax's shield was a massive tower shield of seven ox-hides layered with bronze — the largest...
Acheron
placeThe Acheron was the River of Woe in the underworld, which the dead had to cross — in some...
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Agamemnon
heroAgamemnon led the Greek coalition against Troy but was murdered upon return by his wife...
Ajax the Great
heroAjax son of Telamon was the tallest and strongest of the Greek warriors at Troy, a tower of a man...
Ajax the Lesser
heroAjax son of Oileus was a fast, fierce, impious warrior whose assault on Cassandra in Athena's...
Circe
godA powerful sorceress who lived on the island of Aeaea. Circe transformed Odysseus's men into swine...
Clytemnestra
heroClytemnestra murdered Agamemnon on his return from Troy, driven by rage over Iphigenia's sacrifice.
Odysseus
heroThe cleverest of the Greek heroes, whose ten-year journey home from Troy is one of the greatest...
Odysseus (Trickster)
heroOdysseus was the most cunning of all Greek heroes — the man of polytropos (many turns), whose...
Underworld
placeThe Underworld was the vast subterranean realm where all mortal souls went after death — a...
Ajax (Madness)
heroAjax the Great's descent into madness and suicide after losing the contest for Achilles's armor to...