Ancient Greek Underworld Quiz

Question: Whose duty is it to ferry the souls of the newly dead and properly buried across the river Acheron or Styx, which divides the world of the living from the world of the dead?

Answer: It is Charon’s duty to ferry the souls of the newly dead and properly buried across the river Acheron or Styx, which divides the world of the living from the world of the dead.

Question: The name of which underworld river literally means “shuddering” and expresses loathing of death?

Answer: The name of the river Styx literally means “shuddering” and expresses loathing of death. In Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the gods swear by the water of the river as their most binding oath.

Question: In ancient Greece, who is the underworld god described as a personification of death whose realm, divided from the land of the living by terrible rivers, resembles the Mesopotamian land of the dead?

Answer: In ancient Greece, Hades is the underworld god described as a personification of death whose realm, divided from the land of the living by terrible rivers, resembles the Mesopotamian land of the dead.

Question: Which Greek god was overthrown by his sons, who then divided his kingdom among themselves?

Answer: Cronus is the Greek god who was overthrown by his sons, and his kingdom was divided among them. He is the son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth).

Question: In ancient Greek custom, before a body was buried, a coin was placed with it to pay for the soul’s ferry ride to the underworld. In or on what part of the body was the coin placed?

Answer: Before a body was buried, a coin was placed in the mouth to pay Charon for the soul’s ferry ride to the underworld.

Question: Which underworld creatures were assigned the task of personally torturing the guilty after judgment?

Answer: The Furies were assigned the task of personally torturing the guilty after judgment in the underworld.

Question: This king of the underworld rules with his queen. What is her name?

Answer: Hades, king of the underworld, rules with his queen, Persephone.

Question: What is the name of the monstrous three-headed watchdog of the underworld, said to devour anyone who tries to escape the kingdom of Hades?

Answer: Cerberus is the name of the monstrous three-headed watchdog of the underworld. He devours anyone who tries to escape the kingdom of Hades.

Question: One of the labors of which warrior was to bring the monstrous watchdog of the underworld up to the land of the living?

Answer: One of the labors of Heracles (also called Hercules) was to bring the monstrous watchdog of the underworld, Cerberus, up to the land of the living. After succeeding at this, he returned the creature to the underworld.

Question: What kind of seed did Persephone eat in the underworld that required her to spend a portion of the year there with Hades?

Answer: Because Persephone ate a single pomegranate seed while in the underworld, she was required to spend a portion of the year there with Hades.