According to Homer's Odyssey, the Phlegethon feeds into the river Acheron, alongside the Cocytus.[1]Plato describes it as "a stream of fire, which coils round the earth and flows into the depths of Tartarus".[2]
In Orphic literature, in which there are four rivers of the underworld, the Phlegethon is associated with the element of fire, and the direction east.[3]
In Oedipus by Seneca the Younger, the first singing of the chorus, which mainly describes the plague that has settled in Thebes, includes the line, "Phlegethon has changed his course and mingled Styx with Theban streams." While this is not essential to the plot of the play, the line figuratively serves to suggest Death has become physically present in Thebes.
The Divine Comedyedit
In Dante'sInferno, Phlegethon is described as a river of blood that boils souls. It is in the Seventh Circle of Hell, which punishes those who committed crimes of violence against their fellow men (see Canto XII, 46–48); murderers, tyrants, and the like. By causing hot blood to flow through their violent deeds in life, they are now sunk in the flowing, boiling blood of the Phlegethon. The depth at which each sinner must stand in the river is determined by the level of violence they caused in life; Dante sees Attila the Hun and Alexander the Great up to their eyebrows. Centaurs patrol the circle, firing arrows at those who try to rise above their allotted level in the river. Dante and Virgil cross Phlegethon with help from Nessus.
Notesedit
^Brill's New Pauly, s.v. Phlegethon (2); Homer, Odyssey 10.513–4.
^Brill's New Pauly, s.v. Phlegethon (2); Orphic fr. 123 II (I p. 283), IV (I p. 283) Bernabé.
Referencesedit
Bernabé, Alberto (1996), Poetae epici Graeci: Testimonia et fragmenta, Pars I, Bibliotheca Teubneriana, Stuttgart and Leipzig, Teubner, 1996. ISBN978-3-815-41706-5. Online version at De Gruyter.
Brill’s New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Antiquity, Volume 11, Phi-Prok, editors: Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider, Brill, 2007. ISBN978-90-04-14216-9. Online version at Brill.
Homer, The Odyssey with an English Translation by A. T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
May 01, 2024
phlegethon, spanish, death, metal, vocalist, phlegeton, greek, mythology, river, Φλεγέθων, english, translation, flaming, pyriphlegethon, Πυριφλεγέθων, english, translation, fire, flaming, five, rivers, infernal, regions, underworld, along, with, rivers, styx,. For the Spanish death metal vocalist see Phlegeton In Greek mythology the river Phlegethon Flege8wn English translation flaming or Pyriphlegethon Pyriflege8wn English translation fire flaming was one of the five rivers in the infernal regions of the underworld along with the rivers Styx Lethe Cocytus and Acheron Contents 1 Mythology 2 The Divine Comedy 3 Notes 4 ReferencesMythology editAccording to Homer s Odyssey the Phlegethon feeds into the river Acheron alongside the Cocytus 1 Plato describes it as a stream of fire which coils round the earth and flows into the depths of Tartarus 2 In Orphic literature in which there are four rivers of the underworld the Phlegethon is associated with the element of fire and the direction east 3 In Oedipus by Seneca the Younger the first singing of the chorus which mainly describes the plague that has settled in Thebes includes the line Phlegethon has changed his course and mingled Styx with Theban streams While this is not essential to the plot of the play the line figuratively serves to suggest Death has become physically present in Thebes The Divine Comedy editIn Dante s Inferno Phlegethon is described as a river of blood that boils souls It is in the Seventh Circle of Hell which punishes those who committed crimes of violence against their fellow men see Canto XII 46 48 murderers tyrants and the like By causing hot blood to flow through their violent deeds in life they are now sunk in the flowing boiling blood of the Phlegethon The depth at which each sinner must stand in the river is determined by the level of violence they caused in life Dante sees Attila the Hun and Alexander the Great up to their eyebrows Centaurs patrol the circle firing arrows at those who try to rise above their allotted level in the river Dante and Virgil cross Phlegethon with help from Nessus Notes edit Brill s New Pauly s v Phlegethon 2 Homer Odyssey 10 513 4 Plato Phaedo 112b Brill s New Pauly s v Phlegethon 2 Orphic fr 123 II I p 283 IV I p 283 Bernabe References editBernabe Alberto 1996 Poetae epici Graeci Testimonia et fragmenta Pars I Bibliotheca Teubneriana Stuttgart and Leipzig Teubner 1996 ISBN 978 3 815 41706 5 Online version at De Gruyter Brill s New Pauly Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World Antiquity Volume 11 Phi Prok editors Hubert Cancik Helmuth Schneider Brill 2007 ISBN 978 90 04 14216 9 Online version at Brill Homer The Odyssey with an English Translation by A T Murray Ph D in two volumes Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press London William Heinemann Ltd 1919 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Phlegethon amp oldid 1193191998, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
