Greeek-death

Greek Death By: Jessica Brennan, Dan Yocum, Kate Deglas "Death comes alike to the idle man and to him that works much" (Achilles to Odysseus in the Iliad)

The Greeks believed that all people have the right to a funeral and burial. Without a proper burial a person’s soul would wander the Earth for eternity and to not give a person a proper burial is considered a sin. After the soul is released from the body they go to the underworld ruled by the King of Death, Hades. Death is an intrical part of most Greek mythological stories. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropus are three sisters who decide human fates. The Gods could but never challenge the the fates decisions. Socrates believed in what we now call civil disobedience, he was willing to die to fight the ignorance of Greek rulers. He knew that he was close to death being in his seventies, and his young followers would continue his message after he is gone. Socrates believed that he could prove a point more with his death then if he stayed alive. He knew that people didn’t know everything and if they realized that they didn’t know everything then they were wise.

In the story of Antigone, she defied Kind Creon for her belief in the law of God. She wanted her brother to rest in peace for eternity and was willing to risk her own life for it. Nothing should be done out of fear of death because your main concern should not be preserving your own life.

During the battle of Troy, Hector and Achilles fought over the death of Patriclus. Achilles killed Hector but did not give him a proper burial; instead he dragged Hectors body around Troy humiliating his heroic images. The royal family begged Achilles for Hectors body so he could go to the afterlife. Achilles eventually gave the body back, and realized that his inappropriate actions may have cost him his ticket to the afterlife.