Blurs

Tartarus (Ancient Greek: Τάρταρος, Tártaros) is a primordial entity and a deep cosmic region in ancient Greek mythology.  In early Greek cosmology, particularly the Theogony of Hesiod, Tartarus is one of the earliest entities to come into existence, alongside Chaos, Gaia (Earth) and Eros. It is simultaneously described as a vast, dark abyss beneath the Earth and, in some traditions, as a primordial divine being. Tartarus should not be regarded simply as another name for Hades. In the earliest surviving Greek literature, Hades is the realm of the dead, whereas Tartarus is a much deeper cosmic region associated particularly with imprisonment, divine punishment and the confinement of enemies of the Olympian gods.  Homer describes Tartarus as lying as far beneath Hades as the heavens are above the Earth. Over time, the concept developed. Later Greek writers increasingly associated Tartarus with punishment after death, while Roman authors, particularly Virgil, developed a more elab...