World and Underworld

Abstract

Abstract Chapter 5 shows how leaders, authors, and artists in fifth-century bce Athens used Underworld scenes to democratize the afterlife. From ghosts on stage in Aeschylus’ Persians and Aristophanes’ Frogs to grave stelai accompanying public funeral orations for the war dead, Underworld scenes created more points of contact between the living and the dead in everyday civic spaces to reinforce political narratives defining Athenian identity. Underworld scenes across media in this period not only questioned the finality of death but also made the barrier between the living and the dead more permeable with the result that a blessed, Golden Age–type afterlife was perceived to be more accessible to all individuals. By making a role for the dead in civic life, Underworld scenes became tools for political propaganda to generate popular support for Athenians’ self-image and ongoing military conflicts, particularly during times of strife.