Tartarus in Greek mythology is both a primordial deity and a deep, gloomy abyss used as a dungeon of torment for the wicked, located far beneath the underworld of Hades. In Hesiod’s Theogony, Tartarus is described as a misty, dark pit so deep that a bronze anvil would take nine days to fall from its entrance to its floor.
Origins and Genealogy
According to Hesiod’s Theogony (c. 700 BCE), Tartarus emerged from Chaos, making him one of the first beings in the cosmos, alongside Gaia (Earth), Eros (Desire), and Erebus (Darkness). Hesiod also states that Tartarus and Gaia together produced the monster Typhoeus (Typhon), a gigantic storm giant who challenged Zeus. In later Orphic traditions, Tartarus is sometimes described as a child of Aether and Hemera, but the Hesiodic version remains the most widely cited.
Location and Geography
Tartarus is not simply a synonym for the underworld. In Homer’s Iliad (Book 8), Zeus declares that Tartarus is “as far beneath Hades as heaven is above earth.” Hesiod elaborates that a bronze anvil would take nine days and nights to fall from the upper world to Tartarus, and another nine days to reach its floor. It is surrounded by a bronze wall and gates, with Night (Nyx) and later the Hekatoncheires (hundred-handed giants) standing guard. The river Styx flows around it, and the Titans, after their defeat by the Olympians, were imprisoned there.
Prison of the Titans and Giants
The most famous use of Tartarus was as a prison for the defeated Titans. After the Titanomachy (the ten-year war between the Olympian gods and the Titans), Zeus cast Cronus and the other Titans into Tartarus, as recounted in Hesiod’s Theogony. The Hekatoncheires—Briareus, Cottus, and Gyges—were set as guards. Later, the Giants who rebelled against the gods were also imprisoned there. Tartarus was not a place of rehabilitation; it was a permanent, inescapable dungeon.
Place of Punishment for Mortal Sinners
In later Greek and Roman literature, Tartarus became the place where especially wicked mortals suffered eternal punishments. Famous examples include:
- Tantalus – stood in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree, but both receded whenever he tried to drink or eat, giving rise to the word “tantalize.”
- Sisyphus – forced to roll a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down each time, for his cunning deceitfulness.
- The Danaids – fifty sisters who murdered their husbands and were condemned to fill a leaking jar with water forever.
- Ixion – bound to a flaming wheel that spun endlessly, for attempting to seduce Hera.
- Tityus – a giant whose liver was eaten by vultures daily, for assaulting Leto.
These punishments are described in Homer’s Odyssey (Book 11) and in Virgil’s Aeneid (Book 6), where Tartarus is depicted as a triple-walled fortress with a fiery river and a towering gate.
Tartarus vs. Hades vs. Erebus
In Greek mythology, the underworld has several distinct regions. Hades is the general realm of the dead, ruled by the god Hades. Erebus is the dark passage or region just inside the entrance, where the dead linger before judgment. Tartarus is the deepest, darkest pit, reserved for the most heinous offenders. The Elysian Fields (or Elysium) are the opposite—a paradise for the virtuous. The river Styx separates the world of the living from the dead, and souls must be ferried across by Charon (in later tradition) to reach their final destination.
Tartarus as a Deity
As a primordial god, Tartarus had little personality or cult. He was a personification of the abyss itself. Hesiod lists him among the first-born entities, and his only significant offspring is Typhon, born from his union with Gaia. In some versions of the myth, the monster Echidna is also said to be Typhon’s partner, but Tartarus himself is rarely worshiped. His role is primarily topographical—a place rather than an active divine being.
Later Interpretations and Influence
In the New Testament, the Greek word Tartaroō appears once (2 Peter 2:4), referring to God casting rebellious angels into Tartarus to be held for judgment. This use influenced Christian ideas of hell, though Tartarus is not identical to the biblical Gehenna. In modern culture, Tartarus appears in video games (e.g., Hades, God of War), literature (e.g., Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series), and films, often depicted as a fiery prison or a cosmic void. These adaptations, however, often mix Greek mythology with later Christian imagery, so they should not be taken as accurate to the ancient sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tartarus the same as Hell?
No. Tartarus is a specific region in Greek mythology, distinct from the Christian concept of Hell. In Greek texts, Tartarus is a place of punishment for both divine and mortal offenders, but it was not a place of eternal torment for all sinners—only the most wicked. The Christian Hell, as developed in later theology, has its own origins in Jewish and Christian scriptures, not in Greek myth.
Who is Tartarus’s mother or father?
In Hesiod’s Theogony, Tartarus is born from Chaos, so he has no parents. He is a primordial being, like Gaia and Eros. Some later Orphic poems give him different parents (Aether and Hemera), but the Hesiodic account is the most standard.
Did anyone ever escape Tartarus?
In Greek myth, only one figure is recorded as escaping: the monster Typhon, who was cast into Tartarus by Zeus but later broke free and fought Zeus again (in some versions). The Titans, however, remained imprisoned. There is no myth of a mortal escaping Tartarus.
What is the difference between Tartarus and the Underworld?
The Underworld (Hades) is the entire realm of the dead, which includes multiple regions. Tartarus is a specific, deep abyss within that realm, used as a prison and punishment zone. Not all dead go to Tartarus; most go to the Asphodel Meadows or Elysium, depending on their deeds.
Is Tartarus a god or a place?
Both. In Hesiod, Tartarus is a primordial deity and also a physical place. The god is the personification of the abyss, but he has no myths or cults. The place is far more prominent in mythology and literature.
Related
- Hector in Mythology: Role, Death & Legacy
- Achilles in Mythology: Hero, Rage, and Fate
- Jason in Mythology: Quest for the Golden Fleece
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