What did the Greeks and Romans believe about death, and how did myths of the underworld express those beliefs?
Greek and Roman attitudes to death and the afterlife, funerary and burial practices (rituals, tombs and offerings), beliefs about the underworld, and the mythic journeys to the underworld (katabasis) made by Odysseus, Aeneas, Heracles and Orpheus.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of death and the underworld in Myth and Religion. Covers Greek and Roman attitudes to death and the afterlife, funerary and burial practices and offerings, beliefs about the underworld and its geography, and the mythic journeys (katabasis) of Odysseus, Aeneas, Heracles and Orpheus, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
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What this dot point is asking
The last strand of Myth and Religion deals with death. You need to know Greek and Roman attitudes to death and the afterlife, their funerary and burial practices (the rituals, tombs and offerings), their beliefs about the underworld (its geography, rulers and inhabitants), and the famous mythic journeys to the underworld (a katabasis) made by Odysseus, Aeneas, Heracles and Orpheus. The paper tests precise knowledge (AO1) and the analysis of literary and material sources plus your own argument (AO2).
The answer
Attitudes to death and the importance of burial
Tombs, offerings and remembrance
Beliefs about the underworld
The mythic journeys (katabasis)
Examples in context
A strong essay would argue death was feared but managed through ritual, honour and hope, not simply dreaded.
Try this
Q1. Why was a coin placed with a dead body? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. To pay Charon, the ferryman who carried the souls of the dead across the river Styx into the underworld.
Q2. Explain why proper burial was so important to the Greeks and Romans. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Without burial the soul could not cross into the underworld and would wander restlessly, so burial was a sacred duty owed to the dead, as the Odyssey shows when Elpenor begs Odysseus to bury him.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J199/11 2019 (style)4 marksDescribe two beliefs the Greeks or Romans held about the underworld. [4]Show worked answer →
A short knowledge question (4 marks, AO1, 2 marks each). Reward two distinct, accurate beliefs.
Belief one. The dead were ferried across the river Styx by the boatman Charon, which is why a coin was placed with the body to pay the fare.
Belief two. The underworld was ruled by the god Hades (Roman Pluto) and guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed dog who stopped the dead leaving.
Top marks. Two separate, correctly explained beliefs (for example Charon and the coin, Hades and Cerberus, or judgement of the dead).
OCR J199/11 2021 (essay, true tariff 15)15 marks'The Greeks and Romans feared death above all else.' How far do you agree? Justify your response. [marked here out of 15; this is the true J199/11 tariff]Show worked answer →
The 15-mark extended response (AO1 and AO2). The marker rewards a clear argument supported by named myths and practices.
Agree (fear). The standard Homeric underworld was a grim, shadowy place where the dead were feeble ghosts (the shade of Achilles says he would rather be a poor man's slave alive than king of the dead); proper burial was vital so the soul could rest, and the unburied could not cross the Styx, all suggesting deep anxiety about death.
Other readings. Funerary monuments and offerings show care and honour rather than only fear; some beliefs offered hope (the Elysian Fields for the blessed, the mysteries promising a better afterlife); and heroes who entered and returned from the underworld showed it could be faced.
Judgement. The top band argues a clear line, for example that death was feared but managed through ritual, honour and hope, not simply dreaded. Support with named beliefs, practices and katabasis myths.
Related dot points
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- Myth and the symbols of power: the use of gods, heroes and foundation myths to project political authority, with a focus on Augustus (his association with Apollo, Venus, Aeneas and Romulus) and monuments such as the Ara Pacis, and the use of mythic imagery on coins, statues and buildings.
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- The concept of sacred space (the sanctuary and altar), the form, function and location of the Greek and Roman temple, its key architectural features (columns, cella, pediment, the orders), and the religious meaning of temples such as the Parthenon.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Classical Civilisation J199 specification — OCR (2017)