Journey to the Myth of Acheron
The Acheron River, the road to the underworld… the dark kingdom of the god Pluto or Hades, which means invisible in ancient Greek from ᾍδης or Ἅιδης. The Acheron River got its name from the word achos – sorrow, Acheron – without joy, river of sorrow, and is one of the most famous worldwide, not so much for its size, but because of the metaphysical content of the mythological information it carries in its waters. Additionally, it is also known as Mavropotamos (Black River), because according to Mythology, during the Titanomachy, the Titans drank water from Acheron to quench their thirst, and Zeus in his anger blackened and embittered its waters.
Acheron in Mythology and the Route to the Underworld
According to mythology, in antiquity it was believed that Acheron was the river that, according to ancient Greek mythology, the “psychopomp” Hermes crossed, delivering the souls of the dead to Charon to end up in the kingdom of Hades. It is worth noting that each soul, passing through Charon’s ferry, had to give an obol for the transport, while noteworthy is the case of Menippus, whom Lucian mentions as the only one who crossed Acheron without paying.
However, on its way, the river intersects with Phlegethon and Cocytus, in the present-day village of Mesopotamos, at the point where the ancient Necromanteion of Acheron is located, which promoted communication with souls. In short, Acheron, Cocytus, and Phlegethon together formed the three rivers of Hades, all three with sorrowful names (Acheron = without joy, Phlegethon = fiery, Cocytus = lamentation) symbolizing the sorrow and lamentations of death and giving the symbolism of fiery hell, as it is maintained today in the Christian religion.
The Necromanteion of Acheron
The ancient Necromanteion of Acheron is located in the village of Mesopotamos, in the Prefecture of Preveza, at the point where the Acheron River merged with Cocytus and Phlegethon, on the northwestern shores of Lake Acherousia.
It is also built on top of a hill, where visitors from Cape Cheimerion of the village Ammoudia would arrive to communicate with the souls of their loved ones.
It is particularly important that Homer in the Odyssey describes the area in detail during Odysseus’ descent to Hades.
Method of Divination
The role of priests was catalytic for divination, who sought discussions with visitors to learn their intentions and give appropriate answers, as well as the ceremony that was followed. They subjected visitors to psychological and physical trials either through the labyrinthine, imposing construction of the oracle and the dark, damp rooms or through diet and with the help of beans (= kyamoi) that they chewed to cloud their minds and excite their imagination.
Thus, for the visitor to receive an answer from the soul, they had to make offerings and bring it out of oblivion by giving it blood to drink. Notable is Homer’s reference according to which Odysseus’ mother did not recognize him until she drank from the blood of the offering.
Also in mythology, souls were considered immaterial like shadows. More specifically, the “idols” of the souls were brought up by priests with iron levers from the underground chamber. In particular, at the end, the faithful would leave through another exit so as not to come into contact with the next visitors, thus ensuring secrecy. Therefore, any testimony of the oracle was considered blasphemy and could even lead to death.
Architecture Acoustics of the Necromanteion of Acheron
Architecture
From an architectural point of view, the Necromanteion is identified with a magnificent funerary monument or mausoleum of the East from the 5th century. More specifically, it consists of polygonal masonry, iron-clad gates, internal division with corridors, a construction that serves the worship and rituals of the chthonic gods.
Also, the main sanctuary is divided by two parallel walls into a central hall and two small side ones. That is, below the central hall is another underground hall carved into the rock, the roof of which is supported by fifteen porous (= made of porous stone) arches.
Acoustics of the Space
Particularly noteworthy is the acoustics of the underground hall.
Summarizing this, a study was conducted by the scientific collaborators of the Acoustics Laboratory of the Department of Architecture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Panagiotis Karampatzakis and Vasilis Zafranas, which lasted 12 years and was presented at a conference in Italy. Additionally, according to this, absolute silence reigns in the underground hall and simultaneously the reverberation time of the space is extremely low.
Finally, Mr. Karampatzakis and Zofranas needed repeated measurements and different and advanced technological means to confirm this phenomenon. However, the observation of the arches, combined with the particularly low values of reverberation time and background noise, led the two researchers to conclude that the space was consciously constructed to create intense psychoacoustic phenomena for the visitor. It is also characteristic that the acoustic values approach the acoustics that exist in anechoic chambers (modern acoustic laboratories).
Notable References to the Acheron River in Ancient Texts
The Acheron River was well-known since ancient times, as very important ancient writers and poets such as Homer and Euripides mention it in various texts and poems. Also, Acheron was associated with death because, according to mythology, the gates of Hades were located there.
Homer’s Odyssey K 513-515: “There, Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus, which is a branch of the water of Styx, flow into Acheron, and there is a rock and the meeting of the two roaring rivers.”
Exact translation: “There, Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus, which as it is known starts from the waters of Styx, flow into Acheron, and there is a rock and the confluence of the two clamorous rivers takes place there” (G. Stamatopoulos, 1994)
Free Translation: “And you go to cursed Hades, where Pyriphlegethon runs into Acheron, and Cocytus, split from the waters of Styx, and the thunderous rivers merge at the same rock.” (translation: Zisimos Sideris, OEDB edition, 1995)
Euripides’ “Alcestis”: “Let the god of the underworld and the old ferryman, who steers his boat and sees off all the dead through the lake of Acheron, know that a woman has passed into Hades, the likes of whom has never been seen in the world” (Free Translation: Lefteris Papadopoulos)
Poetry of Sappho (650-590 BC): “I long to die, to see the moist shores with lotuses, the banks of Acheron”
Sophocles: “Charon knows nothing of dances and songs”
Additionally, Homer describes the mouth of Acheron as “…a small shore, surrounded by lush groves of Persephone, all of slender poplars and fruit-shedding willows.” In short, this description of the area bears similarity to the current image of Ammoudia bay.
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