| “ | [...] or I shall take him and dash him down to the murk of Tartaros (Tartarus), far below, where the uttermost depth of the pit lies under earth, where there are gates of iron and a brazen doorstone, as far beneath the house of Aides as from earth the sky lies. | „ |
| ~ Zeus in Homer, Iliad 8 |
Tartarus is a primordial deity and a primordial place in Greek mythology. One of the first entities to emerge from Chaos, Tartarus represents the deep abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as a prison for the Titans. As both a deity and a location, Tartarus is closely tied to concepts of darkness, punishment, and the lower realms of existence.
Tartarus is often described as a vast, gloomy, and bottomless pit located far below the earth, even deeper than Hades, the Underworld. According to the poet Hesiod, it would take a bronze anvil nine days to fall from heaven to Earth and another nine to reach the bottom of Tartarus. It was here that the Titans were imprisoned by Zeus after their defeat in the Titanomachy. Tartarus also housed other monstrous entities, such as the Hekatonkheires and Cyclopes, and it was the place of eternal punishment for those who defied the gods, including the famous Sisyphus and Tantalus.
Biography[]
Primordial Deity[]
As a deity, Tartarus is often anthropomorphized as one of the first primordial beings, alongside Chaos, Gaia, Eros, and Nyx. While his role as a god is less prominent than that of other primordial figures, he is significant in the cosmological hierarchy as the embodiment of the abyss. In some versions of the myth, Tartarus and Gaia gave birth to Typhon, a monstrous giant who challenged Zeus for control of the cosmos.
Relationship with Other Gods[]
Tartarus is sometimes considered an elemental force, lacking the personal agency and anthropomorphism typical of Olympian gods. However, he plays a key role in maintaining the balance between order and chaos, as his domain is used to punish those who threaten the stability of the gods’ rule. The gods of Olympus, particularly Zeus, are said to have dominion over Tartarus, using it as a prison for their enemies.
Tartarus (Location)[]
In terms of geography within the Greek mythological cosmos, Tartarus is often depicted as lying beneath the Underworld (Hades). It is described as a place of eternal darkness, where souls suffer for their crimes against the gods. The horror of Tartarus makes it an essential element in the justice system of the gods, as its function is to house the most heinous criminals, such as those who committed acts of hubris.
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