The Underworld

[Col. Tartleton]

Do the host of "Underworld" myths point to the fact that the Ancients had an understanding that there was "another side" to the globe? That it was a sphere?

When Ulysses sets sail for the underworld he is told to sail into the West following the setting sun across the Ocean to the Lands beyond the setting sun. This strikes me as "The Americas." Is the Odyssey the earliest recorded Transatlantic passage? The trees mentioned as being common in the lands of Persephone are Poplars and Willows which are common in the Northern Hemisphere perhaps narrowing the scope somewhat. It is said that Hades (described as a dark realm) lies beyond this land. Perhaps they are suggesting it lies in the North?

Might explain why they describe it as being Hell, it's Canada.

[Helm]

The ancient Greek philosophers pretty much nailed the world being the shape of a globe though few people at the time took much notice of them.

[Elfdude]

Maybe except the pathway to the underworld as in tartarus was through caves many of these caves are real caves that we know where they are today. The greeks were good at assigning real locations to their myths so I'd be hard pressed to conclude that this was a veiled reference to the new world. More likely it was more to make the journey seem epic.

[MathiasOfAthens]

I dont think they sailed to the Americas though they were gone for 10 years so that much is possible... but I dont think they could have survived the transatlantic voyage without enough food... the Trireme would have been quite small.

[Copperknickers II]

Yes, the Odyssey does raise some serious questions about history. However, given the large quanitities of kraken and sea serpent brought up from Mexico by the Gulf Stream, the ship would have had a hard time making it there imo. Especially as by the time they had made it round Atlantis and escaped from the harpies and scyllae, it is unlikely the Rastafarian hydra of Jamaica, with it's terrifying reggae rhythms, would have allowed them within close proximity to the American mainland.