The river Styx bordered the part of Hades called Tartarus on its Western Side. The Styx's tributaries encircled the rest of Hades. Hades was, early in Greek mythos, believed to have lain far to the west beyond the horizon where the river Oceanus, which encircled the earth began. Charon was the ferryman for the dead, accepting a coin for passage accross the river.
Thetis dipped her son Achilles in the Styx to make him invulnerable, holding him only by the heel which remained dry.
The river itself, was a goddess, born like most river deities of Oceanus and Tethys. When the gods started warring, Styx was the first of the uncommitted lesser deities to bring her children to the aid of Zeus. Zeus honoured her by stating that the most inviolable oaths should be by its waters. (water from the Styx was poured during taking of the oath - there were penalties for breaking it ).
Other legends are mostly on how people cross the Styx to and from Hades.
Brian
Fantome_at_eworld.com <SPACE RESERVED FOR RENT>
Powered by hypermail