Odysseus’ journey to Hades, the Land of the Dead, in Book 11 is traditionally known as the Nekyia. Strictly speaking, this Greek term, derived from the word nekys, “corpse” (the English “necropolis” is related to it) refers to the dread rites by which the living summon the ghosts of the dead in order to speak to them; Homer’s description of these rituals, which involve some shivery, unexplained arcana, has the unsettling power you associate with the best horror movies. After arriving at the spot designated by Circe—a level shore marked by a rock at the meeting place of two rivers—the hero
...more
