# XXXII: The Infernal Regions—The Sibyl explained — Bulfinch’s Mythology

> Chapter companion for Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch.

## What happens

Aeneas, guided by the Sibyl, descends into the underworld through a volcanic region near Vesuvius. They pass by various monsters and the river Cocytus, where Charon ferries souls. After encountering the unburied dead, including his pilot Palinurus, Aeneas is ferried across after showing the golden branch. They pass Cerberus and enter Tartarus, where they witness the punishments of Tityus, Tantalus, Sisyphus, and others. The Sibyl then leads Aeneas to the Elysian fields, where he meets his father Anchises, who shows him the souls destined for rebirth and the future of Rome. The chapter concludes with the Sibyl's story of her own mortality and her prophetic powers.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Immortality

The Sibyl's story of her own mortality—she was granted a thousand years of life but not enduring youth—contrasts with the immortal souls in Elysium and the eternal punishments in Tartarus.

### Fate and Free Will

Aeneas's journey to the underworld is guided by fate, as he seeks his father to learn the destiny of Rome, while the Sibyl's prophetic leaves and the oracles of the Sibylline Books represent the interplay of fate and human choice.

### Hospitality and Its Violation

In Tartarus, those who defrauded friends, failed in fidelity to employers, or violated the marriage vow are punished, reflecting the violation of trust and hospitality.

## Character check-ins

### Aeneas

Guided by the Sibyl, Aeneas descends into the underworld to visit his father Anchises, witnessing the punishments of Tartarus and the joys of Elysium.

### Ovid

The Cumaean Sibyl, of whom Ovid and Virgil write, is the most celebrated of the Sibyls; Ovid's story of her life protracted to one thousand years is referenced.

### Orpheus

In the Elysian fields, Orpheus strikes the chords of his lyre, calling forth ravishing sounds.

### Anchises

Aeneas's father, found in a verdant valley in Elysium, contemplating the ranks of his posterity and their destined deeds.

### Sir Palamedes

Aeneas beholds his pilot Palinurus, who fell overboard and was drowned, and speaks with him about his misfortune.

## Key lines

> I am no goddess; I have no claim to sacrifice or offering. I am mortal; yet if I could have accepted the love of Apollo I might have been immortal.

The Sibyl declares she is not a goddess but a mortal; had she accepted Apollo's love, she could have become immortal.

_The Sibyl explains her mortal nature and the lost opportunity for immortality._

> They are souls to which bodies are to be given in due time. Meanwhile they dwell on Lethe’s bank, and drink oblivion of their

Anchises explains that the souls along the Lethe are destined for rebirth, drinking forgetfulness of their past lives.

_Anchises describes the process of reincarnation to Aeneas._

> The same pride in splendid armor and generous steeds which the old heroes felt in life, accompanied them here.

In Elysium, the heroes retain their love for fine armor and horses, just as they did when alive.

_The Elysian fields preserve the passions and interests of the heroes' earthly lives._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters/xxxii-the-infernal-regions-the-sibyl
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters