When Odysseus descended to Hades to meet the seer Tiresias and find out when he would return to Ithaca, he met the glorious Achilles. So, he asked Achilles if he was having a good time down there as a glorified hero who had won eternal glory.
But Achilles answered:
“I had rather be a humble, nameless shepherd, herding my sheep on some hill but be alive, than glorified and dead in Hades.“
We all want to make a difference.
We all want to do something memorable so that future generations will remember us, something that will change many people’s lives, or some discovery, some mental or artistic creation.
Let’s try to do that. This kind of motivation is usually more selfish than altruistic, but that’s okay. On the way to the conquest of glory and personal recognition, heroes were born, monuments were constructed, works of art crafted, and legends were created for the next generations to remember and honor. So let’s try, and if we have the skills and luck on our side we may succeed.
But even if we fail it’s okay. There are the legendary “mountain-tops” that stand out (or masterfully idealized in order to stand out), but there are also the simple but important, everyday heroes. Heroes who perform their duty, work hard, provide and receive emotions, overcome social and personal difficulties, manage to survive, be useful to their family and friends and then in society and finally be happy.
Enjoy the journey
So let’s be little heroes, living our life with humility, realism, and a desire to be creative and useful. And let’s enjoy the journey, doing the best we can!
We know where this journey will lead us. To the same place we all end up. We will all pass through the gates of Hades at some point and then nothing will matter. We would easily trade all our past achievements for one more day, even as humble shepherds.
Inspiration
My visit to the Necromanteion of Acheron, one of the three entrances to the Underworld according to ancient Greeks. This is also the same entrance that Odysseus crossed to descend to the Underworld himself.
There is a strong energy in this place, even today. The highlight was my descent to the “basement” of the Necromanteion, a small room (intro photo) with extraordinary acoustic behavior, known to have no echo (anechoic chamber). You can clap your hands or yell with all your power, but no echo returns. So weird.
More info on the links below:
- Necromanteion of Acheron
- Did Hades accept visitors? The acoustical properties of the underground crypt of the Acheron Nekromanteion, Preveza, Greece
- Commune with the Dead by Visiting Necromanteion in Greece
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