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Death In Acient Greece

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jasper jimmy | 20:24 Tue 18th Apr 2006 | History
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Why did Greeks place coins on the eyes of the dead?
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Avatar Image shaneystar2
So that the dead could pay the boatman to ferry them across the River Styx.
20:38 Tue 18th Apr 2006
Avatar Image dannydingbat

Wasn't it to do with the ferry man who took the body across the River Styx?


Charon was son of Erebus and Nyx (Night). It was his duty to ferry over the Styx (or Acheron) those souls of the deceased who had duly received the rites of burial, in payment for which service he received an obol (a coin), which was usually placed in the mouth of the corpse.


It could just be that the people with the body did.nt want to have a corpse gazing at them.

20:40 Tue 18th Apr 2006
Avatar Image dannydingbat
If I hadn't written so much, I could have beaten you to it Shaneystar!!!
20:41 Tue 18th Apr 2006
Avatar Image heathfield
Besides the means of paying the boatman, the weight of the coins hold the eyelids closed. (Otherwise they could just have put the coins in the deceased's hand).
09:45 Wed 19th Apr 2006

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