Morphology and importance of the funerary rites in Greek literature: the exequies of Patroclus, Hector, Elpenor and Polynices

Abstract

This article analyzes the importance of funeral rituals, of their compliance and non-compliance in some examples from Greek literature based on the funerals of the characters Patroclus, Hector, Elpenor and Polynices, the first two are mentioned in the Homeric text The Iliad, the third one in The Odyssey and the last one in Sophocles' Antigone. First, the category of rites of passage will be defined to then continue with a classification of funeral practices divided into rites of separation, rites of liminality and rites of aggregation, acts within which pre-depositional, depositional, and funeral practices of the Greek people are framed, in this case, from the Mycenaean Period to the Classical Period. Then, the raptor deities and psychopomps that intervene in the passage of souls to the underworld are mentioned, and later, the aforementioned literary examples are detailed in order to apply these concepts. Finally, by means of a comparison of these funeral ceremonies and their context, the aspects that define the importance of these practices in the religious and social field are presented.