 Zeus’s brother, Hades, ruled the underworld, or Hades.  To enter the underworld it was required to cross the river Styx.  A ferryman named Charon ferried the spirits of the dead across the rivers to the underworld.  Both the Greeks and Romans buried their dead with a coin in the mouth to pay Charon one obol(a Greek coin) for the trip.  After crossing the river, the dead would pass gates guarded by a three-headed dog, Cerberus.

 It was divided into different places depending on how you lived.  Ordinary people went to the Asphodel Fields as “shades” which were shadowy versions of their earthly selves.  Tartarus was the place of punishment for really evil people.  Exceptionally good or heroic people were reserved a place in the Elysian Fields. This was a golden, blissful place of rest.

 Tantalus was Zeus’s friend and invited to dine with the god's.  He stole Zeus's ambrosia and Nectar.  Nectar and ambrosia were the special treats of the gods.  Nectar was fermented honey, or mead.  Ambrosia may have been a concoction of honey, water, fruit, cheese, olive oil and barley.

 He then invited the gods to a banquet and decided to test for himself if the gods were really all knowing.  Knowing it was forbidden for the gods to eat human flesh, he killed and served up his own son, Pelops.  The Gods knew at once what was on their plates and Zeus was so angry that he banished Tantalus to Tartarus.

 For his transgressions, Tantalus was consigned to Tartarus.  Tantalus's punishment was to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. Whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches raised his intended meal from his grasp.  Whenever he bent down to get a drink, the water receded before he could get any.

 Sisyphus was famed as the craftiest of men.  He seduced his niece, took his brother's throne and betrayed Zeus' secrets.  Zeus then ordered Hades to chain Sisyphus in Hades. Sisyphus slyly asked Hades to demonstrate how the chains worked.  When Hades did so, Sisyphus secured them and took Hades prisoner.

 This caused an uproar since no human could die with Hades out of commission as the dead could not enter the underworld.  Eventually Ares (who was annoyed that his battles had lost their fun because his opponents would not die) intervened, freeing Death and sending Sisyphus to Tartarus.

 As a punishment from the gods for his trickery, Sisyphus was made to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he could reach the top of the hill, the rock would always roll back down, forcing him to begin again.

 Ixion was a murderer.  He killed his future father in law.  Zeus forgave him but instead of being grateful Ixion planned to carry of Zeus’s wife Hera.  Zeus felt the need to test the guest's tolerance and willpower.

 He Constructed a cloud-woman to mirror Hera in appearance known as Nephele.  Ixion promptly slept with and impregnated the false Hera giving birth to a race of Centaurs called the Ixionidae.

 As his punishment, he was banished to Tartarus to forever roll strapped to a wheel of flames, which represented his burning lust.