Pope, Alexander (1688-1744), Broome, W. and Fenton, E.

The Odyssey of Homer. Translated from the Greek

London

1725-6

"[T]he body it self was suppos'd to be the infernal receptacle of the Soul, into which she descended as into a prison, from above; this was thought the sepulchre of the Soul, and the cave of Pluto"

Macrobius explains all these particulars after a different manner: This solution supposes a state of pre-existence of the soul: If (says that Author) "To die, be the same as to go to the infernal regions; to enjoy the supernal, is then to live; and therefore before Philosophy prevail'd, the body it self was suppos'd to be the infernal receptacle of the Soul, into which she descended as into a prison, from above; this was thought the sepulchre of the Soul, and the cave of Pluto. The river of Oblivion denotes the error of the soul, which forgets the majesty of the former state she enjoy'd before she enter'd the body:Phlegethon , the ardor of our desires, and flames of anger; Acheron all our words and actions that bring us into sorrows; so likewise, Styx implies our hatred, Cocytus our grief and lamentation. Thus also the punishments in hell are verify'd upon earth: the Vultur which preys upon the liver of Tityus, is the sting of a guilty conscience; the ambitious man is the Sisyphus, who is eternally aspiring, and yet always disappointed; the avaritious man is the Tantalus who starves amidst his plenty, &c.

Architecture::Sepulchre Uncategorized::Cave

Searching in HDIS (Poetry)

Over 30 entries in ESTC (1725, 1726, 1745, 1752, 1753, 1758, 1760, 1761, 1763, 1766, 1767, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1773, 1778, 1790, 1792, 1795, 1796).

The Odyssey of Homer. Translated from the Greek, 5 vols. (London: Printed for Bernard Lintot, 1725-26).

01/18/2006