In the novel, "Mythology", Edith Hamilton delves into the stories of Greek mythology in a very precise and dynamic manner. She is able to bring these tales to life with her craft and assists readers in making these great myths an almost reality. The relationship between death and immortality is a rather broad and repetitive theme that is recognized within these tales. We are thrown into numerous tales that give us even greater stories that we are able to get lost in and make our own assumptions of how they end at times. The underworld is described in many ways Death, the underworld and immortality are a constant theme we as the readers are shown when reading these great myths. That leaves us, the audience to wonder, what is that connection between all of these different realms and worlds and why are they so important?

The first tale of the "Flower-Myths" burrows into the themes of underworld and immortality in quite deep ways, especially being that Hades is a main contributor in this chapter. The Flower-Myths is a recollection of three tales, Narcissus, Hyacinth, and Adonis. There are two stories of Narcissus. The first one in particular recollects of the beautiful bloom of glowing purple and silver flower. Zeus created this flower to help his brother Hades, lord of the underworld. Hades had fallen in love with Demeter's daughter Persephone. They were to use the flower to lure her, so that Hades can then take her to the underworld with him, in which they were successful, "Wondering she stretched out her hands to take the lovely plaything, but before she touched it a chasm opened in the earth and out of it coal-black horses sprang, drawing a chariot and driven by one who had a look of dark splendor, majestic and beautiful and terrible. Be caught her to him and held her close. The next moment she was being borne away from the radiance of earth in springtime to the world of the dead by the king who rules it" (Hamilton 87). Persephone was taken to the underworld, although she was still alive. This plays on the relationship between death and immortality. The underworld is the world of the dead in Greek Mythology, where souls go after death. However, Persephone never died. She was taken there when still alive, so the relationship between death and immortality is a rather strong one here, being that she gets to live in the world of the dead forever, and still be alive.

The next tale of the Flower-Myths pertains to Hyacinthus who has a strong tie to immortality through his death in the afterlife. The hyacinth was another exquisite flower that was created when Apollo was involved in the accidental killing of his dearest companion. Apollo was absolutely grief stricken with the muder of his friend at his own hands, Hamilton recollects the rebirth and immortality of Hyacinthus in her novel Mythology in the following, "Even as he spoke, the bloodstained grass turned green again and there bloomed forth the wondrous flower that was to make the lad's name known forever. Apollo him- self inscribed the petals-some say with Hyacinth's initial, and others with the two letters of the Greek word that means "Alas"; either way, a memorial of the god's great sorrow"(Hamilton 89). The Flower-Myths is such a remarkable chapter to discuss when the topic of death and immortality is addressed because it has a way of connecting these themes in contrasting ways each time. The words 'memorial' in the quote provided above has a way of showing that this doing of the flowers for Hyacinth's death is a way to show his memory and remembrance that he will live on after death. Hence the theme of immortality. The relationship between death and immortality in this tale has to do with the rebirth of the flower to assist Hyacinthus' legacy and life to live on. Although he was tragically and mistakenly killed, his remembrance and immortality will live on through the flowers created for him by Apollo.

Lastly, in the Flower-Myths we are introduced to Adonis.  In his tale we are told of how Adonis was rather popular with the women. Although there was a special woman that loved him and that was Aphrodite. She carried him to Persephone, the goddess of the underworld to watch him for her, but that is when Persephone soon fell for him as well. Zeus had to make a deal with the women because they could not come to terms with who would get Adonis. One day when Adonis was with Aphrodite he was attacked by a boar. He perished in the arms of his beloved Aphrodite and went down to the underworld, but that was not until his legacy was resurrected as Hamilton puts it in Mythology, "But down in the black underworld Adonis could not hear them, nor see the crimson flower that sprang up where each drop of his blood had stained the earth"(Hamilton 91). Adonis' life although being taken from him and sent to the underworld, still was resurrected in a way and his immortality lived on through the earth. With his death and blood from his perishing body left a mark on the earth and gave refuge and strength so that flowers may be resurrected through his death and spring up as a sign of his immortality in death. This is so interesting because it has such a strong connection to humans on earth and how they deal with death. Flowers are seen as such an appropriate 'gift' to the dead when passing and are a visual representation of our empathy, sorrow, love and respect for the deceased at a funeral. This connection can go hand in hand with the tale of Adonis. The flowers that were left as a sign of his perishing and leaving is a symbol of his resurrection through life on earth and the afterlife for his soul.

Through the tale of Orpheus, immortality and the underworld play an essential role in Orpheus taking extremes into getting his wife back. It is through the death of Eurydice that Orpheus goes to the underworld to ask for his dead wife back, a task that is seen impossible being that going into the underworld is seen as impossible. We are granted some insight on who Orpheus was and the charm he had with the women especially with his talent of music-making. Nonetheless, there was only one woman for Orpheus, his beloved Eurydice. They wed, but their happiness lasted far from long when poor Eurydice was struck by a viper, which resulted in her passing. Orpheus being so depressed and stricken with grief from this loss made it his duty to go back to the underworld and ask Hades for his beloved back: "He took the fearsome journey to the underworld. There he struck his lyre, and at the sound, all that vast multitude were charmed to stillness. The dog Cerberus relaxed his guard; the wheel of Ixion stood motionless; Sisiphus sat at rest upon his stone; Tantalus forgot his thirst; for the first time the faces of the dread goddesses, the Furies, were wet with tears. The ruler of Hades drew near to listen with his queen" (Hamilton 104). Is quite momentus that Orpheus was able to make this journey because the underworld is a place that no one is allowed to enter. Cerberus is not sitting there for fun, "On guard before the gate sits Cerberus, the three-headed, dragon-tailed dog, who permits all spirits to enter, but none to return"(Hamilton 39). Hades agreed but made Orpheus promise not to take a look at Eurydice until they were both out the cave, but he could not contain his excitement at being reunited that he took a peek and reached out for her but it was then when she vanished. He made the journey to go back to the underworld to take back his love, but there was no justice in that. This has a tie with the theme of death and the underworld which we repeatedly see throughout Greek mythology because although Eurydice died, her husband was still given the chance to go back down to the realms of the underworld and get her. Also immortality. Eurydice died with the snake bite, however when Orpheus went down to the underworld Hades was willing to give her life back to Orpheus to live with him again on earth.