For the second Elysium realm in the Underworld, admittance was a little different. This version of Elysium was for members of Mystery cults. It was promised to initiates of the cults of Demeter, Persephone, Hecate, Iacchus, Zagreus, Mellinoe, Makaria, and Tripolemos.

The island was the home of the Meliai, a group of naiads, or water nymphs. Although Zeus had forbidden it, they buried the body of the boy.

Hylton, Jeremy. "Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 2". The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. MIT . Retrieved 26 June 2011. The Mysteries were widespread in the Greek world. Some gave particular worship to Demeter and Persephone, others followed traditions supposedly laid down by the legendary poet Orpheus.

According to the mythology, mortal souls headed to Elysium first had to drink from the River Lethe. Also known as the River of Forgetfulness, its waters caused drinkers to forget their sorrows before heading to an afterlife of pure happiness and joy. Although some sunlight reached it, it was never as warm and bright as the upper world. There was no refreshing breeze and the waters of the River Lethe could not be touched without bringing the curse of forgetfulness.

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Thayer, Bill. "The Life of Sertorius". The Parallel Lives Plutarch. The Loeb Classical Library . Retrieved 19 June 2011.

Some Greek writers even claimed that the souls sent to Hades’ realm forgot their lives and identities entirely. They were completely empty and devoid of their former personalities. There’s no definitive list of all the figures that lived in Elysium or its many reincarnations. However, we can gather that several characters lived in eternal bliss thanks to mentions in passing. Menelaus Later, William Shakespeare famously described it as a general paradise location in “Twelfth Night.” Famous Residents One of the best examples of post-classic Elysium is in “The Divine Comedy.” Dante Alighieri describes it as the uppermost layer of hell. He supposed that it’s where non-Christians went instead of ascending into heaven. Hanks, Gordon R (2002). Narcissus and Daffodil: The Genus Narcissus. London: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 0415273447 . Retrieved 2 October 2014.

Achilles was a famous warrior died during the Trojan War. His mother, Thetis, took him to Elysium. His father, Peleus, also made it to Elysium. Odysseus In the 2017 video game Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Elysium is presented as the location in the land of Alrest, shown as a paradise with lush green fields overlooking a small town. In the final chapter of the game, Elysium is revealed to be the name of a space habitat. The characters later discover Earth and name it Elysium.

While other sources said that Achilles married Medea after their deaths, Ptolemy Hephaestion partnered the hero with Helen. They had a son they called Euphorion, “abundance,” after the richness of the island.

It’s typically described as a beautiful place of luscious meadows, flowing streams, and abundant vegetation. Wine was readily available, and the residents of Elysium spent their time making music, singing, and participating in sports. In Siegfried Sassoon's Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Sassoon writes "The air was Elysian with early summer". Its use in this context could be prolepsis, as the British countryside he is describing would become the burial ground of his dead comrades and heroes from World War I. In David Gemmell's Parmennion series ( Lion of Macedon and Dark Prince) and his Troy trilogy, his characters refer to Elysium as the "Hall of Heroes". Later on, the concept of reincarnation became quite prevalent. When that happened, the purpose of Elysium changed. The two realms became part of a multi-layered afterlife. Virtuous souls would gain entry into the lower level. If they regained entry into this netherworld Elysium realm after three reincarnations, they could finally rest in the Islands of the Blessed. The fourth death granted entry into paradise, allowing souls to dwell with heroes of myth for all eternity.