Souls on the Shore of Acheron

One of the best paintings by the almost forgotten Hungarian artist, who painted mainly on historical and mythological themes. The central figure is the god Hermes, who in many religions is responsible for escorting the souls of the dead to another world. In Greek mythology, the nickname of the god Hermes is Psychopomp. His task was not to judge the deceased, but to provide a safe passage for the souls of the dead to Hades. Probably, the picture captures the period of some next war: the victims are mostly young people in full bloom.

In ancient Greek mythology, Acheron is one of the rivers in the underworld. In the tenth song of the Odyssey, Charon transported the arriving shadows of the dead in a canoe through it (according to another version, he transported them across the Styx). At her gate, Hercules found Cerberus. Of the four rivers, Acheron corresponds to air and south. It was believed that two rivers of the underworld, Piriflegeton (Phlegeton) and Coquitus / Coquitos (Cocytus), flow into Acheron. Acheron is mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid, Lucan's Pharsalia, and Ovid's Metamorphoses. Dante captured him in the verse "Su la trista riviera dAcheronte" ("On the banks of the sad Acheron").