inferi
The English phrase 'underworld' is translated into Latin as inferi.
In a sociological sense, inferi refers to a part of society engaged in crime or vice. In a mythological context, different terms describe specific aspects of the underworld: Orcus specifically denotes the abode of the dead, while Tartarus represents the deepest depths of the underworld, often associated with divine punishment and torment.
Meaning: part of society engaged in crime or vice (noun)
Did you know?
- While inferi is a general term, Romans used the word Avernus to describe the entrance to the underworld. This name comes from a volcanic crater lake in Italy that was believed to be a portal to the land of the dead.
- In Roman culture, the underworld was not always seen as a place of punishment. The Campi Elysii or 'Elysian Fields' were a paradise reserved for the heroic and the virtuous.
- The term inferi literally means 'the beings below' rather than just a location, emphasizing the inhabitants of the underworld rather than the place itself.
Examples in context
- Tartarus est locus horribilis in infernisTartarus is a dreadful place in the underworld
- Ecce in umbra noctis et subterraneo regno te invenioBehold, I find you in the shadow of the night and the underground realm
Example conversation
Two citizens are discussing the city's crime problems.
- AureliaQuo eunt animae mortuorum?Where do the souls of the dead go?
- GaiusAd inferos, Aurelia, sub terram.To the underworld, Aurelia, beneath the earth.
- AureliaQuis apud inferos regnat?Who rules in the underworld?
- GaiusPluto apud inferos regnat.Pluto rules in the underworld.
