The Greeks believed that the dead went to the Underworld. This was an underground kingdom ruled by the god Hades.
To reach the Underworld, dead souls had to cross the River Styx. A grumpy ferryman called Charon would take them across, but only if they paid him. So Greeks would place a coin in the mouth of a dead person at funerals, to make sure they could pay the fare.
After crossing the River Styx, three judges decided where the dead person should spend eternity. If they’d been really good, they were sent to live happily forever in the Elysian Fields.
If they had been ok, they were sent to the Asphodel Meadows. But if they had been really bad, they ended up in Tartarus. This was a really horrible pit where their soul was tortured for all eternity.
