Cocytus
River called a branch of Styx in Circe’s route to the Acheron confluence.
Overview
Cocytus appears in Circe’s directions in Odyssey 10. She calls it a branch of Styx and connects it with the place where Pyriphlegethon flows into Acheron. The route brings Odysseus to the rock and location for his rite; it is not a complete river system travelled by every shade. This account therefore preserves the two stated relations - branch and confluence - without adding a ferry, forgetting or functions supplied only by other sources.
Key facts
A branch of Styx
Odyssey Book 10Circe explicitly calls Cocytus a branch of Styx.
Part of the Acheron route
Together with Pyriphlegethon, it marks the Acheron confluence in Circe’s directions.
Relationships
- Styxis a branch of
Circe explicitly calls Cocytus a branch of Styx.
Story appearances
- Gates of the UnderworldBranch of Styx named by Circe
Branch of Styx named by Circe, part of the Underworld story's crossings, losses, judgments or guarded spaces.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.