Charon Sightings

Charon Sightings

  • The Frogs 405BC

    In Aristophanes' ancient comedy, The Frogs, Charon gives Dionysus a boat ride across Acheron, as the god of wine travels to the Underworld to bring back one of Athens' great tragedians. Useful chap, that Charon.


  • Aeneid 29BC - 19BC

    In Virgil's Aeneid, the ferryman takes Aeneas and Sybil across the River Styx. And get this: Aeneas isn't even dead yet. What's with the special treatment?


  • The Divine Comedy 1308 - 1321

    In Dante's epic poem, The Divine Comedy, Charon gets bossed around a bit by Virgil as he and Dante make their way through Hell.


  • "The Hollow Men" 1925

    T.S. Eliot drops references to Charon and his river in "The Hollow Men," a dark masterpiece of modern poetry.


  • Sondheim's The Frogs 1974

    Charon gets to show off his singing voice in Burt Shevelove and Stephen Sondheim's modern musical remake of The Frogs by Aristophanes.


  • TV Star 1994 - 2001

    The Ferryman was played by Michael Hurst in two TV Series: Hercules: the Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. Both worth a viewing, we'd say.


  • The Lightning Thief 2005

    Charon has a taste for Italian suits in The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.


  • His Dark Materials 2007

    In The Amber Spyglass, the third installment of Philip Pullman's awesome His Dark Materials trilogy, Will and Lyra have to convince the Boatman to take them into the Land of the Dead.


  • God of War 2007

    In the grizzly God of War video game, Charon has robes with severed heads. Very classy.