Elysian Fields
/ɪˈlɪz.i.ən fiːldz/noun
In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields are the paradise where favored heroes and the virtuous dead were said to dwell.
Did you know?Elysium was not always an underworld destination for every good person; early Greek tradition portrayed it as a remote blessed realm granted especially to heroes and those favored by the gods.
Etymological Timeline
Archaic Greek
Greek
Ἠλύσιον πεδίον (Ēlýsion pedíon)
“The Elysian plain or meadow, a blessed realm beyond the ordinary world.”
Classical Greek
Greek
Ἠλύσιον (Ēlýsion)
“Elysium, the abode of the blessed dead and divinely favored heroes.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Elysium
“A paradise or region of the underworld reserved for the virtuous and heroic dead.”
14th Century
English
Elysian
“Of or relating to Elysium; heavenly or blissful.”
17th Century
English
Elysian Fields
“The mythological paradise of the blessed dead; later, any place of supreme happiness.”
Modern English
English
Elysian Fields
“A poetic name for an ideal paradise or exceptionally beautiful, peaceful place.”