Tartarus (, ;
Greek: Τάρταρος
Tartaros), in
ancient Greek mythology, is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the
Titans. As far below
Hades as the earth is below the heavens, Tartarus is the place where, according to
Plato in
Gorgias (c. 400 BC),
souls were judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment. Like other primal entities (such as the Earth, Night and Time), Tartarus was also considered to be a primordial force or deity.