至福樂土
莱昂·巴克斯特（英语：Léon Bakst）（Léon Bakst），《至福樂土》（Elysion），1906年。
在荷馬的《奧德賽》裡，至福樂土被描述為一個樂園：
英譯：to the Elysian plain…where life is easiest for men. No snow is there, nor heavy storm, nor ever rain, but ever does Ocean send up blasts of the shrill-blowing West Wind that they may give cooling to men.
中譯：到至福樂土平原…那裡是給人們安逸的生活。此處不會有積雪、也不會有慘重的暴風雨、也沒有經常雨天，只有大洋發出轻捷的阵阵西風，祂們可以予以人們寧靜的地方。 — 荷馬，《奧德賽》（4.560–565）[12]
根據萨洛尼卡的欧斯塔修斯（英语：Eustathius of Thessalonica）（Eustathius of Thessalonica）[13]所述“Ἠλύσιον）”這一詞是派生自ἀλυουσας（ἀλύω，從喜悅中深深的喚起）[14]或是從ἀλύτως而來得，ἀφθάρτως（ἄφθαρτος，廉潔）的同義字，[15]指的是靈魂的生活在這個地方。另一個意義是來自ελυθ-，ἔρχομαι（到來、來臨）。[16]
希臘口頭詩人赫西俄德在他的教訓（英语：didactic）詩歌《工作與時日》裡指出了神佑群嶼（英语：Fortunate Isles）（Isles of the Blessed）。華特·布爾克特（Walter Burkert）在他的《希臘宗教》（Greek Religion）一書中，他注意到遙遠的迪爾蒙島（英语：Dilmun）（Dilmun）[17]之意念有著前後連繫關係：“中譯：由此阿喀琉斯被轉送到白嶼，這可能是指特內里費島上的泰德峰，其火山常常白雪皚皚並依此讓這島嶼有時被探險家稱之為白嶼，並且成為了黑海的統治者，以及狄俄墨德斯成為了亞得里亞島嶼的神聖君主（英譯：Thus Achilles is transported to the White Isle, which may refer to Mount Teide on Tenerife, whose volcano is often snowcapped and as the island was sometimes called the white isle by explorers, and becomes the Ruler of the Black Sea, and Diomedes becomes the divine lord of an Adriatic island）”。[11]
英譯：And they live untouched by sorrow in the islands of the blessed along the shore of deep-swirling Ocean, happy heroes for whom the grain-giving earth bears honey-sweet fruit flourishing thrice a year, far from the deathless gods, and Cronos rules over them.
中譯：他們在沿著深漩大洋的岸邊上被神明祝福的島嶼（神佑群嶼）中過著不受悲傷感染的生活，幸福的英雄們由大地為他們糧食供給生產一年三次蓬勃繁茂的蜜甜果實，還未成永恆的眾神，並且克洛諾斯管理他們。 — 赫西俄德，《工作與時日》（170）[10]
品達的《頌歌》（Odes）描述至福樂土的獎賞正等待那些過著正直、符合道德生活的人們：
英譯：The good receive a life free from toil, not scraping with the strength of their arms the earth, nor the water of the sea, for the sake of a poor sustenance. But in the presence of the honored gods, those who gladly kept their oaths enjoy a life without tears, while the others undergo a toil that is unbearable to look at. Those who have persevered three times, on either side, to keep their souls free from all wrongdoing, follow Zeus' road to the end, to the tower of Cronus, where ocean breezes blow around the island of the blessed, and flowers of gold are blazing, some from splendid trees on land, while water nurtures others. With these wreaths and garlands of flowers they entwine their hands according to the righteous counsels of Rhadamanthys, whom the great father, the husband of Rhea whose throne is above all others, keeps close beside him as his partner.[18]
中譯：合乎正道的獲得一個生活而從勞苦中解脫，此大地毋有他們兵戈之勁的刮擦聲，也沒有大海的澆灌，只為求一個貧窮的寄託。然而在光榮的眾神面前，那些人歡喜地保持他們的誓願享受著沒有淚水的生活，而其他人歷經辛勞是承受不了目睹此景之福。這些人再三的堅持，在任一方面，讓他們的靈魂不受任何不當行為，遵循宙斯的道路進行到底，至克洛諾斯的塔樓，那裡的海風圍繞著被祝福的島嶼（神佑群嶼）而吹拂，連帶得黃金色花朵是熾烈的綻放，一些從中燦爛的樹木是在陸地上，而水澤孕育其他的生命。隨著這些花朵绽放的花環與花冠它們盤繞在他們的雙手根據拉達曼迪斯符合道德的辯護，祂（克洛諾斯）是偉大的父親，瑞亞之丈夫祂的寶座是高於一切得，一直緊鄰在祂的身邊成為祂的夥伴。 — 品達，《頌歌》（2.59–75）
在維吉爾的《埃涅阿斯紀》裡，埃涅阿斯如同赫拉克勒斯和奧德修斯他們之前的作風，前往冥界遊歷。維吉爾這麼地描述他將前往至福樂土，並也這麼描述著他會前往至地獄：
英譯：Night speeds by, And we, Aeneas, lose it in lamenting. Here comes the place where cleaves our way in twain. Thy road, the right, toward Pluto's dwelling goes, And leads us to Elysium. But the left Speeds sinful souls to doom, and is their path To Tartarus th' accurst.'[19]
中譯：夜幕倏然靠近，而我們，埃涅阿斯，失去悲嘆的感覺。這裡來到一個處所那兒我們的道路被劈開了兩條。你的路途，這右邊，朝著普路托的宅邸走去，並且指引我們到至福樂土。然而這左方急行之罪靈走向他們所受到的判決，並且是他們的抵達充滿憎恨、厭惡的地獄路徑。 — 維吉爾，《埃涅阿斯紀》（6.539）
維吉爾繼續闡述埃涅阿斯在至福樂土與他的父親安喀塞斯之間的相遇。維吉爾對至福樂土的知悉是永恆的春天與涼爽的樹林，伴隨著祂自己（至福樂土）的太陽與祂自己发亮的星辰：（拉丁原文）solemque suum, sua sidera norunt。
英譯：In no fix'd place the happy souls reside. In groves we live, and lie on mossy beds, By crystal streams, that murmur thro' the meads: But pass yon easy hill, and thence descend; The path conducts you to your journey's end.” This said, he led them up the mountain's brow, And shews them all the shining fields below. They wind the hill, and thro' the blissful meadows go.[20]
中譯：於其中快樂的靈魂所居無定處。我們在樹林裡生活，並且臥躺於長滿青苔的床鋪，經由透明澄淨的溪流，潺潺聲穿透了這草地：然而通過那邊的平緩山丘，並由此行走下坡；這路徑引導著你的行程之結束。”聽說，他帶領他們登上山的坡頂，並且陳列出在他們下方所有熠熠生辉的平原。他們盤繞著山陵，並且深入這福佑的草地前去。 — 維吉爾，《埃涅阿斯紀》（6.641）
在希臘史家普魯塔克的著作中，《塞脫流斯傳》（Life of Sertorius），至福樂土是如此地描述：
英譯：These are two in number, separated by a very narrow strait; they are ten thousand furlongs distant from Africa, and are called the Islands of the Blest. They enjoy moderate rains at long intervals, and winds which for the most part are soft and precipitate dews, so that the islands not only have a rich soil which is excellent for plowing and planting, but also produce a natural fruit that is plentiful and wholesome enough to feed, without toil or trouble, a leisured folk. Moreover, an air that is salubrious, owing to the climate and the moderate changes in the seasons, prevails on the islands. For the north and east winds which blow out from our part of the world plunge into fathomless space, and, owing to the distance, dissipate themselves and lose their power before they reach the islands; while the south and west winds that envelope the islands sometimes bring in their train soft and intermittent showers, but for the most part cool them with moist breezes and gently nourish the soil. Therefore a firm belief has made its way, even to the Barbarians, that here is the Elysian Field and the abode of the blessed, of which Homer sang.[21][22]
中譯：於此總共有兩處，由一個非常狹窄的海峽隔開；從非洲到祂們這裡有一萬弗隆[23]遙遠的距離，並且被稱之為神佑群嶼。祂們在很長的時間間隔會享受溫和的降雨，以及那裏的風大部分都是溫和得並凝結為露水，從而使島嶼不僅僅擁有肥沃的土壤使它成為優良的耕犁與播種之地，而且還會生產一種既豐饒且健康的天然果實並足以養育當地人民，毋有辛勞與煩惱，是一群悠閒的人們。還有，空氣是有益健康得，歸因於季節氣候並且溫和的變化，在這島嶼上盛行著。對於北方與東方的風是從我們世界之處噴發進入了深不可測的空間，而且，由於距離的因素，在抵達這島嶼之前消散了它們自己並失去它們的能量；而南方與西方的風則籠罩這島嶼有時會帶來它們所造就的柔和且間歇性之陣雨，然而就绝大部分而言涼爽的它們隨著濕潤的微風並徐徐地滋養著這裡的土壤。因此一個堅定的信念創造出了自己的途徑，甚至對外邦人也是如此，這裡是樂土平原而且是被保佑的住所，其乃為荷馬所歌頌得。 — 普魯塔克，《塞脫流斯傳·捌·二》
狄奧多羅斯在他的第一本書裡，暗示著備受希臘詩歌讚美的樂土平原，符合在孟斐斯附近的美麗平原其中含有埃及首都的陵寢。[24][25]他更進一步的暗示著偉大的希臘先知奧菲斯（Greek prophet Orpheus）撰寫他的有關於來世寓言乃是在他遊歷埃及並且參觀埃及有關於亡者儀式的習俗的時候。[26]