How deep-seated are beliefs in ghosts/spirits/apparitions in western culture? Did ancient peoples such as the Greeks or Romans believe in ghosts, and if so, were such beliefs commonplace?

by KatsumotoKurier

Furthermore, are there any mythological tales with such spirits in them? I feel like I have an above average knowledge of Greek mythology, since I enjoyed it very thoroughly as a subject in school and whatnot, but I cannot think of anything relevant.

itsallfolklore

Belief in ghosts - survivors of death interacting with the living is practically universal, although cultures are split as to whether these survivors interact with the living in corporeal or spiritual form. Odysseus and Heracles both descend into Hades and talk with the dead, but the dead were also known to interact with the living in the domain of the living.

Summoning ghosts to gain insight was practiced; see this site for an illustration of a necromancer offering a drink to a shrouded ghost. There were also ghosts who aggressively haunted the living. Unlike the summoned dead who were coerced to appear and speak, stories about ghost attacks required the laying of the ghost.

For example, consider the story from Pliny the Younger about the Stoic philosopher, Athenodoros of Tarsos and a house that was offered for sale at a low price because it was haunted. This site points out that fifth century Greek drama reveals an interest in ghost stories; the site provides many other examples of hauntings from the Classical period.

It would be astounding if the Classical world did not have stories about interactions between the living and the dead, since as indicated, the belief that this sort of thing occurs is nearly universal.