Charon, who resided in the Greek Underworld, was burdened with the duty of being the ferryman of the dead, crossing the newly departed over the river Acheron. To secure passage, the deceased had to pay Charon’s fee,
such as an obolos or Persian denace, which ensured that proper funeral rites had been performed. Those unable to pay would haunt Acheron’s banks for a century as ghosts. Although commonly linked to the River Styx, Charon’s task primarily pertained to the river Acheron. The association with the Styx, leading to Hades’ realm, was a later addition to the myth, as it was the most famous river of the Greek underworld.
