"To err is human; to forgive, divine."

[sdi]

For all the time I've spent lately on the deeds of Akhilles and the cunning of Odusseus, it is worth noting that the only Homeric example of avoiding Haides is the love of Menelaos:

σοι δ᾽ οὐ θέσφατόν ἐστι, διοτρεφὲς ὦ Μενέλαε,
Ἄργει ἐν ἱπποβότῳ θανέειν καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν,
ἀλλά σ᾽ ἐς Ἠλύσιον πεδίον καὶ πείρατα γαίης
ἀθάνατοι πέμψουσιν, ὅθι ξανθὸς Ῥαδάμανθυς,
τῇ περ ῥηίστη βιοτὴ πέλει ἀνθρώποισιν:
οὐ νιφετός, οὔτ᾽ ἂρ χειμὼν πολὺς οὔτε ποτ᾽ ὄμβρος,
ἀλλ᾽ αἰεὶ Ζεφύροιο λιγὺ πνείοντος ἀήτας
Ὠκεανὸς ἀνίησιν ἀναψύχειν ἀνθρώπους:
οὕνεκ᾽ ἔχεις Ἑλένην καί σφιν γαμβρὸς Διός ἐσσι.

"But it is not ordained for you, blessed Menelaos,
to die and meet your end in pastoral Argos,
but to the Elusion plain at earth's end
the immortals will send you, where auburn Rhadamanthus is,
where life is easiest for men—
neither snow nor heavy storms nor rain,
but always gusts of Zephuros's whistling breezes
Okeanos sends up to refresh men—
because you have Helene and they consider you Zeus's family."

(Proteus speaking. Homer, Odyssey IV 561–9, as translated—hopefully not too badly!—by yours truly.)