 Attempts to explain the symbolism of the rite also must negotiate the illogical placement of the coin in the mouth.The Latin term "viaticum" makes sense of Charon’s obol as "sustenance for the journey," and it has been suggested that coins replaced offerings of food for the dead in Roman tradition.This dichotomy of food for the living and gold for the dead is a theme in the myth of King Midas, versions of which draw on elements of the Dionysian mysteries.