Since precious minerals come from under the earth (i.e., the "underworld" ruled by Hades), he was considered to have control of these as well, and was referred to as Πλούτων (Plouton, related to the word for "wealth"), hence the Roman name Pluto. To many, simply to say the word "Hades" was frightening. Hades, god of the dead, was a fearsome figure to those still living in no hurry to meet him, they were reticent to swear oaths in his name, and averted their faces when sacrificing to him. Hades, labeled as "Plouton", "The Rich One", bears a cornucopia on an Attic red-figure amphora, ca 470 BC. I would rather follow the plow as thrall to another man, one with no land allotted to him and not much to live on, than be a king over all the perished dead." -Achilles' soul to Odysseus. "O shining Odysseus, never try to console me for dying. In particular, the Greek war hero Achilles, whom Odysseus met in Hades (although some believe that Achilles dwells in the Isles of the Blessed), said: None of them were especially pleased with what they witnessed in the realm of the dead. His wrath was equally terrible for anyone who tried to cheat death or otherwise crossed him, as Sisyphus and Peirithous found out to their sorrow.īesides Heracles, the only other living people who ventured to the Underworld were all heroes: Odysseus, Aeneas (accompanied by the Sibyl), Orpheus, Theseus, Pirithous (see note 18), and Psyche. He strictly forbade his subjects to leave his domain and would become quite enraged when anyone tried to leave, or if someone tried to steal the souls from his realm. Hades ruled the dead, assisted by others over whom he had complete authority. Hades was often portrayed as passive rather than evil his role was often maintaining relative balance. He sat on an ebony throne.ĭespite modern connotations of death as evil, Hades was actually more altruistically inclined in mythology.
His other ordinary attributes were the Narcissus and Cypress plants, the Key of Hades and Cerberus, the three-headed dog. His dark chariot, drawn by four coal-black horses, always made for a fearsome and impressive sight. Hades was known to sometimes loan his helmet of invisibility to both gods and men (such as Perseus). His identifying possessions included a famed helmet of darkness, given to him by the Cyclopes, which made anyone who wore it invisible. "Aidoneus, the Ruler of Many, is no unfitting husband among the deathless gods for your child, being your own brother and born of the same stock: also, for honor, he has that third share which he received when division was made at the first, and is appointed lord of those among whom he dwells." -Homeric Hymn to Demeter Helios told the grieving Demeter that Hades was not unworthy as a consort for Persephone: Hades obtained his eventual consort and queen, Persephone, through trickery, a story that connected the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries with the Olympian pantheon. Zeus got the sky, Poseidon got the seas, and Hades received the Underworld, the unseen realm to which the dead go upon leaving the world as well as any and all things beneath the earth. The war lasted for ten years and ended with the victory of the younger gods.įollowing their victory, according to a single famous passage in the Iliad (xv.187–93), Hades and his two brothers, Poseidon and Zeus, drew lots for realms to rule. The night before the first battle, Hades put on his helmet and, being invisible, slipped over to the Titans' camp and destroyed their weapons. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades received weapons from the three Cyclopes to help in the war: Zeus the thunderbolt, Hades the Helm of Darkness, and Poseidon the trident. After their release, the six younger gods, along with allies they managed to gather, challenged the elder gods for power in the Titanomachy, a divine war. Upon reaching adulthood, Zeus managed to force his father to disgorge his siblings. He has three sisters, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera, as well as two brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, collectively comprising the original six Olympian gods. In Greek mythology, Hades (meaning " the unseen"), God of the Underworld and King of the Dead, spirits, the dark arts, darkness, riches, hidden treasures within the earth and the underworld, is a son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea.
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