Hades(Pluto)Greek God of the UnderworldHades is the son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea. He is the brother of Zeus and was given the realm of the Underworld to rule over just as Zeus gave Poseidon the realm of the sea. He is often viewed as a dark, unfavorable figure since he rules over the dead and even the other Greek gods and goddesses tend to avoid him. He is seen as a fertility god since he dwells in the earth and not on Mt. Olympus with the other Olympian gods and goddesses. He is also referred to as the Rich-One, because of the rich metals that are in the ground. Once a mortal's spirit has entered his realm they are not allowed to leave. There have been a few exception to this, but that is only by his will. With Zeus' will, he abducted Persephone, Demeter's daughter, to be his queen. He is usually depicted in art with his queen, his scepter, and the three-headed hound Cerberus. Rape of PersephoneOk, so this is an even shorter version then the one for Demeter, but I just wanted to include the parts about Hades. This myth is in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. One day Persephone was picking flowers with the daughters on Oceanus, when the ground opened up and the Greek god of the Underworld, in his golden chariot, captured her and carried her away. The only ones who heard her cries were two immortals: the sun god, Helius, and Hecate. The goddesses grief kept plants from rising. It was a devastating year for the harvest. Zeus took notice of the famine and called Iris to send for Demeter. Demeter decided that she wouldn't allow the crops to rise until she saw her daughter with her own eyes. Zeus sent Hermes to dark Erebus to ask the ruler of the Underworld to bring his wife back to the surface so that her mother could see her. He obliged with Zeus' request, but first he gave Persephone the sweet fruit of the pomegranate to eat. He drove Persephone to the temple of Demeter. It was a joyous reunion between mother and daughter. Demeter sensed some act of treachery though. She asked her child if she had eaten anything while in the Underworld. If she had not then she could remain on the surface with her mother, but if she had then she would have to return back to the Underworld. Zeus decided that for one third of the year Persephone would have to live in the Underworld with her husband, but for the other two thirds she could live with her mother and the other immortals. So for a third of the year Demeter is sad because she is not with her daughter and so no crops grow. LinksHades Experience Ancient Greece Home Page Ancient Greek Gods Jenny Ervin Contact Me
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