God of the week: Hades

Hades in Greek mythology is the son of Cronus and Rhea. He is brother to Zeus and rules over the underworld. Hades tricked and kidnapped his niece Persephone and made her his bride, causing Demeter to curse the Earth part of the year giving rise to winter. Hades is known as Pluto to the Romans. The name is the Latin derivative of the name the Greeks began to call Hades,Pluton. Guarding the entryways into Hades underworld realm Erebus, is the three headed dog Cerberus.(Although Homer refers to Cerberus as a dog it is closer to a serpent as its is the child of a half-human half serpent hybrid Echidna) Cerberus is later defeated by Heracles(Hercules) in “the twelfth labor of Heracles” where Hades agrees to let Heracles take Cerberus to the surface if he can subdue him unarmed.

 Hades is the ruler of the underworld, and is often feared by mortals. The realm of Hades is the place where all of the dead go when they die rather than simply a separate place of punishment. Erebus was one of the three realms divided up by drawing of lots, whereas Zeus(Jupiter) rules the skies, Poseidon(Neptune) rules the sea, and Hades(Pluto) rules the underworld. If you were judged to go to Tartarus it was there Hades would decide how you would be punished, according to whatever crimes you committed. Although hated and feared, Hades was more of “supervisor” of the underworld.