Hades was the god of the underworld. (He was known as Pluto to the Romans.) The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades was given the underworld for his dominion, the place where the dead go as well as the place associated with all things below the earth. There he sat on an ebony throne. He was not, however, the personification of death; that was Thanatos.

Hades was rarely portrayed in the ancient world, except for the story of Persephone. He was known to have carried a two-pronged fork, which he used to usher the shades of the dead into the underworld. He owned a helmet of darkness, which made anyone wearing it invisible. He sat on an ebony throne, holding a scepter crowned with a bird, and his chariot was drawn by four black horses. He also was sometimes associated with Cerberus, the three headed dog, as well as his associates Thanatos and Charon.

Mythology

Poseidon, like most of his brothers and sisters, was swallowed at birth by his father Cronus. A prophecy had warned Cronus that one of his children would usurp him, but his wife Rhea tricked him by giving him an herb that made him regurgitate the children.

Since precious metals are mined underground, Hades had control of these, and was considered wealthy; one of his epithets was “Lord of the Riches.” Hades became very angry when anyone tried to leave the underworld or cheat death. He was not an evil god, though; he was considered to be a balance to the power of the other realms. In some traditions, “Hades” is the name of the underworld itself rather than being personified as a god.

Hades’ consort was the beautiful goddess Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Persephone was picking flowers near Mount Etna one day when the ground split open and Hades erupted from the earth in his black chariot. He seized her and carried her down to the underworld.

Demeter, angry, cursed the land with famine. Unbeknownst to Demeter, Hades had given Persephone pomegranate seeds to eat. Zeus brought Persephone back from the underworld to avert the starvation of all mortals, but because she had eaten pomegranate, Persephone was forced to return to Hades for six months of the year. This is a parable for the seasons: famine occurs in the autumn and winter every year when Persephone is in the underworld and Demeter is grieving for her.

Hades in Popular Culture

• In the DC Comics original version of Wonder Woman, Hades is featured as alternatively a benefactor and an enemy of Princess Diana, also known as Wonder Woman.

• Hades was also a character in the Walt Disney animated film Hercules. Hades tormented Hercules (not Hera) because the Fates have prophesied that Hercules will prevent Hades from taking over Olympus.

• Hades appeared in the 1990s television program Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, as well as its spinoff, Xena: Warrior Princess. Hades, played by Erik Thomson, seems kind of powerless for the god of the underworld in the series. Both Xena and Hercules have to help him, earning his appreciation.

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