Hades rules the Greek underworld with stern authority, governing the realm of the dead and upholding the natural balance between life and death. Though often misunderstood as a malevolent god, Hades does not seek souls. He receives them. His domain is final and inescapable, making him one of the most feared and respected figures in Greek religion.
As the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, Hades received dominion over the underworld when he and his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, divided the cosmos. While Zeus claimed the sky and Poseidon the sea, Hades took the unseen realm below, where souls pass after death.
Symbolism
Hades embodies inevitability and the unyielding nature of death. Greeks rarely invoked his name directly, calling him euphemisms like Plouton (“the wealthy one”), recognizing that all treasures of the earth—metals, minerals, and the dead—fell under his domain. His symbols include the bident, the helm of darkness (which grants invisibility), and Kerberos, his three-headed guard dog who keeps the dead from leaving.
Artists portray him as a regal, bearded man. He usually sits on a throne and is accompanied by Persephone, his queen.
Appearances in Myths
- The Abduction of Persephone: In the most famous tale involving Hades, he abducts Persephone, daughter of Demeter, and brings her to the underworld to be his wife. Demeter’s grief causes the world’s crops to fail, prompting Zeus to broker a compromise. Persephone spends part of the year with Hades and part above ground, creating the cycle of the seasons.
- The Titanomachy: Hades fights alongside Zeus and Poseidon against the Titans. He receives the helm of invisibility from the Cyclopes and uses it to move unseen in battle. After the Titans fall, the brothers divide the world, and Hades takes the underworld.
- Orpheus and Eurydice: When Orpheus descends into the underworld to retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, Hades grants permission for her to leave—on one condition. Orpheus must not look back. When he does, Eurydice vanishes forever, reinforcing Hades’ role as a god who respects emotion but upholds the rules of death.
- Heracles’ Twelfth Labor: Herakles enters the underworld to capture Kerberos. Hades allows it—on the condition that Herakles use no weapons, reinforcing the respect the gods had for their underworld brother.
Worship and Cult
Greeks worshipped Hades through mystery cults and chthonic rituals rather than grand temples. They offered black animals (often rams), burned sacrifices at night, and poured libations into the ground. Worshippers invoked him for proper burials and to ensure the safe passage of souls.
His connection to Plouton, god of wealth, also linked him to agricultural cycles, where seeds “died” in the earth before sprouting anew.
Modern Appearances
Books
- The Iliad and The Odyssey – Both epics mention Hades’ role and the rules of the underworld.
- The Aeneid by Virgil – Depicts the underworld in vivid detail, with Hades presiding.
Popular Culture
- Disney’s Hercules (1997) – Reinvents Hades as a fiery, fast-talking villain.
- Percy Jackson series – Portrays Hades as a somber, powerful god navigating complex family dynamics.
Games and Media
Hades (Supergiant Games, 2020) – Reimagines him as a strict but layered father figure, emphasizing duty and depth over villainy.