Hades ( Greek: ᾍδης, Latin: Pluto ) is the god of the dead and the underworld, but the underworld was often refferd to his name. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea, and brother of Zeus and Poseidon.
The Cyclops gave Hades the helmet of invisibility ( helm of darkness ) to help in the gods' battle with the Titans. The night before the first battle, Hades put on his helmet and, being invisible, slipped over to the Titans camp and distroyed their weapons. The war lasted for ten years and enden with the victory of the younger gods ( Zeus, Poseidon and Hades ). After the war Hades receved Underworld for his realm.
The consort of Hades was Persephone, represented by the Greeks as daughter of Zeus and Demeter.
Despite modern connotations of death as evil, Hades was actually more altruistically inclined in mythology. Hades was often portrayed as passive rather than evil; his role was often maintaining relative balance.
Persephone (Greek: Περσεφονη ) also known as Kore. She became queen of the Underworld after being abducted by Hades, who had fallen in love with her, while she was gathering flowers with her mother, Demeter.
The Abduction of Persephone
The Cyclops gave Hades the helmet of invisibility ( helm of darkness ) to help in the gods' battle with the Titans. The night before the first battle, Hades put on his helmet and, being invisible, slipped over to the Titans camp and distroyed their weapons. The war lasted for ten years and enden with the victory of the younger gods ( Zeus, Poseidon and Hades ). After the war Hades receved Underworld for his realm.
The consort of Hades was Persephone, represented by the Greeks as daughter of Zeus and Demeter.
Despite modern connotations of death as evil, Hades was actually more altruistically inclined in mythology. Hades was often portrayed as passive rather than evil; his role was often maintaining relative balance.
Persephone (Greek: Περσεφονη ) also known as Kore. She became queen of the Underworld after being abducted by Hades, who had fallen in love with her, while she was gathering flowers with her mother, Demeter.
Because of Love
It was Love who caused everything. For Aphrodite feared that Persephone, following Athena and Artemis, would also remain a virgin. That is why she instructed her son Eros to join the young girl to her uncle. And Eros, who rules the gods and controls all deities, selected the sharpest among his many arrows, and with it smote Hades through the heart; and since when this happens nothing can be done, Hades abducted Persephone when she, not far from the city of Henna (as some say), was playing and gathering flowers in a grove. At the time, she was so girlish and innocent that she is believed to have felt more pain for the loss of the flowers that fell out of her loosened tunic when Hades seized her, than fear for being captured; but she nevertheless called on her mother and companions while Hades galloped away.
The seeds of pomegranate
Because she ate six pomegranate seeds she must stay in the land of the dead for six months and for the remaining months she may live on Mt. Olympus with her family. While she is in the land of the dead she may not eat anything or she will have to stay there forever.
"But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter."
Demeter questioned Persephone on her return to light and air:
"…but if you have tasted food, you must go back
again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a
third part of the seasons every year: yet for the two parts you
shall be with me and the other deathless gods."
Thus every year Hades fights his way back to the land of the living with Persephone in his chariot. Famine (autumn and winter) occurs during the months that Persephone is gone and Demeter grieves in her absence.
While most sources indicate Persephone was not happy to be "married" by Hades, others assert that she ate the pomegranate seeds deliberately, as a way of breaking free from her mother, and that she was actually content with the final arrangement.
The seeds of pomegranate
Because she ate six pomegranate seeds she must stay in the land of the dead for six months and for the remaining months she may live on Mt. Olympus with her family. While she is in the land of the dead she may not eat anything or she will have to stay there forever.
"But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter."
Demeter questioned Persephone on her return to light and air:
"…but if you have tasted food, you must go back
again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a
third part of the seasons every year: yet for the two parts you
shall be with me and the other deathless gods."
Thus every year Hades fights his way back to the land of the living with Persephone in his chariot. Famine (autumn and winter) occurs during the months that Persephone is gone and Demeter grieves in her absence.
While most sources indicate Persephone was not happy to be "married" by Hades, others assert that she ate the pomegranate seeds deliberately, as a way of breaking free from her mother, and that she was actually content with the final arrangement.
