Ομόσπονδο κράτος του Άδη
Land of Hades
By: Amanda Clark and Beth Heaton
The God Hades sitting in his throne.
History
Hades is son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea. He is also the brother of Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon, and Zeus. Zeus drew lots with Poseidon and Hades for the rule of the world, sea, and underworld. Hades had the worse draw of the lots and was made God of the Underworld.
Deity Background
The Greeks never dedicated any temples to Hades because he was looked down upon. He is normally portrayed like his brothers, with a staff and a beard of some kind. Hades is normally with his wife, Persephone, or their hound Cerberus. He has several names that the Greeks and Roman's gave him such as Ades, Aides, Aidoneus, Dis, Orcus, Pluto, and Pluton.
Domain
Hades was given the Underworld as Zeus, Poseidon and he decided upon domains. The Underworld is named after Hades because Hades is the ruler of the Underworld. Although the Underworld is actually called the Land of Hades or the House of Hades.
This is an image of how someone views the underworld.
Powers
Hades had the power to summon minion like creatures who were of us assistance and ghosts. He could also make the Earth burst with fire and crack the Earth as well. Once souls came to the Underworld, Hades had power over them. Even though the wicked souls were tortured, Hades did not torture them himself. He had other spirits to do that for him. He also had power over death and hidden, underground riches. Hades was given a helmet that grants him invisibility when fighting his parents, Cronus and Rhea who were Titans of the universe.
The Underworld
The Underworld was divided into two regions: Tartarus and Elysium.
Tartarus
Tartarus was the land where the wicked and damned souls went. It was a deep and dark abyss that was meant for the wicked souls to be tormented and suffer. The entrance and exit of this region of the Underworld is guarded by 100-armed giants. This basically was the Hell of the Greeks.
Elysium
Elysium, also known as The Elysium Fields, was the region of the Underworld where the blessed good and righteous souls went to live a happy afterlife. This basically was the Heaven of the Greeks.
Tartarus
Tartarus was the land where the wicked and damned souls went. It was a deep and dark abyss that was meant for the wicked souls to be tormented and suffer. The entrance and exit of this region of the Underworld is guarded by 100-armed giants. This basically was the Hell of the Greeks.
Elysium
Elysium, also known as The Elysium Fields, was the region of the Underworld where the blessed good and righteous souls went to live a happy afterlife. This basically was the Heaven of the Greeks.
Characteristics
Hades was actually not evil and mean as many have thought. It is just what people perceive about him because he is the ruler of the Underworld. He can rarely travel to Mount Olympus because he does not socialize as well with the Gods and Goddesses and the living as the others do. Hades is also called Pluto, but this name is used in Roman Mythology.
Weakness
Hades only really has one weakness. That weakness would be his wife Persephone.
Even though Persephone was forced into marrying Hades, he still dearly loves her because she is really his only company in the Underworld. But then Persephone was released by Zeus back to her home and was banned from the underworld.
This is a picture of Hades and his wife Persephone.
Significant Myth
Hades kidnapped Demeter's daughter, Persephone, from the upper world and made her rule the underworld with him. Demeter searched over all the earth in attempt to find her daughter and soon she began to grieve. She did not care to harvest and a famine occurred. Soon, Zeus demanded for Hades to let her go back to her mother, Demeter. But before she left, Hades gave her some pomegranate seeds, and when she after she ate it, it banned her to the underworld for a part of every year.
Works Cited
1. Atsma, Aaron J. "HADES : Greek King of the Underworld, God of the Dead ;
Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring
Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. 2000. Web.
28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html>.
2. Mercatante, Anthony S., and James R. Dow. The Facts on File
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. New York: Facts On File, 2009.
Print.
3. "The Myth of Hades and Persephone." Myth of Hades and Persephone. Web. 28
Feb. 2012.
<http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-of-hades-and-persephone/>.
4. Roman, Luke, and Monica Roman. Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology.
New York: Facts On File, 2010. Print.
5. U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Detroit: U*X*L/Gale, 2009.
Print.
Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring
Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. 2000. Web.
28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html>.
2. Mercatante, Anthony S., and James R. Dow. The Facts on File
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. New York: Facts On File, 2009.
Print.
3. "The Myth of Hades and Persephone." Myth of Hades and Persephone. Web. 28
Feb. 2012.
<http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-of-hades-and-persephone/>.
4. Roman, Luke, and Monica Roman. Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology.
New York: Facts On File, 2010. Print.
5. U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Detroit: U*X*L/Gale, 2009.
Print.