The Significance of Hades in Greek Mythology

Have you ever wondered where the villain Hades in hercules came from? Well, Hades, or Pluto( in Roman ) came from the ancient greek religion.( Religion: was believing in many gods) Hades was believed to have been the ruler of the underworld. He was also believed to be the king of the dead. Along with these powers Hades had many more, one being ruling all the riches in the world.(every single piece) Thus, he was worshipped for giving people wealth. Just like all the 12 olympian Gods including Zeus, Poseidon, and counting, Hades had a very important role of history.

Hades had many people in his life. Hades father Cronus, and mother Rhea, were both Titans. Hades was their oldest son out their three boys. He had two brothers and three sisters.

His brothers were Zeus, supreme ruler of the gods and Poseidon, god of the sea. Besides his brothers he had three sisters: Hera, goddess of marriage and family. Hestia goddess of hearth and home. And Demeter goddess of the Harvest. Along with his brothers and sisters Hades, also had a lover/wife her name was Persephone also known as the goddess queen of the underworld.( persephone was Demeter’s only daughter) Hades kidnapped Persephone, because he was madly in love. Soon after they both settled down they both had three children, Macaria, Melinoe, and Zagreus. Hence, he had many people(family) to accompany him.

Gods are capable of growing up just like humans, they to start off as babies. Unlike normal people's childhood, Hades had a very rough one. When he was a baby, myths have it that Cronus, (his father) swallowed him and his other siblings, down his throat as soon as they were born. This was done, because of the rumor that his children might overthrow him. Luckily, Zeus the youngest, managed to escape. According to History Rocket.com, it states that, Zeus gave him a potion which made Cronus vomit all the siblings out. That was when Hades was reborn. Later on in Hades life, when he had reached adulthood & his six siblings joined forces with other gods and defeated Cronus and the other Titans. After the death of the Titans the gods took parts of the world. “ Claiming ruler ship over the cosmos. They agreed to slit their rule.” Zeus became god of the skies, Poseidon became god of the sea, and Hades was left with nothing but to become the god of the underworld. There, his journey started as they left their parents behind on Earth.

Hades unlike everyone was unique. Hades as described in some sources as very gloomy, depressed, richly dressed, with dark hair, a long beard and a strong muscular body. Along with his unique appearance, Hades also had many associated symbols such as cerberus, sceptre, cypress, and key. But, his most sacred symbol was his helmet, which helped him stay invisible. Along with his symbols, Hades also had a three pronged spear also known as a trident. Hades himself was very unique with his appearances, symbols, and pets.

Most gods have many temples and celebrations to celebrate them. But, Hades on the other hand, is the opposite. According to Kiaramercado.weebly, Hades had no celebrations. But, a civilization named Elis was the only city that built a temple for Hades. “ Once a year the door would open but only a priest would enter. Elis would send a priest in with a cow & when they got out, they dragged the dead cow.” Even though most cities don’t celebrate or build temples for Hades, they still worshipped him because of his wealth. Hence, Hades was the patron of Ellis.

Hades had many myths but one of the most important was, “The Reason For Seasons.” In this myth, it teaches, that to a problem there isn’t always a solution, but a way to solve it. The myth starts off with Hades falling in love with his sister Demeter's daughter, Persephone. It was love at first sight. So, he decided to kidnap Persephone. For one solution, there is always a problem. Just like that, it related to Demeter. Demeter loved her daughter very much. She was depressed when she found out her daughter was gone. So, she stopped harvesting which caused no crops to grow. When Zeus heard about the whole situation, he decided to give away Persephone ( his daughter) away to Hades for two months, which are fall & winter, when Demeter was sad and stopped plants from growing. The other two months, Demeter kept Persephone, and it was spring and summer when she grew all sorts of plants/flowers & fruits, to welcome her daughter back. This myth portraits the kind of person Hades really is, a unkind evil person that does not think about others but but himself when it comes to love. The myth illustrates how Hades was a very cruel/evil person but, at the same time very caring. Hades was cruel about kidnapping persephone and not asking her about how she thought or felt about him. But, on the other hand, according to Greek myths and Greek mythology.com, Hades feed persephone after kidnapping her. This shows how Hades really cared/took care of persephone’s health. Thus, Hades most important myth he represented was “The Reasons For Seasons”.

In conclusion, Hades was indeed an unique god, in Greek mythology. Did you know that Hades was the only person/god who hung out with Ares the god of war and hatred? Well, if you didn’t know that, did you know that Acheron is the river linked with Hades. This river is considered as the path to the underworld? Amazing! Right? Thus, Hades was very unique from the beginning. From fighting with the Titans, to wining/being god of the underworld, to being one of the top three most powerful gods, and finding/fighting for his love, his journey never stopped. Hades was important in certain ways…..