As Agesilaos, Hades’ rule over the realm of the Underworld is acknowledged – and more importantly, accepted tenfold. AgesilaosĪgesilaos is another name the god of the dead frequently went by, as it designates him as a leader of people. The earliest recorded mention of Hades being referred to in such a way is in the Iliad, an epic poem written by Homer. The title is reverential and likens his authority in the Underworld to the power that his brother, Zeus, holds in the Heavens. Zeus Katachthonios – translating to “chthonic Zeus” or “Zeus of the Underworld” – is one of the most common ways Hades is addressed. While Hades has tons of names that he is addressed by, only the most telling will be reviewed. Therefore, Hades was certainly worshipped, though his name – at least the variation as we know it today – was not usually invoked. Even Pausanias, a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE, used numerous names in place of ‘Hades’ when describing some of ancient Greece’s locales in his first-hand travel account, Description of Greece. The epithets would have been interchangeable and familiar to the average ancient Greek. His close associations with the deceased calls on humankind’s innate fear of death and of the unknown.Ĭontinuing off of the idea that Hades’ name was seen as a bad omen of sorts, he went by a slew of epithets instead. Stern and a bit of an isolationist, Hades was the god that oversaw the affairs of the deceased and ruled over the vast realm of the Underworld. Notably, quite a bit of the radio silence was rooted in respect, though much of it also had to do with an amount of fear. The same superstition lends to the distinct lack of Hades’ appearance in ancient Greek art. There is a simple reason for this: good, old-fashioned superstition. If you are a bit new to the Greek mythos scene, you may have picked up on the fact that people don’t really like talking about Hades. Hades’ realm is the Underworld, so he really doesn’t have the time to go to Olympus and mingle with the Olympian gods unless something crazy happens. The title is reserved for gods that live, reside, and rule from the lofty heights of Mount Olympus. In case you were wondering, Hades is not counted to be one of the twelve Olympians. In Greek mythology, the realm that Hades ruled was entirely subterranean and removed from the other realms that his brothers governed even though the earth was a welcoming place for all deities, Hades seemed to prefer the solitude of his realm rather than fraternizing with the Olympian gods. Similarly, he was the god of wealth and riches, particularly the kind that was hidden.

Hades is the Greek god of the dead and de facto King of the Underworld. READ MORE: 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World What is Hades the God Of? The epic poet Homer described in Iliad that, by a stroke of luck, Zeus ascended to become the supreme deity of Olympus and the “wide sky,” while Poseidon wielded control of the vast “gray sea.” Meanwhile, Hades was named King of the Underworld, with his realm being “of the mists and the darkness.” Once the Titanomachy was won in favor of Cronus’ children and their allies, the rule of the cosmos was divided among the three brothers. READ MROE: Hades Helmet: The Cap of Invisibility Once they managed to break free of their imprisonment, the now grown regurgitated children of Cronus and Rhea allied with world-wise Zeus as the universe was thrown into the decade-long intergenerational war between the gods, a conflict known as the Titanomachy.ĭuring the Titanomachy, the Bibliotheca accounts that Hades was gifted a powerful helmet that granted him invisibility from his uncles the Cyclopes, famous smiths and assistants to the patron god of craftsmen, Hephaestus, who have crafted innumerable mythic weapons for multiple heroes spanning across Grecian mythos. By the same token, he was the brother of the powerful deities known as Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera.Īlong with the rest of his siblings – with the exception of Zeus – Hades was swallowed by their father, who opted for stress-eating his newborns rather than actually talking about his insecurities as a ruler. In Greek mythology, Hades is the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Isis-Persephone and Serapis-Hades Statue at Gortyn.

Hades greek symbol