Greek Mythology and Hades Essay

The ancient Greek people wrote stories about characters known as gods in order to explain things in the world. For example, the story of Hades and Persephone explains why plants do not grow in the winter. The story of Hades and Persephone is only one story however, and they are only two gods out of the large number of immortal characters that the Greeks created. Hades is the god of the underworld, goes by many different names, was extremely protective of his posessions, and was married to the beautiful God, Persephone. The Underworld (Image from Medea’s Greek Lair; painting by Kythera Ann) Greek gods have many different names, and different spellings. For example, Greek Gods all have different names they can be called. Hades goes by many names, such as Aides, Lord of the darkness, Pluto, and god of the dead (www. theoi. com). Hades is most commonly known as the god of the underworld, and Aides is another Greek spelling of Hades. Lord of the Darkness is from his most prized posession, his helmet from the Titanomachy war. Pluto is his Roman name. Pluto is the easiest to remember, however I have found that most texts refer to him as Hades. Lord of the Dead is not to be confused with god of death or the devil, as the god of death is called Thanatos, a less popular god (www. helium. com). While Thanatos is a God, I think that Hades is a more important figure in the Greek world. Although, Hades protects things such as funerals and burial ceremonies, Hades is a completely different person than Thanatos. Hades’ Helmet of Darkness (Image from Medea’s Greek Lair) In the time of Greek Gods and Goddesses, there was a ten-year war called the Titanomachy. In addition, to win the war, the Cyclops gave the three brothers special weapons (www. helium. com). Hades was given the Helmet of Darkness; therefore, allowing him to become invisible. This invisibility allowed him to sneak on to enemy territory, which is a nifty ability. After winning the war against the Titans, the brothers were rightfully deemed their regions; Hades won the Underworld (www. helium. com). The Underworld is not depicted as hell in the Christian society, but as an island in the west ocean. However, Hades’ land, the Underworld, was thought of as under Greece as time passed. One of the Greek gods’ favorite activities was to get married. For example, Hades had a wife named Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Hades married Persephone after abducting her (www. netplaces. com); sweeping beneath Demeter’s careful eye and stealing her most prized posession. Persephone, in my opinion, is the most beautiful of all the Gods. However, this inconsiderate action is a display of his relentless power. Despite Demeter’s wishes, Persephone stays with Hades during the winter only, and she is returned to her mother for the other eight months of the year (www.netplaces. com). At a time, Persephone was about to leave the Underworld entirely, but she ate pomegranate seeds at a banquet that Hades threw for her, which chained her to the Underworld forever. After eating food from the Underworld, the eater must always be forced to return eventually. With time, Persephone grew to like her husband more and became content with her life. Hades is the powerful God of the Underworld, husband of Persephone and goes by many different names, and is feared by all mortals. Hades is not to be confused with Thatamos, God of Death. He also participated in the Titanomachy, winning the Underworld and his helmet of darkness, Persephone, image by Marta Dahlig which he cherishes even more than his abducted wife, Persephone. Hades is one of the most powerful Gods, right next to Zeus and Poseidon. However, Hades is my favorite God. Works Cited Ann, Kythera. â€Å"Tales of Hades. † Hades. Medea’s Lair of Greek Mythology, n. d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Atsuma, Aaron J. â€Å"HADES : Greek King of the Underworld, God of the Dead ; Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO. † HADES : Greek King of the Underworld, God of the Dead ; Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO. Amazon, n. d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. . Conner, Nancy. â€Å"Classical Mythology. † The Abduction of Persephone. The New York Times Company, n. d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Harry, Tim. â€Å"Greek Mythology: Hades, the God of the Dead. † Helium. Helium, 01 Apr. 2008. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. .