Hades

AH dees

‘Αιδης

Lord of the Underworld

Hades

Hades, the Olympian

Hades is one of the six children of the Titans, Kronos (Cronos) and Rheia (Rhea). He is the brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Histia (Hestia), Demeter and Hera.

When Hades was born, Kronos was so afraid that one of his children would usurp his authority that he swallowed him whole. Four other of Rheia’s infants suffered the same fate. It wasn’t until the last child, Zeus, was born that Rheia tricked Kronos and substituted a stone for the child. Zeus swallowed the stone and thought that his sovereignty would be eternal. Rheia hid Zeus until he was old enough to confront his father. When Zeus returned, he attacked Kronos with such ferocity that the other five children were vomited forth from Kronos’ stomach. Hades was thus born a second time as a fully grown god.

Hades and the other freed gods and goddesses looked upon Zeus as their superior and even called him Father. The other Titans did not accept the authority of the new Immortals and a ten year war ensued. Finally, the Titans were defeated and relegated to the precincts of the immortal Tartaros (Tartarus) who occupies a dimension of the Underworld which is separate from the domain of Hades. The six children of Kronos and Rheia became the Olympians, taking their name from their new home on Mount Olympos (Olympus). Hades and his two brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, divided creation into thirds and each took a portion for their own. Hades chose the Underworld as his dominion.

When mortality takes it’s toll on the humble creatures who inhabit the face of the earth, they kneel before cold hearted Hades and he metes out somber justice to suit each individual’s deserved punishment or reward. Several, but few, mortals have earned the right to enter the realm of Hades and then return to the land of the living: Herakles (Heracles), Odysseus and Orpheus.

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Persephone, the Bride of Hades

Hades and Persephone

The story of the abduction of Persephone provides an undeniable explanation for the harshness of Winter and the sweetness of Spring.

Hades expressed his desire for the beautiful daughter of his sister, Demeter ... Zeus, as the father of Persephone did not object to the romance and did not interfere when Hades decided to abduct Persephone and hide her in the Underworld.

While at play with the beautiful daughters of Okeanos (Ocean), Persephone was picking flowers ... but these weren’t earthly flowers ... these flowers were the work of Zeus and put there for “a girl with a flower’s beauty.” The flowers were there to ensnare Persephone in a trap, a beautiful, divine trap. The trigger for the trap was an irresistible flower with one hundred stems of fragrant blossoms. When Persephone reached out with both hands to pluck the flower, the earth opened at her feet and Hades roared forth in his golden chariot and seized her before an alarm could be raised.

No mortal on the earth heard Persephone’s cries for help before she vanished into the Underworld. Of the Immortals, only two heard the faint cries of the abducted girl: the Roaring Goddess, Hekate (Hecate) and Helios (the Sun).

Demeter began searching in vain for her daughter. Her sorrow was so great that she denied herself all food, drink, and comfort for nine days. When Eos (Dawn) took to the skies on the tenth day, Hekate came to Demeter and told her that she had heard a voice but had not actually seen the abduction of poor Persephone. The two goddesses went to Helios because he sees all mortal and Immortal actions. Helios, indeed, knew the plot and the players. He told Demeter that the abduction was the work of Zeus and Hades. He further advised her to accept the situation because Hades was the Lord of Many and “not an unseemly bridegroom.” Demeter did not like his advice and choose a long, brooding path to regain her precious daughter.

Finally in desperation, Demeter found a way to force Zeus to free Persephone. Demeter sat in her new home at Eleusis and cursed the earth with famine. Seeds would not grow. Plowed fields remained empty. Zeus and the other Immortals were worried that this would be the end of mortal life on earth and, one by one, the Immortals begged Demeter to accept the will of Zeus and allow Persephone to stay with Hades as his wife. Demeter was unwavering in her determination and refused to shed her grace and abundance on the earth.

Zeus sent Hermes to speak gentle words to Hades and persuade him to let Persephone return to her brooding mother. Hades was sympathetic but he was also intent on keeping his bride. He tricked Persephone into eating a pomegranate seed and by doing so she was forever bound to him. Persephone returned to the world of light to see her mother but her stay was only temporary.

Demeter was joyous when Persephone came to her and roused herself from her destructive brooding, but her joy was tempered by the deception of Hades and the honey-sweet pomegranate seed that Persephone had been tricked into eating. The only one who could change Demeter’s heart was her mother, Rheia. Demeter finally lifted her curse and allowed the earth to blossom and be fruitful again.

It was decreed by Zeus that Persephone would spend two thirds of the year with her mother and the remaining third in the Underworld with her husband, Hades. Each year when Persephone returns from the Underworld, Demeter showers the earth with gentle rain and sweet breezes. Each time Persephone returns to Hades, Demeter hardens her heart and the earth is wracked with bitter cold and harsh winds.

Hades is often confused with the Roman god, Pluto.

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Hades in The Iliad

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Wyatt translations of The Iliad. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use. Lattimore (ISBN 0226469409); A.T. Murray/William F. Wyatt Vol. I & II (ISBN 0674995791 and 0674995805); Robert Fitzgerald (ISBN 0374529051); Robert Fagles (ISBN 0140275363)

01.004 - Homer asks the Muse to sing of the thousands of souls that Achilles sent to the house of Hades
03.277 - As Menelaos (Menelaus) prepares to fight Alexandros (Paris), Agamemnon calls upon Zeus, Helios (who sees and hears all), the earth, the rivers and ‘he who dwells under the earth’ to take vengeance on anyone who does not stay true to their oath
03.322 - All the soldiers prayed that any man who breaks an oath be sent to the house of Hades
05.394 - Dione explains to the wounded Aphrodite that many of the Immortals had suffered wounds like when Hades was wounded by Amphitryon
05.646 - The son of Herakles (Heracles), Tlepolemos (Tlepolemus), tells Sarpedon that even though he is the son of Zeus he will be beaten down and pass through the gates of Hades
05.654 - Sarpedon assures the son of Herakles (Heracles), Tlepolemos (Tlepolemus), that his soul will be given to Hades
06.284 - Hector tells his mother, Hekabe (Hecabe), that he wishes that his brother, Alexandros (Paris), had gone to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades
06.422 - Andromache tells her hunband, Hector, that Achilles sent her father and seven brothers to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades
06.487 - Hector tells his wife, Andromache, that no one will send him to Hades unless it is fated
07.131 - Nestor scolds the assembled Argives and tells them that Peleus would descend into the house of Hades if he knew how the army had cringed before the might of Hector
07.330 - Nestor laments the many souls that have gone to the house of Hades
08.367 - Athene (Athena) tells Hera about the time she helped Herakles (Heracles) when he had to go to Hades of the Gates to retrieve the hound, Kerberos (Cerberus), from the grisly Death God
09.158 - Agamemnon says that Achilles should give up his anger because, of all the Immortals, Hades never relents and, for that reason, is the most hated of the gods
09.312 - Achilles tells Odysseus that he detests the gates of Hades as much as he detests a man who speaks one thing and means another
09.457 - When Phoinix’s (Phoenix) father learned that his son had seduced his mistress, he called down curses on his son and named the Furies, Zeus of the Underworld, i.e. Hades, and Persephone
09.569 - Phoinix (Phoenix) tells Achilles about the stubbornness of Meleagros (Meleager) and how Meleagros’ mother had prayed to Hades and Persephone for the death of her own son
11.055 - When the Trojans approached the defensive ditch that protected the ships, Zeus was minded to send a multitude of souls to the house of Hades
11.263 - Agamemnon sent the sons of Antenor to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades
11.445 - Odysseus prepares to kill Sokos and tells him that he will be sent to Hades of the Horses
13.415 - Deiphobos (Deiphobus) kills Hypsenor and shouts that he has avenged the death of his friend, Asios, and now his friend has company as he goes to Hades of the Gates
14.457 - Poulydamas (Polydamas) mortally wounds Prothoenor and tells him that he may use the javelin in his shoulder as a walking stick as he enters the house of Hades
15.188 - Poseidon tells Iris that he, Zeus and Hades were born to Rheia (Rhea) and Kronos (Cronos)
15.191 - Poseidon tells Iris that lots were drawn for the division of creation and he won the sea, Zeus won the sky and Hades drew the lot for the mists and darkness
15.252 - Hector tells Apollon that, during the recent battle, he thought that he was sure go to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades
16.625 - During the fight for the body of Patroklos (Patroclus), Meriones warns Aineias (Aeneas) that he will soon be with Hades of the Horses
16.856 - As Patroklos (Patroclus) died, his soul went into the house of Hades
20.060 - When Poseidon shook the earth, Aidoneus, lord of the dead, i.e. Hades, jumped from his throne because he thought the houses of the dead would crack open and be exposed to mortal and Immortal alike
22.052 - Priam laments his many sons that Achilles has sent to the house of Hades
22.362 - As Hector died, his soul went into the house of Hades
22.389 - While gloating over the dead body of Hector, Achilles says that even though men forget the dead in the house of Hades, he will never forget his dead friend, Patroklos (Patroclus)
23.019 - Achilles hails his dead friend, Patroklos (Patroclus), even in the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades
23.071 - The ghost of Patroklos (Patroclus) stands over the sleeping Achilles and urges him to bury him as quickly as possible so that he may pass the gates of Hades
23.074 - The ghost of Patroklos (Patroclus) stands over the sleeping Achilles and says that he wanders by the gates to Hades’ house
23.103 - After hearing the voice of the dead Patroklos (Patroclus), Achilles realizes that even if a body is in the house of Hades there is something left of that person
23.137 - Achilles prepared the body of Patroklos (Patroclus) for his journey towards Hades
23.179 - Achilles hails Patroklos (Patroclus) even though he was in the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades
23.244 - Achilles tells Agamemnon and the assembled Argives to gather the bones of Patroklos (Patroclus) and wrap them in animal fat so that they can be ready for Hades
24.246 - Priam addresses the people of Troy and says that he wishes that he was in the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades
24.593 - Achilles begs Patroklos (Patroclus), who is in the house of Hades, to forgive him for returning the body of Hector to the Trojans

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Hades in The Odyssey

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Dimock translations of The Odyssey. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use. Richmond Lattimore (ISBN 0060931957); A.T. Murray/George E. Dimock Vol. I & II (ISBN 0674995619 and 0674995627); Robert Fitzgerald (ISBN 0374525749); Robert Fagles (ISBN 0140268863)

03.410 - At his home, Nestor sat on the same stones that his father had sat upon before he was taken to the house of Hades
04.834 - In a dream, Penelope asks Athene (Athena) if her husband, Odysseus, is in the house of Hades
06.011 - The founder of the Phaiakian (Phaeacian) city, Nausithoos (Nausithous), died and went to the house of Hades
09.524 - Odysseus tells the Cyclops, Polyphemos (Polyphemus), that he wants to send him to the house of Hades
10.175 - On Kirke’s (Circe) island, Odysseus killed a large stag and encouraged his hungry men by telling them that they were not yet fated to go to the house of Hades
10.491 - Kirke (Circe) tells Odysseus that he must go to the house of Hades and Persephone to seek out the prophet, Teiresias
10.502 - Odysseus weeps and tells Kirke (Circe) that no ship has ever found the way to Hades
10.512 - Kirke (Circe) gives Odysseus instructions on how to find the moldering home of Hades
10.534 - Kirke (Circe) tells Odysseus that, when he reaches the abode of Hades and Persephone, he must not let the dead drink the sacrificial blood until he has questioned them
10.560 - Elpenor died when he fell from the roof of Kirke’s (Circe) palace and his soul went down to Hades
10.564 - Odysseus tells his men that they must go to the house of Hades and Persephone
11.047 - After making an animal sacrifice at the entrance to the Underworld, Odysseus prays to Hades and Persephone
11.065 - Odysseus meets the ghost of Elpenor and he tells Odysseus how his soul went down to Hades
11.069 - The ghost of Elpenor says that, in order to avoid a curse by one of the Immortals after Odysseus leaves the house of Hades, he must return to Kirke’s (Circe) island and give proper death-rights to the body of Elpenor
11.151 - After giving his prophecy to Odysseus, the ghost of Teiresias returned to the house of Hades
11.164 - Odysseus explains to the ghost of his mother, Antikleia (Anticleia), that a duty brought him to the house of Hades
11.211 - Odysseus laments that he cannot hold his mother, Antikleia (Anticleia), while she is in the house of Hades
11.277 - While in the Underworld, Odysseus learns that the mother/wife of Oedipus, Iokaste (Jocasta), went down to Hades of the Gates because she had hanged herself
11.426 - In the Underworld, the ghost of Agamemnon tells Odysseus that he came to Hades with his eyes and mouth still open because his murderous wife, Klytemnestra (Clytemnestra) did not care enough for him to give him that simple dignity
11.475 - In the Underworld, the ghost of Achilles asks Odysseus how he could bear to come to the house of Hades
11.571 - In the Underworld, Odysseus saw the ghost of Minos passing out judgments to those who were seated and standing at the house of Hades
11.625 - In the Underworld, Odysseus saw the ghost of Herakles (Heracles) and the hero told Odysseus how he had once taken Kerberos (Cerberus) from the place of Hades into the light of day
11.627 - After speaking to Odysseus, the ghost of Herakles (Heracles) returned to the realm of Hades
11.635 - Odysseus feels genuine fear before he finally leaves the Underworld; he fears that Persephone will send the head of the Gorgon from the house of Hades to attack him
12.017 - After returning to Kirke’s (Circe) island, the goddess did not know that Odysseus had come from the house of Hades
12.021 - Kirke (Circe) addresses Odysseus and his crew and tells them that most humans only have to go to the house of Hades once but that they will have to return there when they die
12.383 - Helios threatens Zeus that he will go to Hades and shine his light on the dead if Odysseus and his crew are not punished for killing his cattle
14.156 - The disguised Odysseus tells the swineherd, Eumaios (Eumaeus), that he detests the gates of Hades as much as he detests a poor man who lies to gain favor
14.208 - The disguised Odysseus lies to the swineherd, Eumaios (Eumaeus), and says that his father is in the house of Hades
15.350 - The disguised Odysseus asks the swineherd, Eumaios (Eumaeus), if Odysseus’ parents are alive or in the house of Hades
20.208 - The cowherd, Philoitios (Philoetius), meets the disguised Odysseus and says that he hopes his master (Odysseus) is not in the house of Hades
23.252 - Odysseus tells his wife, Penelope, about his encounter with the prophet, Teiresias, at the house of Hades
23.322 - Odysseus tells his wife, Penelope, about his encounter with the prophet, Teiresias, at the house of Hades
24.204 - Odysseus tells Penelope about the ghosts of the dead he saw at the gates of Hades
24.264 - Odysseus speaks to his father and makes a reference to the house of Hades