by JM Van Horn

Created on: September 22, 2008

In Greek mythology, the God of the underworld is Hades. Also known as the Unseen One or the Invisible One, Hades did not always rule the land of the dead. According to stories past down through history, the Titans were in charge of all know creation; from the land, the sea, and the underworld. The three brothers; Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon decided to challenge the Titans and removed them from power.

The war with the Titans was fierce but ended when the three brothers, with Hades using his helm of invisibility, were able to conquer Chronos. This was when they were each given the chance to select a region to oversee. Hades received the task of overseeing the underworld and to keep a watchful eye on the spirits of the departed as they crossed over into their next life. This match was a perfect for Hades, who was more withdrawn from his siblings and preferred the life of solitude.

Eventually Hades grew lonesome in the underworld and to resolve this, he decided to seek out a wife. In his travels, Hades came across Persephone, Zeus' daughter, and he was love stricken. Hades did not waste time wooing Persephone, instead he received approval from Zeus for her hand in marriage. One day when Persephone was wandering through a meadow, Hades abducted her and brought her to the underworld with the intention of making her his Queen. This set of a chain reaction and with the fate of mankind hanging in the balance, Zeus canceled his offer to Hades.

As Hades was preparing to let Persephone leave, he offered her a Pomegranate to eat since she had not touched a bit of food during her stay in the underworld. Despite of the consequences of eating any food in the underworld, Persephone could not resist and ate seven of the seeds. As a result, Persephone was only allowed to return to the world of the living seven months out of the year. This became the basis for the reasons behind the seasons on Earth.

In artwork, Hades is often depicted wearing the helmet of invisibility, while holding a cornucopia of precious metals and jewels, with Cerberus, the three headed dog who guards the gates to the underworld, is at his side. Hades is often portrayed as a fearsome figure designed to strike fear into the hearts of men as he ready to punish the wicked for the even the smallest of sins and other times, where Hades has been portrayed as a merciful and just ruler of the underworld. One's interpretation of Hades place Greek history shows there is a fine line between the two worlds and Hades does his best to master the two. The Greeks used Hades to teach them to be quiet at times and to listen to their inner voices because they can lead you to the inner treasures deep in your soul.

Learn more about this author, JM Van Horn.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.