Hades

​ HADES by: Taylor

Losing someone you love is hard but do not let the pitiless ruler Hades of the underworld make you sad. Just remember if they lived a good life there is no reason for a painful after life. Now before you go do not forget the way you live your life is the only way to determine how your after life is spent. Hades is feared but respected and that is why he is the perfect person to rule the Underworld.   The world was cursed with dark and nothingness but then came light, mother earth, and sky were formed. Gaia (mother earth) and Uranus (sky) gave birth to six sets of twins which were called the Titians. The Titans were named Oceanus and Thethys, Coeos and Phoebe, Hyperion and Thea, Creos and Themis, Iapetos and Clymene, and finally Cronos and Rhea. After the Titians were born they brought life to Earth; the ocean’s creatures, seasons, land, and the people that lived on the land. A long time ago there lived a great god Cronus and his wife Rhea, and they had many kids but they were all eaten by Cronus; he did not want to share the power or Rhea with anyone else so he ate every kid that he had. After Rhea had Zeus she had had it with Cronus eating her babies so she hid Zeus. When Cronus called for the child, she gave him a stone shaped like a baby and he ate it. Soon Zeus was all grown up and out of anger of his father eating all his brothers and sisters he cut his father Cronus in half. By doing this he released all his siblings that were swallowed by Cronus the god of time. Out came Heestia, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. Finally his family was reunited.( //Theriverstyx.net // . Hades, 5 June 2005. Web. 20 Nov. 2009)  The Underworld was known as the place where the mortals pass on to after death, but it was a place for living too. All throughout ancient Greek times, “the underworld” has been described as a place of shadows, it was like a bad dream, and nothing really seemed real. Many believed that Hades or the Underworld was located at the far west of the ocean. To the gods it was a dark and evil place. Others have said that the Underworld was like no other place. It stood on the very edge of the world, it did not rain or snow there but the land still had the cold West winds. It was dark and had the look and smell of death in the air. No man wanted to be there but they could not change their fate. No man has every returned but they say once you arrive there, you feel at ease and you would not want to leave. The dead could communicate with the living and many of the living have tried to save their loved ones. Once a spirit either good or bad has reached Hades, the spirit is put up for judgment. After judgment, you see whether you stay in Hades and suffer or if you enjoy the afterlife in happiness. The people of the Underworld judge you on how you lived your life good or bad, bravery and justice, and if you offended the gods in anyway. ( //Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths // . New York: Dell Laurel-leaf, 1966. Print)      In many cultures of Greek the people had different names for Hades and each of them had a unique personality. For instance, Hades was also known as Pluto “the god of wealth” for many reasons. One reason was that Hades was greedy with power and money. Another was he wanted his wife Persephone to himself. He even put a spell on her that would bind her to Hades and the Underworld. Another name he had was Aides (the unseen) because Hades had a helmet, which was given to him by the Cyclopes that made him invisible. These names were Hades’ names but they only described a part of him. Hades is also described as pitiless and pigheaded. Feared by all men and gods, he had no one brothering him. He was perfect for his job because he took no cries, bribes, or even flattery to try and save your loved ones. He was said to be deaf to music and he never lifted a finger to help a man in need. Only one person got his attention at that was of Orpheus who begged Hades to restore his wife Eurydice. Across the land no man would even whisper his name; this is why they made others names for him. ( //<span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths //<span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">. New York: Dell Laurel-leaf, 1966. Print) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Persephone (goddess of spring) was that daughter of <span style="https: �47�greekresearch.wikispaces.com/Demeter;">Demeter <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> (goddess of bountiful harvest) and Zeus (god of all gods). Persephone was a parent’s dream child; she was filled with light and joy. She made friends with everyone. Soon her father’s brother, Hades wanted to take her to the underworld to live with him. It was like he wanted her to bring light to the shadows. Hades asked for permission to take Persephone’s hand in marriage. After Zeus said yes Hades kidnapped her while she was picking flowers in a meadow. The ground opened, and you could hear the screams of the goddess as she went into the underworld. When Demeter heard her daughter’s cry, she was furious; she caused humans everywhere to have a famine. After a while, Persephone stared to like Hades and the Underworld, but she still missed her mother. Then Demeter sent Hermes to get Persephone from Hades but Hades gave her a pomegranates. Knowing Hades, she only ate seven seeds, so now she can leave the Underworld but can be gone for a long time. Hades was not going to let her leave, so Hermes made a deal with him saying that Persephone will stay with Hades for four months out of the year and the other months with Demeter. Whenever Persephone leaves to go to Hades Demeter is still sad so she would bring cold and barren winters till her daughter returns Persephone would bring spring back with her.( Goddessgift.com // . Greek goddess, 3 Apr. 2001. Web. 23 Nov. 2009) // <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">

As the god of the Underworld, Hades was assigned cretin responsibilities. The main job was to make sure that anyone who was trying to beg for someone’s freedom could not leave alive. This was to be used as a warning to others that would try to come too. Of course he had to be the only ruler of the Underworld, but as ruler he does not have say in who die only the ones that stay with him. Hades protects and watched over the wealth or the underground gold. If it is not protected humans would be able to take as much money as they want to. These responsibilities are essential for his job. Since humans are greedy they do not really appreciate Hades job, they do not think he does anything important. However not every human thinks this way, so some give him offerings like black sheep, cornucopia, and two ponged pick axes. Why he was only offered black sheep? No one is certain, but maybe it is because they wanted to give him something as black as his heart and kingdom.( Hunter.apana.org.au // . Pollychrome's pantheon, 17 Mar. 2006. Web. 20 Nov. 2009) // <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Death is a hard job to be in charge of for one god but with begin feared by all, respected, and heartlessness on his side, why would he not succeed. Hades may be unswayable but without that the Underworld would be empty and the land will be filled with resurrected humans. What good would become of dead mortals running free among the land?

=<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">Work Cited:​ =

Goddessgift.com //. Greek goddess, 3 Apr. 2001. Web. 23 Nov. 2009 [] // <span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths //<span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">. New York: Dell Laurel-leaf, 1966. Print <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> // Hunter.apana.org.au //. Pollychrome's pantheon, 17 Mar. 2006. Web. 20 Nov. 2009 [] // <span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">Theriverstyx.net //<span style="color: #262a2c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">. Hades, 5 June 2005. Web. 20 Nov. 2009 []