Lord of the Underworld, Ruler of the Dead
Hades, son of Cronus and Rhea and brother of Zeus and Poseidon, drew the underworld when the three brothers cast lots after defeating the Titans. From the Cyclopes he received a cap that makes its wearer invisible. His realm is ringed by the rivers Styx and Acheron; the ferryman Charon carries the dead across, and the three-headed hound Cerberus guards the gate, admitting every soul and letting none depart. Greeks avoided speaking his name, calling him instead Plouton, 'the wealthy one,' since grain and metals alike come from beneath the earth.
His best-known deed is told in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter: he seized Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, from a meadow in his chariot of black horses. When the grieving Demeter made the earth barren, Zeus ordered the girl's return, but Hades gave Persephone pomegranate seeds to eat, binding her to reign beside him for part of each year. By the goddess's descent and return the Greeks explained the seasons: while she is below, the land lies in winter.
