In ancient Greece, there were gods for almost every aspect of life, and death. Gods wed amongst themselves as well as with humans as exemplified by Zeus, the king of all gods. and god of the sky and weather. His brother, Hades, also shared rule of the world, but in a different fashion.
Who was Hades?
The Greek god Hades, or Pluto, is primarily known as the god of the underworld. He is also known, however, as the god of fertility and wealth. This reputation stems from his relationship with Persephone, his wife.
Persephone’s Abduction
Persephone was the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the patron of farming. Once Hades laid eyes on her, he made plans to abduct her. With Zeus’s help, he made arrangements for a beautiful narcissus to grow in the path of Persephone when she was out picking flowers. As she reached to pick it, the earth opened and Hades raced up from the depths in his chariot and carried her off.
The Barren Earth
Persephone’s mother Demeter searched in vain for her daughter before finally receiving assistance from Helios, the Sun, who identified her abductor. Angry at Zeus’s participation she left Olympus and settled in Eleusis where a temple was built in her honor. She locked herself away in mourning for her daughter and nothing more grew on the earth.
Hades’ Agreement
Once Zeus learned of Demeter’s self exile, he ordered Hades to release Persephone. Although Hades agreed, he gave Persephone a pomegranate seed to eat which bound her to return to him. An agreement was reached and Persephone was to spend eight months of the year in the world above and four in the underworld with Hades. Content, Demeter allowed the earth to bear fruit again.
The Fertile Period
During the time that Persephone was above ground, the earth remained green and was productive. When she returned in summer to her home with Hades, the months when the sun was scorching, the fields remained bare.
Hades’ Domain
The gates to Hades’ domain was guarded by his dog Cerberus, a monster with three dog’s heads and a tail that ended with a head of a serpent. It allowed souls to enter but not to leave, however, Hades allowed a few exceptions, such as that of Heracles.
Hades’ Agreement with Heracles
Heracles was on a mission to accomplish several tasks given to him, one of which was to bring Hades’ guard-dog Ceberus to the world above. Heracles presented himself to Hades and Persephone and with their permission, was allowed to fulfill his mission under the condition that no weapons be used. Heracles subdued the animal, took it to Eurystheus to fulfill his task and then returned it to Hades as agreed.
