Hades and Zeus were
brothers.
Hades had a seat on Mount
Olympus, the magical mountain on which all the main gods, the
Olympians, lived. But Hades did not live on Mount Olympus.
When the three sons of
Cronos divided up the world, Zeus
took the sky, Poseidon
took the sea, and Hades took the underworld. Zeus became the king
of the gods. Poseidon married happily. Hades was content, living in
the Underworld.
Hades was NOT the lord
of death. His job was to run the Underworld. He was a good ruler.
Parts of the Underworld were very nice, like the Elysian Fields, where
heroes dwelled after they died. Parts were not so nice. Those were for
people who were not so nice during their lifetime.
You might think
Hades would be terribly lonely, surrounded by the souls of the
dead. But he wasn't lonely. Not at all. His brother Zeus visited, as did his
nephews Apollo,
Hermes,
and Ares.
Hades came up to the surface now and then, if he had to be on
Mount Olympus for a meeting of the gods or something. The truth
was, Hades
preferred the Underworld. It was home.
Hades had
everything he needed. He had an invisible helmet, which he liked
very much. He had a golden chariot, which was his pride and joy.
He had his faithful and deeply loved companion, his three-headed
dog, Cerberus. He was perfectly content. At least he was content,
until he fell in love with the beautiful Persephone. But
that's a different story. If you wish to read it, see the links
below.
Hades
and the King of Corinth
Demeter
and Persephone
Demeter
and Persephone
The
Myths of Hades, The River Styx
