Hades - King and Kingdom of the Underworld
Hades was the Greek god of the Underworld and his Roman counterpart was Pluto. He was the oldest child of the titan Cronus and Rhea. Zeus and Poseidon, with whom he shares the universe, are his brothers. The three brothers fought in a divine war against the Titans whom they defeated. He was also associated with being a giver of fertility who made the seeds grow and the mined wealth of metals such as gold and silver.
The name Hades is often used to signify the realm or kingdom of Hadesitself as well as its ruler. It was thought that after the dead had been buried ,the souls of the departed came to the kingdom of Hades in the form of little winged beings. They were either led by Hermes or paid a fee which was buried with them to Charon the boatman of Hades. Charon would ferry them over the river Styx. On the other side of the shore was Cerberus, a fierce three headed dog which kept guard.
Hades is depicted wearing a helmet of darkness which he used to make himself invisible. Images of him show a regal god with a dark beard and holding a bird-tipped sceptre. The character of Hades is described as cold, aloof and merciless. Very few mortals ventured into Hades. Odysseus and Hercules were the most famous visitors. He did not allow souls to leave Hades and became very angry if anyone tried to leave.
Hades was divided into a number of sections. The first region was the Fields of the Asphodel. The souls who dwelt here were those who lived average lives. Ancient authors believed the souls were flitting about in an aimless state, gibbering incoherently and desired only to return to the world of material things. The next region was Erebus where the palace of Hades and his wife Persephone was situated. Three judges sat at the front of the palace. There were three roads where the dead were judged. The evildoers were sent to Tartarus while the pious souls were sent to Elysium fields (or islands of the Blessed).
The Roman equivalent of Hades was Pluto who was god of the Undwerworld and ruler of the dead. The Romans also referred to Pluto as Orcus. Orcus was similar to Hades as Orcus referred to not only the god but also the kingdom. Orcus was thought of as evil who punished evil-doers whereas Pluto represented the good side of the god's personality. The Romans used a combination of both Orcus and Pluto when describing the god of the Underworld.
The ancient Greeks had a great aversion to thoughts of death and thought of Hades as a robber who suddenly took people and hurled them into his gloomy realm. They believed that caves and ravines were entrances into the kingdom of Hades and that only a thin layer of earth separated it from the ordinary world.
