Hades
Hades was the lord of the underworld who received the dead — feared but not evil, wealthy from earth's minerals, and far more just than his brothers.
The Myth of Hades
When the Olympians divided the cosmos after defeating Kronos, Hades received the underworld and rarely left it. He ruled justly but without mercy — death was universal and he turned no one away. His realm contained Tartarus for the wicked, the Asphodel Meadows for ordinary souls, and Elysium for the blessed. His most famous act was abducting Persephone, daughter of Demeter, provoking the goddess to blight the earth until Zeus brokered a compromise. Heracles descended to capture his guard dog Cerberus as a final labour. Orpheus came seeking Eurydice and nearly succeeded. Theseus and Pirithous tried to abduct Persephone and were trapped. Hades wore a cap of invisibility (later lent to Perseus) and was called Plouton — "the wealthy one" — for the riches buried in the earth.
Parents
Kronos and Rhea
Children
Zagreus, Melinoe (by Persephone, in Orphic tradition)
Symbols
Fun Fact
Hades was the wealthiest god — all the minerals and gems in the earth belonged to him. "Plutocracy" (rule by the wealthy) comes from his alternate name Plouton.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Hades
⚡ godKing of the underworld, god of the dead and riches
Ruler of the underworld and lord of the dead. Despite his fearsome reputation, Hades was not evil — he was stern, just, and rarely left his dark kingdom.
Hades
⚡ godKing of the dead
The ruler of the Underworld who received the dead, guarded by Cerberus and feared so deeply that Greeks avoided speaking his name.
Pluto
⚡ godUnderworld, death, riches
Roman god of the underworld and mineral wealth, derived from the Greek Plouton, a euphemistic title of Hades
Aidoneus
⚡ godKing of the underworld
An extended poetic form of the name Hades, used in epic poetry and sometimes treated as a distinct aspect of the lord of the dead
Underworld
🏛 placeRealm of the dead
The Underworld was the vast subterranean realm where all mortal souls went after death — a geography of rivers, fields, and judges more detailed than any other mythological afterlife.
Hades
🏛 placeUnderworld geography
The vast underground kingdom of the dead ruled by the god Hades and his queen Persephone
Hermes Psychopompos
⚡ godGuide of souls to the underworld
In his role as Psychopompos, Hermes escorted the souls of the dead to the underworld — the only Olympian who moved freely between all three realms.
Eurynomos
🐉 creatureunderworld
A daemon of the underworld who stripped corpses to the bone, depicted with blue-black skin
God of the Underworld
💭 conceptDeath, the dead, underground riches
Hades governs the realm of the dead, ruling over every soul that crosses the river Styx.
Persephone
⚡ godQueen of the Underworld
The daughter of Demeter who became queen of the dead — the goddess who bridges the living world and the realm of the departed.
Hermes
⚡ godMessenger of the gods, commerce, thieves, travelers, boundaries
The swift messenger of the gods and guide of souls to the underworld. Hermes was the cleverest of the Olympians, patron of merchants and thieves alike.
Rhadamanthys
🗡 heroJudge of the dead
Rhadamanthys was a son of Zeus and Europa who became one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld, famed for his perfect justice.