Pluto
Roman god of the underworld and mineral wealth, derived from the Greek Plouton, a euphemistic title of Hades
The Myth of Pluto
Pluto's name comes from the Greek Plouton, meaning "the wealthy one," a flattering title given to the lord of the dead because all precious metals and gems lay within his underground realm. Romans rarely worshipped Pluto directly — he was feared rather than loved — but he received sacrifices at funerals and was invoked in curse tablets buried in the earth. His mythology follows that of Hades closely: he abducted Proserpina to be his queen, triggering the cycle of seasons. Roman poets like Virgil portrayed his kingdom in vivid detail, describing the rivers Styx and Acheron and the three-headed dog Cerberus who guarded the gates.
Parents
Saturn and Ops
Symbols
Fun Fact
Pluto's name literally means "the wealthy one" — a polite title because Romans feared speaking his true name
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 dead
The ruler of the Underworld who received the dead, guarded by Cerberus and feared so deeply that Greeks avoided speaking his name.
Hades
⚡ godGod of the dead and lord of the underworld
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.
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.
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
Hades
🏛 placeUnderworld geography
The vast underground kingdom of the dead ruled by the god Hades and his queen Persephone
Apollo
⚡ godGod of light, music, prophecy, and plague
Apollo was the most complex Olympian — god of light, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, plague, and rational thought, the divine embodiment of Greek civilisation.
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.
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.
Neptune
⚡ godSea, earthquakes, horses
Roman god of the sea and freshwater, identified with the Greek Poseidon but originally a deity of springs and rivers
Mors
⚡ godDeath, mortality, the final passage
Roman personification of death, equivalent to the Greek Thanatos
Euporie
⚡ godAbundance, passage
One of the lesser-known Horae whose name means good passage or abundance, associated with prosperity and ease of travel
Jupiter
⚡ godKing of gods, sky, thunder
Supreme deity of the Roman pantheon, equivalent to the Greek Zeus, ruling over gods and mortals from the heavens