For example, he had a connection to the Cerberus and the ferryman of the River Styx, Charon. He interacted with very few but was close with figures that resided in the Underworld. Instead, he spent most of his time within the boundaries created by the Rivers Acheron, Styx, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Lethe. He resided in his kingdom and rarely left. The Earth remained with the primordial goddess Gaia. Zeus became the god of the sky, Poseidon became the god of the sea, and Hades became the god of the Underworld, an unseen realm where human souls go after death. So, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus drew lots to determine what domains they ruled. However, the Olympians had to decide who would rule over what realm. Zeus took the mantle on Mount Olympus and was declared King of the gods. The end of the Titanomachy left many of the realms open for rule. Thus, a new era was born, and the Titans were imprisoned in Tartus. The Hecatoncheires and the Cyclops fought among the Olympians, eventually leading to the fall of the Titans. Zeus ended up freeing the Titans’ beastly siblings from Tartarus. The ten-year war raged between the Titans and the new generation of gods, the Olympians. The freeing of the Olympians kicked off a divine war called the Titanomachy. As a result, he’s both the oldest and youngest son. However, he was the last to be regurgitated. Interestingly enough, Hades was the first son of Cronus and Rhea. When he was of age, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge his siblings. Cronus swallowed it instead, allowing Zeus to grow to maturity. Instead of giving Cronus the baby, Rhea swaddled a rock. This act of swallowing his children continued until Rhea gave birth to his brother Zeus. He ate them whole to prevent that prophecy from happening. The Titan god feared that one of his offspring would take his throne. But like his siblings before him, Hades was swallowed by Cronus upon birth. He was born after Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. Though he was born at the same time and shared the same lineage as the other Olympian guardians, his realm was far below Mount Olympus. The god was a brother to the Twelve Olympian gods. If they did, many were referring to his realm, which many called “Hades” as well. In ancient Greece, few dared to utter his name. Hades is the god of the Underworld and the dead. Either way, the realm was separate from the land of the living, and one god resided over it. In “The Iliad,” the Underworld dominion was between “Secret place on Earth.” However, the Homeric hymn, “The Odyssey,” described it as only accessible by crossing the ocean. Elysian Fields, also known as Elysium, was for heroes like Perseus and Achilles. Contrary to popular belief, humans didn’t go the Greek equivalent of heaven. The Underworld was a place where all human souls went after death. While they share similarities, most Greek portrayals of the afterlife involved a single place: The Underworld. Ancient Greek depictions of the afterlife are far different from modern ideologies.

Hades hades art