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Hades was also sometimes called Zeus katachthonios, or “Zeus of the Underworld,” by Greeks who placed a taboo on saying his name.īy this name he was not conflated with Zeus, but was considered to be his brother’s peer in the Underworld. For example, black animals were sacrificed to him instead of the usual white ones. In certain regions, for example, Zeus was worshipped in a way more reminiscent of underworld deities than the Olympians. While the Orphic mysteries created this unusual tale to link the gods, other stories show that there may have been a connection in the minds of some other Greeks as well. The unusual tale of Zeus having a child with the wife of Hades is not the only link between the two gods.

Together with Dionysus, they were three forms taken by the same entity to exercise power in different realms of life and death. To the Orphic mysteries, therefore, Zeus and Hades were not completely separate beings. Hades, for his part, preferred to remain in the underworld rather than take part in the affairs of Olympus or the earth.ĭespite the distance between them in the familiar stories, however, there may be a close tie between Zeus and Hades. Zeus established the judges of the dead, but otherwise had little influence on his brother’s realm. Persephone would spend just one third of the year with him and the rest of her time on Olympus with her mother.īeyond this myth, Hades and Zeus seemed to have little interaction. It would also deprive the gods of their sacrifices.įacing such a threat, Zeus compelled Hades to accept a compromise. This would lead to starvation and destroy humanity. If Persephone was not returned to her, she would make all the grain of the earth stop growing. In her despair, Demeter made a grave threat to her brothers. In a dramatic scene, Hades burst out of the earth in his chariot and seized Persephone without warning, disappearing back into his realm before Demeter even knew her daughter was gone. Knowing Demeter would oppose having her beloved daughter sent to the dreary land of the dead, the brothers arranged for Hades to claim Persephone when she was away from her mother. Her mother was also Zeus and Hades’ sister, Demeter. He arranged for Hades to marry Persephone, Zeus’s own daughter.

Moreover, he decided who that queen should be. Hades was the last of the three brothers to be married, and it was Zeus who decided that the king of the underworld needed a queen. He left the underworld to abduct a bride. While Hades had little to do with the world above, he did come to the surface on one memorable occasion. Few living beings, even gods, descended to see him and none of the souls of the dead were permitted to leave. Hades, however, rarely leaves his home in the realm of the dead. In mythology, Zeus is active in the affairs of the world and of mortals. But within their own realms, each of the brothers ruled as kings. Zeus, as their leader, was named king of the gods and had the final say in all divine matters. Poseidon drew the sea, Zeus the sky, and Hades the underworld. Hades would not stay at the gods’ new home, however.Īfter the Titans had been defeated, the three brothers drew lots to split the realms of the world between them. Hades fought alongside Zeus in the Titanomachy, helping to overthrow their father’s rule and establish a new generation of gods at Mount Olympus.
ZEUS POSEIDON AND HADES WIZARD 101 FREE
When he had grown, he returned to free his brothers and sisters and challenge his father’s authority. Zeus was the youngest and had been the only one of his siblings to escape being swallowed by their father at birth. Together with Poseidon they were the three sons of the Titans Cronos and Rhea. So what did these cults believe about Zeus and Hades, and how widespread was this view? Read on to learn about the parallels between the king of the gods and the king of the dead! Zeus and Hades as Kings and Brothers Among certain Greek cults, a belief arose that Hades was, in fact, another aspect of the king of the gods. In fact, there was some belief that Zeus and Hades were not only closely related, but were virtually the same. Their powers were similar, with Hades being shown as nearly equal to Zeus in authority and strength. He rarely left the underworld and, although he was entitled to rule over a third of the earth, took virtually no interest in humankind or the lives of the other gods.ĭespite their differing characterizations, however, Zeus and Hades were more alike than it may seem. Hades, in contrast, was a more distant figure. He took a great interest in the affairs of the world and of mortals, even having many children who lived human lives. While Zeus and Hades were brothers in Greek mythology, at a glance they appeared to have little in common.
