Hades

Hades was the Greek god of the underworld and ruler of the realm of the dead. He was the eldest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. After the defeat of the Titans in the Titanomachy, the three brothers divided the cosmos: Zeus claimed the sky, Poseidon took the seas, and Hades was given dominion over the underworld.

Hades governed the land of the dead, often called the House of Hades or simply Hades itself. His kingdom was a shadowy realm where souls of the deceased resided. While feared by mortals, Hades was not considered evil — instead, he was a stern yet fair ruler who ensured the balance between life and death.

One of the most famous myths involving Hades is the Abduction of Persephone. Hades fell in love with Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, and took her to the underworld to be his queen. Persephone’s time was split between the underworld and the mortal world, symbolizing the cycle of seasons.

Hades possessed a powerful helm known as the Helm of Darkness, which granted invisibility. He was also closely linked to Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog that protected the gates of the underworld.

Though often depicted as somber and grim, Hades was a crucial figure in maintaining order in the Greek mythological universe. He represented inevitability, justice in the afterlife, and the finality of death — a reminder of life’s fragile balance.