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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 14:19:06 GMT -5
Hades (from Greek ᾍδης, Hadēs, originally Ἅιδης, Haidēs or Άΐδης, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen'[1]) refers both to the ancient Greek underworld, the abode of Hades, and to the god of the underworld. Hades in Homer referred just to the god; the genitive ᾍδου, Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative, too, came to designate the abode of the dead. In Greek mythology, Hades and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon defeated the Titans and claimed rulership over the universe ruling the underworld, sky, and sea, respectively; the land was given to all three concurrently. Because of his association with the underworld, Hades is often interpreted as a grim figure. Hades was also called Pluto (from Greek Πλούτων Ploutōn), and by this name known as "the unseen one", or "the rich one". In Roman mythology, Hades/Pluto was called Dis Pater and Orcus. The corresponding Etruscan god was Aita. The symbols associated with him are The Helm of Darkness and the three-headed dog, Cerberus. In Christian theology, the term hades refers to the abode of the dead or Sheol (also Hell), where the dead await Judgment Day either at peace or in torment (see Hades in Christianity below).
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 14:19:25 GMT -5
In older Greek myths, Hades is the misty and gloomy[2] abode of the dead, where all mortals go. Later Greek philosophy showed the idea that all mortals are judged after death and are either rewarded or cursed. There were several sections of Hades, including the Elysian Fields (contrast the Christian Paradise or Heaven), and Tartarus, (compare the Christian Hell). Greek mythographers were not perfectly consistent about the geography of the afterlife. A contrasting myth of the afterlife concerns the Garden of the Hesperides, often identified with the Isles of the Blessed, where the blessed heroes may dwell. In Roman mythology, the entrance to the underworld located at Avernus, a crater near Cumae, was the route Aeneas used to descend to the Underworld. By synecdoche, "Avernus" could be substituted for the underworld as a whole. The Inferi Dii were the Roman gods of the underworld. The deceased entered the underworld by crossing the Acheron, ferried across by Charon (kair'-on), who charged an obolus, a small coin for passage, placed under the tongue of the deceased by pious relatives. Paupers and the friendless gathered for a hundred years on the near shore. Greeks offered propitiatory libations to prevent the deceased from returning to the upper world to "haunt" those who had not given them a proper burial. The far side of the river was guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed dog defeated by Heracles (Roman Hercules). Passing beyond Cerberus, the shades of the departed entered the land of the dead to be judged. Since Hades was the ruler of the Underworld, it makes sense to note one of the key features of this region – its myriad rivers. These rivers had names and symbolic meanings: the five rivers of Hades are Acheron (the river of sorrow), Cocytus (lamentation), Phlegethon (fire), Lethe (forgetfulness), and Styx (hate). See also Eridanos. Styx forms the boundary between the upper and lower worlds. The first region of Hades comprises the Fields of Asphodel, described in Odyssey xi, where the shades of heroes wander despondently among lesser spirits, who twitter around them like bats. Only libations of blood offered to them in the world of the living can reawaken in them for a time the sensations of humanity. Beyond lay Erebus, which could be taken for a euphonym of Hades, whose own name was dread. There were two pools, that of Lethe, where the common souls flocked to erase all memory, and the pool of Mnemosyne ("memory"), where the initiates of the Mysteries drank instead. In the forecourt of the palace of Hades and Persephone sit the three judges of the Underworld: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus. There at the trivium sacred to Hecate, where three roads meets, souls are judged, returned to the Fields of Asphodel if they are neither virtuous nor evil, sent by the road to Tartarus if they are impious or evil, or sent to Elysium (Islands of the Blessed) with the "blameless" heroes. In the Sibylline oracles, a curious hodgepodge of Greco-Roman and Judaeo-Christian elements, Hades again appears as the abode of the dead, and by way of folk etymology, it even derives Hades from the name Adam (the first man), saying it is because he was the first to enter there.[3] [edit]Hades in Christianity Main article: Hades in Christianity Like other first-century Jews literate in Greek, early Christians used the Greek word Hades to translate the Hebrew word Sheol. Thus, in Acts 2:27, the Hebrew phrase in Psalm 16:10 appears in the form: "you will not abandon my soul to Hades." Death and Hades are repeatedly associated in the Book of Revelation.[4] The ancient Christian Churches[5] hold that a final universal judgement will be pronounced on all human beings when soul and body are reunited in the resurrection of the dead. Some other denominations, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, hold that, until the resurrection, the dead simply cease to exist or, if they exist at all, do so in a state of unconsciousness[6] (see soul sleep).
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 14:19:50 GMT -5
In Greek mythology, Hades (the "unseen"), the god of the underworld, was a son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea. He had three sisters, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera, as well as two brothers, Zeus the youngest of the three and Poseidon his older brother, the six of them were Olympian gods. Upon reaching adulthood, Zeus managed to force his father to disgorge his siblings. After their release the six younger gods, along with allies they managed to gather, challenged the elder gods for power in the Titanomachy, a divine war. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades received weapons from the three Cyclopes to help in the war: Zeus the thunderbolt, Hades the Helm of Darkness, and Poseidon the trident. The night before the first battle, Hades put on his helmet and, being invisible, slipped over to the Titans' camp and destroyed their weapons. The war lasted for ten years and ended with the victory of the younger gods. Following their victory, according to a single famous passage in the Iliad (xv.187–93), Hades and his two brothers, Poseidon and Zeus, drew lots[7] for realms to rule. Zeus got the sky, Poseidon got the seas, and Hades received the underworld,[8] the unseen realm to which the dead go upon leaving the world as well as any and all things beneath the earth. Hades obtained his eventual consort and queen, Persephone, through trickery, a story that connected the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries with the Olympian pantheon. Helios told the grieving Demeter that Hades was not unworthy as a consort for Persephone: "Aidoneus, the Ruler of Many, is no unfitting husband among the deathless gods for your child, being your own brother and born of the same stock: also, for honor, he has that third share which he received when division was made at the first, and is appointed lord of those among whom he dwells." Despite modern connotations of death as evil, Hades was actually more altruistically inclined in mythology. Hades was often portrayed as passive rather than evil; his role was often maintaining relative balance. Hades ruled the dead, assisted by others over whom he had complete authority. He strictly forbade his subjects to leave his domain and would become quite enraged when anyone tried to leave, or if someone tried to steal the souls from his realm. His wrath was equally terrible for anyone who tried to cheat death or otherwise crossed him, as Sisyphus and Pirithous found out to their sorrow. Besides Heracles, the only other living people who ventured to the Underworld were all heroes: Odysseus, Aeneas (accompanied by the Sibyl), Orpheus, Theseus, Pirithous (see note 18), and Psyche. None of them were especially pleased with what they witnessed in the realm of the dead. In particular, the Greek war hero Achilles, whom Odysseus met in Hades (although some believe that Achilles dwells in the Isles of the Blessed), said: "O shining Odysseus, never try to console me for dying. I would rather follow the plow as thrall to another man, one with no land allotted to him and not much to live on, than be a king over all the perished dead." —Achilles' soul to Odysseus. Homer, Odyssey 11.488-491
Hades, labelled as "Plouton", "The Rich One", bears a cornucopia on an Attic red-figure amphora, ca 470 BC. Hades, god of the dead, was a fearsome figure to those still living; in no hurry to meet him, they were reticent to swear oaths in his name, and averted their faces when sacrificing to him. To many, simply to say the word "Hades" was frightening. So, euphemisms were pressed into use. Since precious minerals come from under the earth (i.e., the "underworld" ruled by Hades), he was considered to have control of these as well, and was referred to as Πλούτων (Plouton, related to the word for "wealth"), hence the Roman name Pluto. Sophocles explained referring to Hades as "the rich one" with these words: "the gloomy Hades enriches himself with our sighs and our tears." In addition, he was called Clymenus ("notorious"), Eubuleus ("well-guessing"), and Polydegmon ("who receives many"), all of them euphemisms for a name it was unsafe to pronounce, which evolved into epithets. Although he was an Olympian, he spent most of the time in his dark realm. Formidable in battle, he proved his ferocity in the famous Titanomachy, the battle of the Olympians versus the Titans, which established the rule of Zeus. Because of his dark and morbid personality, he was not especially liked by either the gods or the mortals. Feared and loathed, Hades embodied the inexorable finality of death: "Why do we loathe Hades more than any god, if not because he is so adamantine and unyielding?" The rhetorical question is Agamemnon's (Iliad ix). He was not, however, an evil god, for although he was stern, cruel, and unpitying, he was still just. Hades ruled the Underworld and therefore most often associated with death and was feared by men, but he was not Death itself — the actual embodiment of Death was Thanatos. When the Greeks propitiated Hades, they banged their hands on the ground to be sure he would hear them.[9] Black animals, such as sheep, were sacrificed to him, and the very vehemence of the rejection of human sacrifice expressed in myth[10] suggests an unspoken memory of some distant past. The blood from all chthonic sacrifices including those to propitiate Hades dripped into a pit or cleft in the ground. The person who offered the sacrifice had to avert his face.[11] Every hundred years festivals were held in his honor, called the Secular Games. His identifying possessions included a famed helmet of darkness, given to him by the Cyclopes, which made anyone who wore it invisible. Hades was known to sometimes loan his helmet of invisibility to both gods and men (such as Perseus). His dark chariot, drawn by four coal-black horses, always made for a fearsome and impressive sight. His other ordinary attributes were the Narcissus and Cypress plants, the Key of Hades and Cerberus, the three-headed dog. He sat on an ebony throne. In the Greek version of an obscure Judaeo-Christian work known as 3 Baruch (never considered canonical by any known group), Hades is said to be a dark, serpent-like monster or dragon who drinks a cubit of water from the sea every day, and is 200 plethra (20,200 English feet, or nearly four miles) in length. [edit]Artistic representations Hades is rarely represented in classical arts, save in depictions of the Rape of Persephone.[12][13] Hades is also mentioned in The Odyssey, when Odysseus visits the underworld as part of his journey. However, in this instance it is Hades the place, not the god.
Persephone and Hades Ploutos (with cornucopia): tondo of an Attic red-figured kylix, ca. 440–430 BCE [edit]Persephone The consort of Hades was Persephone, represented by the Greeks as daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Persephone did not submit to Hades willingly, but was abducted by him while picking flowers with her friends. Persephone's mother missed her and without her daughter by her side she cast a curse on the land and there was a great famine. Hades tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds (though some stories say they fell in love and to ensure her return to him, he gave her the pomegranate seeds): "But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark- robed Demeter." Demeter questioned Persephone on her return to light and air: "…but if you have tasted food, you must go back again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of the seasons every year: yet for the two parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods."[14] Thus every year Hades fights his way back to the land of the living with Persephone in his chariot. Famine (autumn and winter) occurs during the months that Persephone is gone and Demeter grieves in her absence. [edit]Theseus and Pirithous Hades imprisoned Theseus and Pirithous, who had pledged to marry daughters of Zeus. Theseus chose Helen and together they kidnapped her and decided to hold onto her until she was old enough to marry. Pirithous chose Persephone. They left Helen with Theseus' mother, Aethra and traveled to the underworld. Hades pretended to offer them hospitality and set a feast; as soon as the pair sat down, snakes coiled around their feet and held them there. Theseus was eventually rescued by Heracles but Pirithous remained trapped as punishment for daring to seek the wife of a god for his own. [edit]Heracles Heracles' final labour was to capture Cerberus. First, Heracles went to Eleusis to be initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. He did this to absolve himself of guilt for killing the centaurs and to learn how to enter and exit the underworld alive. He found the entrance to the underworld at Taenarum. Athena and Hermes helped him through and back from Hades. Heracles asked Hades for permission to take Cerberus. Hades agreed as long as Heracles didn't harm Cerberus. When Heracles dragged the dog out of Hades, he passed through the cavern Acherusia. [edit]Orpheus and Eurydice Hades showed mercy only once: when Orpheus, a great player in music, traveled to the underworld to recover his wife, Eurydice. Eurydice had been bitten by a snake and had died instantly. Touched by Orphues's skill in music, Hades allowed Orpheus to return Eurydice to the land of the living with one condition: that until they reach the surface, he was not allowed to look back to verify if she was behind him. Orpheus agreed; however, he thought that Hades had tricked him and given him the wrong soul. He glanced behind him, thus breaking his promise to Hades and losing Eurydice again. There is another story that Orphueus went to the surface and looked back but forgot they were both supposed to be outside. He would reunite with her only after his death. [edit]Minthe and Leuce According to Ovid, Hades pursued and would have won the nymph Minthe, associated with the river Cocytus, had not Persephone turned Minthe into the plant called mint. Similarly the nymph Leuce, who was also ravished by him, was metamorphosed by Hades into a white poplar tree after her death. Another version is that she was metamorphosed by Persephone into a white poplar tree while standing by the pool of Memory.
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 14:20:19 GMT -5
Hades, "the son of Kronos, He who has many names" was the "Host of Many" in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.[15] The most feared of the Olympians had euphemistic names as well as attributive epithets. Aïdoneus Chthonian Zeus Pluton Plouto(n) ("the giver of wealth") The Rich One The Unseen One The Silent One [edit]Roman mythology Dis Dis Pater Orcus
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 14:20:37 GMT -5
Pluto.
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 14:22:06 GMT -5
Lord of the Underworld
Hades is one of the six Olympians, i.e. one of the six children of Kronos (Cronos) and Rhea. He and his two brothers divided creation into thirds and each took a portion for their own. Hades chose, as his dominion, The Underworld.
When mortals kneel before the cold hearted Hades, he metes out somber justice and no one, once there, can ever leave his domain (except, of course, Herakles (Heracles), Odysseus, Orpheus and a few others).
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The Abduction of Persephone
The story of the abduction of Persephone is a touching explanation for the harshness of Winter and the sweetness of Spring. Hades was so overwhelmed by Persephone’s sweet charms that, instead of wooing her, he abducted her against her will and dragged her to The Underworld.
Hades and Zeus had plotted to abduct the young girl away in secret but their plans were foiled when Helios (the Sun) saw the evil act and told Demeter the fate of her missing child. Persephone was helpless against the wiles of Zeus and remained the unwilling captive of Hades. After several years Demeter found a way to force Zeus’ hand and free her daughter.
Demeter sat in her new home at Eleusis and cursed the earth with famine. Seeds would not grow. Plowed fields remained empty. Zeus and the other immortals were worried that this would be the end of mortal life on earth and thus, their worshipers would die. One by one, the immortals begged her to forgive and forget but Demeter was unmoved.
Zeus sent Hermes to speak gentle words to Hades and persuade him to let Persephone return to her brooding mother. Hades was sympathetic but he was also intent on keeping his bride. He tricked Persephone into eating a pomegranate seed and by doing so she was forever bound to him. Persephone returned to the world of light to see her mother but her stay was only temporary.
Demeter was joyous when Persephone came to her and roused herslf from her destructive brooding. But her joy was tempered by the trickery of Hades and the honey-sweet pomegranate seed. The only one who could change Demeter’s heart was her mother. After pleas from Rhea, Demeter lifted her curse and allowed the earth to blossom and be fruitful again.
It was decreed by Zeus that Persephone would spend two thirds of the year with her mother and the remaining third with her husband, Hades. Each year when Persephone returns from the underworld, Demeter showers the earth with gentle rain and sweet breezes. Each time Persephone returns to Hades, Demeter hardens her heart and the earth is wracked with bitter cold and harsh winds.
Hades is often confused with the Roman god, Pluto.
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Hades in The Iliad (listed by book and line)
01.004 ...Homer asks the Muse to sing of the thousands of souls that Akhilleus (Achilles) sent to the house of Hades 03.277 ...As Menelaos (Menelaus) prepares to fight Alexandros (Paris), Agamemnon calls upon Zeus, Helios (who sees and hears all), the earth, the rivers and ‘he who dwells under the earth’ to take vengeance on anyone who does not stay true to their oath 03.322 ...All the soldiers prayed that any man who breaks an oath be sent to the house of Hades 05.394 ...Dione explains to the wounded Aphrodite that many of the Immortals had suffered wounds like when Hades was wounded by Amphitryon 05.646 ...The son of Herakles (Heracles), Tlepolemos (Tlepolemus), tells Sarpedon that even though he is the son of Zeus he will be beaten down and pass through the gates of Hades 05.654 ...Sarpedon assures the son of Herakles (Heracles), Tlepolemos (Tlepolemus), that his soul will be given to Hades 06.284 ...Hektor (Hector) tells his mother, Hekabe (Hecabe), that he wishes that his brother, Alexandros (Paris), had gone to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades 06.422 ...Andromakhe (Andromache) tells her hunband, Hektor (Hector), that Akhilleus (Achilles) sent her father and seven brothers to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades 06.487 ...Hektor (Hector) tells his wife, Andromakhe (Andromache), that no one will send him to Hades unless it is fated 07.131 ...Nestor scolds the assembled Argives and tells them that Peleus would descend into the house of Hades if he knew how the army had cringed before the might of Hektor (Hector) 07.330 ...Nestor laments the many souls that have gone to the house of Hades 08.367 ...Athene (Athena) tells Hera about the time she helped Herakles (Heracles) when he had to go to Hades of the Gates to retrieve the hound, Kerberos (Cerberus), from the grisly Death God 09.158 ...Agamemnon says that Akhilleus (Achilles) should give up his anger because, of all the Immortals, Hades never relents and, for that reason, is the most hated of the gods 09.312 ...Akhilleus (Achilles) tells Odysseus that he detests the gates of Hades as much as he detests a man who speaks one thing and means another 09.457 ...When Phoinix’s (Phoenix) father learned that his son had seduced his mistress, he called down curses on his son and named the Furies, Zeus of the Underworld, i.e. Hades, and Persephone 09.569 ...Phoinix (Phoenix) tells Akhilleus (Achilles) about the stubbornness of Meleagros (Meleager) and how Meleagros’ mother had prayed to Hades and Persephone for the death of her own son 11.055 ...When the Trojans approached the defensive ditch that protected the ships, Zeus was minded to send a multitude of souls to the house of Hades 11.263 ...Agamemnon sent the sons of Antenor to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades 11.445 ...Odysseus prepares to kill Sokos and tells him that he will be sent to Hades of the Horses 13.415 ...Deiphobos (Deiphobus) kills Hypsenor and shouts that he has avenged the death of his friend, Asios, and now his friend has company as he goes to Hades of the Gates 14.457 ...Poulydamas (Polydamas) mortally wounds Prothoenor and tells him that he may use the javelin in his shoulder as a walking stick as he enters the house of Hades 15.188 ...Poseidon tells Iris that he, Zeus and Hades were born to Rheia (Rhea) and Kronos (Cronos) 15.191 ...Poseidon tells Iris that lots were drawn for the division of creation and he won the sea, Zeus won the sky and Hades drew the lot for the mists and darkness 15.252 ...Hektor (Hector) tells Apollon that, during the recent battle, he thought that he was sure go to the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades 16.625 ...During the fight for the body of Patroklos (Patroclus), Meriones warns Aineias (Aeneas) that he will soon be with Hades of the Horses 16.856 ...As Patroklos (Patroclus) died, his soul went into the house of Hades 20.060 ...When Poseidon shook the earth, Aidoneus, lord of the dead, i.e. Hades, jumped from his throne because he thought the houses of the dead would crack open and be exposed to mortal and Immortal alike 22.052 ...Priam laments his many sons that Akhilleus (Achilles) has sent to the house of Hades 22.362 ...As Hektor (Hector) died, his soul went into the house of Hades 22.389 ...While gloating over the dead body of Hektor (Hector), Akhilleus (Achilles) says that even though men forget the dead in the house of Hades, he will never forget his dead friend, Patroklos (Patroclus) 23.019 ...Akhilleus (Achilles) hails his dead friend, Patroklos (Patroclus), even in the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades 23.071 ...The ghost of Patroklos (Patroclus) stands over the sleeping Akhilleus (Achilles) and urges him to bury him as quickly as possible so that he may pass the gates of Hades 23.074 ...The ghost of Patroklos (Patroclus) stands over the sleeping Akhilleus (Achilles) and says that he wanders by the gates to Hades’ house 23.103 ...After hearing the voice of the dead Patroklos (Patroclus), Akhilleus (Achilles) realizes that even if a body is in the house of Hades there is something left of that person 23.137 ...Akhilleus (Achilles) prepared the body of Patroklos (Patroclus) for his journey towards Hades 23.179 ...Akhilleus (Achilles) hails Patroklos (Patroclus) even though he was in the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades 23.244 ...Akhilleus (Achilles) tells Agamemnon and the assembled Argives to gather the bones of Patroklos (Patroclus) and wrap them in animal fat so that they can be ready for Hades 24.246 ...Priam addresses the people of Troy and says that he wishes that he was in the house of the Death God, i.e. Hades 24.593 ...Akhilleus (Achilles) begs Patroklos (Patroclus), who is in the house of Hades, to forgive him for returning the body of Hektor (Hector) to the Trojans (back to Top)
Hades in The Odyssey (listed by book and line)
03.410 ...At his home, Nestor sat on the same stones that his father had sat upon before he was taken to the house of Hades 04.834 ...In a dream, Penelope asks Athene (Athena) if her husband, Odysseus, is in the house of Hades 06.011 ...The founder of the Phaiakian (Phaeacian) city, Nausithoos (Nausithous), died and went to the house of Hades 09.524 ...Odysseus tells the Cyclops, Polyphemos (Polyphemus), that he wants to send him to the house of Hades 10.175 ...On Kirke’s (Circe) island, Odysseus killed a large stag and encouraged his hungry men by telling them that they were not yet fated to go to the house of Hades 10.491 ...Kirke (Circe) tells Odysseus that he must go to the house of Hades and Persephone to seek out the prophet, Teiresias 10.502 ...Odysseus weeps and tells Kirke (Circe) that no ship has ever found the way to Hades 10.512 ...Kirke (Circe) gives Odysseus instructions on how to find the moldering home of Hades 10.534 ...Kirke (Circe) tells Odysseus that, when he reaches the abode of Hades and Persephone, he must not let the dead drink the sacrificial blood until he has questioned them 10.560 ...Elpenor died when he fell from the roof of Kirke’s (Circe) palace and his soul went down to Hades 10.564 ...Odysseus tells his men that they must go to the house of Hades and Persephone 11.047 ...After making an animal sacrifice at the entrance to the Underworld, Odysseus prays to Hades and Persephone 11.065 ...Odysseus meets the ghost of Elpenor and he tells Odysseus how his soul went down to Hades 11.069 ...The ghost of Elpenor says that, in order to avoid a curse by one of the Immortals after Odysseus leaves the house of Hades, he must return to Kirke’s (Circe) island and give proper death-rights to the body of Elpenor 11.151 ...After giving his prophecy to Odysseus, the ghost of Teiresias returned to the house of Hades 11.164 ...Odysseus explains to the ghost of his mother, Antikleia (Anticleia), that a duty brought him to the house of Hades 11.211 ...Odysseus laments that he cannot hold his mother, Antikleia (Anticleia), while she is in the house of Hades 11.277 ...While in the Underworld, Odysseus learns that the mother/wife of Oedipus, Iokaste (Jocasta), went down to Hades of the Gates because she had hanged herself 11.426 ...In the Underworld, the ghost of Agamemnon tells Odysseus that he came to Hades with his eyes and mouth still open because his murderous wife, Klytemnestra (Clytemnestra) did not care enough for him to give him that simple dignity 11.475 ...In the Underworld, the ghost of Akhilleus (Achilles) asks Odysseus how he could bear to come to the house of Hades 11.571 ...In the Underworld, Odysseus saw the ghost of Minos passing out judgments to those who were seated and standing at the house of Hades 11.625 ...In the Underworld, Odysseus saw the ghost of Herakles (Heracles) and the hero told Odysseus how he had once taken Kerberos (Cerberus) from the place of Hades into the light of day 11.627 ...After speaking to Odysseus, the ghost of Herakles (Heracles) returned to the realm of Hades 11.635 ...Odysseus feels genuine fear before he finally leaves the Underworld; he fears that Persephone will send the head of the Gorgon from the house of Hades to attack him 12.017 ...After returning to Kirke’s (Circe) island, the goddess did not know that Odysseus had come from the house of Hades 12.021 ...Kirke (Circe) addresses Odysseus and his crew and tells them that most humans only have to go to the house of Hades once but that they will have to return there when they die 12.383 ...Helios threatens Zeus that he will go to Hades and shine his light on the dead if Odysseus and his crew are not punished for killing his cattle 14.156 ...The disguised Odysseus tells the swineherd, Eumaios (Eumaeus), that he detests the gates of Hades as much as he detests a poor man who lies to gain favor 14.208 ...The disguised Odysseus lies to the swineherd, Eumaios (Eumaeus), and says that his father is in the house of Hades 15.350 ...The disguised Odysseus asks the swineherd, Eumaios (Eumaeus), if Odysseus’ parents are alive or in the house of Hades 20.208 ...The cowherd, Philoitios (Philoetius), meets the disguised Odysseus and says that he hopes his master (Odysseus) is not in the house of Hades 23.252 ...Odysseus tells his wife, Penelope, about his encounter with the prophet, Teiresias, at the house of Hades 23.322 ...Odysseus tells his wife, Penelope, about his encounter with the prophet, Teiresias, at the house of Hades 24.204 ...Odysseus tells Penelope about the ghosts of the dead he saw at the gates of Hades 24.264 ...Odysseus speaks to his father and makes a reference to the house of Hades
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 17:07:35 GMT -5
HADES: Greek God of the Underworld and son of CRONUS and RHEA.
When the family fortune was divvied up, he got the Underworld share while his brothers ZEUS and POSEIDON were given the Earth and Sea. There's nothing wrong with nepotism as long as you keep it in the family. They even named the place after him.
Unlike many Underworld Gods, HADES is quite affable provided you treat him with respect. And although a dingy and dull place, Hades itself seems to be a very popular joint — Greek heroes are always nipping down there to rescue their mates or consult the dead.
But HADES doesn't really approve of these shady goings-on. The Land of the Dead is supposed to be for the dead, alright? Even if you get past CHARON and STYX, there's a whole team of demonic officials to fend off enquiries, including THANATOS, CHARON and HYPNOS. Watch out for their bureaucratic dead tape. And don't eat any pomegranates or you'll be trapped there like his wife PERSEPHONE.
HADES, known to the Romans as PLUTO, has an enormous guard dog named CERBERUS keeping watch on the entrance to the Underworld. The sign on Hell's Gate does not read 'Beware of the Dog'. It reads: 'Beware of the Three-Headed Serpent-Maned Monster Hound with Slavering Jaws and Deadly Halitosis'.
Very few people have ever tried to reason with it
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 18:33:40 GMT -5
Zeus, the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, he was the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the Pantheon of gods who resided there. Being the supreme ruler he upheld law, justice and morals, and this made him the spiritual leader of both gods and men. Zeus was a celestial god, and originally worshiped as a weather god by the Greek tribes. These people came southward from the Balkans circa 2100 BCE. He has always been associated as being a weather god, as his main attribute is the thunderbolt, he controlled thunder, lightning and rain. Theocritus wrote circa 265 BCE: "sometimes Zeus is clear, sometimes he rains". He is also known to have caused thunderstorms. In Homer's epic poem the Iliad he sent thunderstorms against his enemies. The name Zeus is related to the Greek word dios, meaning "bright". His other attributes as well as lightning were the scepter, the eagle and his aegis (this was the goat-skin of Amaltheia). Before the abolition of monarchies, Zeus was protector of the king and his family. Once the age of Greek kings faded into democracy he became chief judge and peacemaker, but most importantly civic god. He brought peace in place of violence and Hesiod (circa 700 BCE) describes Zeus as "the lord of justice". Zeus was also known as "Kosmetas" (orderer), "Soter" (savior), "Polieos" (overseer of the polis, city) and "Eleutherios" (guarantor of political freedoms). His duties in this role were to maintain the laws, protect suppliants, to summon festivals and to give prophecies (his oldest and most famous oracle was at Dodona, in Epirus, northwestern Greece). As the supreme deity Zeus oversaw the conduct of civilized life. But the "father of gods and men" as Homer calls him, has many mythological tales. His most famous was told by Hesiod in his Theogony, of how Zeus usurped the kingdom of the immortals from his father. This mythological tale of Zeus' struggle against the Titans (Titanomachy) had been caused by Cronus, after he had been warned that one of his children would depose him. Cronus knowing the consequences, as he had overthrown his father Uranus. To prevent this from happening Cronus swallowed his newborn children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, but his wife Rhea (who was also his sister) and Gaia her mother, wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes in place of the infant Zeus. Cronus thinking it was the newborn baby swallowed the stone. Meanwhile Rhea had her baby taken to Crete, and there, in a cave on Mount Dicte, the divine goat Amaltheia suckled and raised the infant Zeus. When Zeus had grown into a young man he returned to his fathers domain, and with the help of Gaia, compelled Cronus to regurgitate the five children he had previously swallowed (in some versions Zeus received help from Metis who gave Cronus an emetic potion, which made him vomit up Zeus' brothers and sisters). However, Zeus led the revolt against his father and the dynasty of the Titans, defeated and then banished them. Once Zeus had control, he and his brothers divided the universe between them: Zeus gaining the heavens, Poseidon the sea and Hades the underworld. Zeus had to defend his heavenly kingdom. The three separate assaults were from the offspring of Gaia: they were the Gigantes, Typhon (Zeus fought them with his thunder-bolt and aegis) and the twin brothers who were called the Aloadae. The latter tried to gain access to the heavens by stacking Mount Ossa on top of Mount Olympus, and Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa, but the twins still failed in their attempt to overthrow Zeus. As he did with the Titans, Zeus banished them all to "Tartarus", which is the lowest region on earth, lower than the underworld. According to legend, Metis, the goddess of prudence, was the first love of Zeus. At first she tried in vain to escape his advances, but in the end succumbed to his endeavor, and from their union Athena was conceived. Gaia warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. On hearing this Zeus swallowed Metis, the reason for this was to continue to carry the child through to the birth himself. Hera (his wife and sister) was outraged and very jealous of her husband's affair, also of his ability to give birth without female participation. To spite Zeus she gave birth to Hephaestus parthenogenetically (without being fertilized) and it was Hephaestus who, when the time came, split open the head of Zeus, from which Athena emerged fully armed. Zeus had many offspring; his wife Hera bore him Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe and Eileithyia, but Zeus had numerous liaisons with both goddesses and mortals. He either raped them, or used devious means to seduce the unsuspecting maidens. His union with Leto (meaning the hidden one) brought forth the twins Apollo and Artemis. Once again Hera showed her jealousy by forcing Leto to roam the earth in search of a place to give birth, as Hera had stopped her from gaining shelter on terra-firma or at sea. The only place she could go was to the isle of Delos in the middle of the Aegean, the reason being that Delos was, as legend states, a floating island. Besides deities, he also fathered many mortals. In some of his human liaisons Zeus used devious disguises. When he seduced the Spartan queen Leda, he transformed himself into a beautiful swan, and from the egg which Leda produced, two sets of twins were born: Castor and Polydeuces and Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy. He visited princess Danae as a shower of gold, and from this union the hero Perseus was born. He abducted the Phoenician princess Europa, disguised as a bull, then carried her on his back to the island of Crete where she bore three sons: Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon. Zeus also took as a lover the Trojan prince Ganymede. He was abducted by an eagle sent by Zeus (some legends believe it was Zeus disguised as an eagle). The prince was taken to Mount Olympus, where he became Zeus' cup-bearer. Zeus also used his charm and unprecedented power to seduce those he wanted, so when Zeus promised Semele that he would reveal himself in all his splendor, in order to seduce her, the union produced Dionysus, but she was destroyed when Zeus appeared as thunder and lightening. Themis, the goddess of justice bore the three Horae, goddesses of the seasons to Zeus, and also the three Moirae, known as these Fates. When Zeus had an affair with Mnemosyne, he coupled with her for nine consecutive nights, which produced nine daughters, who became known as the Muses. They entertained their father and the other gods as a celestial choir on Mount Olympus. They became deities of intellectual pursuits. Also the three Charites or Graces were born from Zeus and Eurynome. From all his children Zeus gave man all he needed to live life in an ordered and moral way. Zeus had many Temples and festivals in his honor, the most famous of his sanctuaries being Olympia, the magnificent "Temple of Zeus", which held the gold and ivory statue of the enthroned Zeus, sculpted by Phidias and hailed as one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". Also the Olympic Games were held in his honor. The Nemean Games, which were held every two years, were to honor Zeus. There were numerous festivals throughout Greece: in Athens they celebrated the marriage of Zeus and Hera with the Theogamia (or Gamelia). The celebrations were many: in all, Zeus had more than 150 epithets, each one being celebrated in his honor. In art, Zeus was usually portrayed as bearded, middle aged but with a youthful figure. He would look very regal and imposing. Artists always tried to reproduce the power of Zeus in their work, usually by giving him a pose as he is about to throw his bolt of lightening. There are many statues of Zeus, but without doubt the Artemisium Zeus is the most magnificent. It was previously thought to be Poseidon, and can be seen in the Athens National Archaeological Museum.
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Post by Kelly Goldsmith on Jan 2, 2009 18:36:42 GMT -5
Ok. I'm reading the Iliad and had a few questions about the gods. I searched a little on wikipedia and from my understanding Jove is another name for Jupiter? perhaps...? In the Iliad it said the parents of Apollo are Jove and Leto, but on wiki it says the parents are Zeus and Leto. I'm trying to figure out if there is a difference between these three names? Are they different, or are they different names for the same thing?
Pardon my ignorance of Mythology
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