Myths Involving the Greek God Hades

Hades, called Pluto by the Romans, was the god of the Greek underworld, the land of the dead in Greek and Roman mythology. While some modern-day religions deem the underworld as Hell and its ruler as the incarnation of evil, the Greeks and Romans saw the underworld as a place of darkness. Although hidden from the light of day and the living, Hades himself was not evil. He was, instead, the keeper of the laws of death. Key Takeaways: Hades Alternate Names: Zeus Katachthonions (Zeus of the Underworld), Epithets: Aà ¯des or Aà ¯doneus (The Unseen One, The Invisible), Plouton (the Wealth-Giver), Polydegmon (The Hospitable), Euboueus (Wise in Counsel) and Klymenos (the Renowned)  Culture/Country: Classical Greece and Roman EmpirePrimary Sources: Homer  Ã‚  Realms and Powers: The Underworld, ruler of the deadFamily: Son of Kronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Poseidon, husband of Persephone Origin Myth According to Greek mythology, Hades was one of the sons of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Their other children included Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. Upon hearing a prophecy that his children would depose him, Cronus swallowed all but Zeus. Zeus managed to force his father to disgorge his siblings, and the gods embarked on a war against the Titans. After winning the war, the three sons drew lots to determine which would rule over the Sky, Sea, and Underworld. Zeus became the ruler of the Sky, Poseidon of the Sea, and Hades of the Underworld. Zeus also maintained his role as King of the Gods. After receiving control of his realm, Hades withdrew, and living an isolated existence, had little to do with the world of the living humans or gods.   Appearance and Reputation Although rarely appearing in Greek art, when he does, Hades carries a scepter or key as a sign of his authority—the Romans illustrate him carrying a cornucopia. He often looks like an angry version of Zeus, and the Roman writer Seneca described him as having the look of Jove when he thunders. Sometimes he is illustrated wearing a crown with rays like the sun or wearing a bears head for a hat. He has a cap of darkness that he wears to become dark.   Hades has a number of epithets, because Greeks, in general, preferred not to speak directly of death, particularly concerning their family and friends. Among them are Polydegmon (also Polydektes or Polyxeinos), all meaning something like the receiver, the host of many or the hospitable one. The Romans adopted Hades for their mythology, calling him Pluto or Dis and his wife Proserpina. Role in Greek and Roman Mythology In Greek and Roman mythology, Hades is the ruler of dead, grim and mournful in his character, and severely just and unyielding in the performance of his duties. He is the jailer of the souls of the dead, keeping the gates of the netherworld closed and ensuring that dead mortals who entered his dark kingdom never escape. He only left the kingdom himself to abduct Persephone as his bride; and none of his fellow gods visited him except for Hermes, who ventured in when his duties demanded it.   He is a frightening but not a malevolent god, with few worshipers. A handful of temples and sacred sites are reported for him: there was a precinct and temple at Elis, which was open one day during the year and even then only open to the priest. One place associated with Hades is Pylos, the gate-place of the setting sun.   Realm While the underworld was the land of the dead, there are several stories including The Odyssey in which living men go to Hades and return safely. When souls were delivered to the underworld by the god Hermes, they were ferried across the River Styx by the boatman, Charon. Arriving at the gates of Hades, souls were greeted by Cerberus, the terrible three-headed dog, who would let souls enter the place of mists and darkness, but would keep them from returning to the land of the living. In some myths, the dead were judged to determine the quality of their lives. Those judged to be good people drank of the River Lethe so that they would forget all bad things, and spend eternity in the wonderful Elysian Fields. Those judged to be bad people were sentenced to eternity in Tartarus, a version of Hell. Hades, Persephone, and Demeter The major myth associated with Hades is how he obtained his wife, Persephone. The most detailed is recounted in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Persephone (or Kore) was the only daughter of Hades sister Demeter, the goddess of corn (wheat) and agriculture. One day, the maiden was gathering flowers with her friends, and a wonderful flower sprang from the ground on her path. When she reached down to pluck it, the earth opened up and Hades emerged and took her away in his golden chariot driven by swift deathless horses. Persephones cries were only heard by Hekate (goddess of ghosts and pathways) and Helios (god of the sun), but her mother grew anxious and went looking for her. Using two torches from the flames of Etna and fasting all the way, she searched fruitlessly for nine days, until she met Hekate. Hekate took her to see Helios, who told Demeter what had occurred. In grief, Demeter abandoned the company of gods and hid among mortals as an old woman.   Demeter remained absent from Olympus for a year, and during that time the world was infertile and famine-stricken. Zeus sent first the divine messenger Iris to instruct her to return, then each of the gods to offer her handsome gifts but she adamantly refused, saying she would never return to Olympus until she had seen her daughter with her own eyes. Zeus sent Hermes to talk to Hades, who agreed to let Persephone go, but he secretly fed her pomegranate seeds before she left, ensuring that she would remain bound to his realm forever. Demeter received her daughter and, forced to compromise with Hades, agreed that Persephone would remain one-third of the year as the consort of Hades and two thirds with her mother and the Olympian gods (latter accounts say the year was split evenly—the references are to the seasons of the year). As a result, Persephone is a dual-nature goddess, queen of the dead during the part of the year she resides with Hades and a goddess of fertility the rest of the time.   Other Myths There are a few other myths associated with Hades. As one of his labors for King Eurystheus, Heracles had to bring Hades watchdog Cerberus back from the Underworld. Heracles had divine help—probably from Athena. Since the dog was only being borrowed, Hades was sometimes portrayed as willing to lend Cerberus—so long as Heracles used no weapon to capture the fearsome beast. Elsewhere Hades was portrayed as injured or threatened by a club and bow-wielding Heracles. After seducing a young Helen of Troy, the hero Theseus decided to go with Perithous to take the wife of Hades—Persephone. Hades tricked the two mortals into taking seats of forgetfulness from which they could not get up until Heracles came to rescue them. Another from a late source reports that Hades abducted an ocean-nymph called Leuke to make her his mistress, but she died and he was so distressed that he caused the white poplar (Leuke) to grow in her memory in the Elysian Fields.   Sources Hard, Robin. The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. London: Routledge, 2003. Print.Harrison, Jane E. Helios-Hades. The Classical Review 22.1 (1908): 12-16. Print.Miller, David L. Hades and Dionysos: The Poetry of Soul. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 46.3 (1978): 331-35. Print.Smith, William, and G.E. Marindon, eds. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: John Murray, 1904. Print.

The Impact of the Slave Trade on Africa - 1298 Words

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Knowldge is sports bliss Essay Example For Students

Knowldge is sports bliss Essay When I hear the statement, the more you know the happier you are, it makes me think of my future and it what it holds in store for myself. Is knowledge the key to success and happiness? I believe knowledge is not only the key to happiness but also the key to a better life. Many examples of this may be found in sports. The more an athlete or coach knows the better his life becomes and in most cases the happier is life is. Pat Riley is the head coach of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Miami Heat. Riley has been called the smartest person to coach an NBA team. His knowledge of the sport and his ability to motivate his players so they can perform better is legendary. Riley has coached for over 20 years and has lead his teams to the playoffs every year. But his knowledge of the sport is what separates him form other coaches. Many times Riley has been called the Einstein of basketball. Riley has openly said that he is happy in life and wouldn’t trade it for the world. In sports not only must the coaches be knowledgeable, but also the athletes. Some of the most intelligent athletes are sometimes not even considered athletes. They are racecar drivers. They understand physics, chemistry, mathematics, and automotive engineering. Racecar drivers need to know all of these things in order to become victorious. If a racecar driver does not understand the physics concept of drag, they would have no chance to win at all. For the most successful racecar drivers, happiness is abundant. But if it wasn’t for knowledge and love of the sport they would just be another stockcar driver. In sports the most informed person must be the owner/general manager. If he doesn’t make the right decision it could end up costing him/her millions of dollars. In our world today that would be equifilant to content. If the wrong decision were made the owner would be in a somber mood. The ability to manage his money, scout, and his marketing ingenuity is the know-how that an owner needs to be successful. In the sports world there are always obstacles that must be met to reach the pinnacle of the profession. Physical attributes and ability are major parts of this climb, but without the wisdom of many the pleasures the sports world has would not be available. To me the more you know, the happier you are is not only true but the more successful you are.

mom Essays - Geda, Flix Restrepo Meja, Constantin Brancusi

Finding the Essence El art?culo titulado ?Finding the Essence? es sobre la interpretaci?n del arte escult?rico de Mona Saudi (la artista). Desde su infacia Mona se interes? por la lectura y elementos art?sticos. Uno de sus pasatiempos favoritos en su infacia era jugar en un lugar donde se encontraban las ruinas de una fuente romana. Mona quer?a estudiar en la universidad pero su padre se lo prohibi?, Mona decidi? escaparse de su casa ubicada en la capital de Jordania donde fue criada. Mona siempre fue una persona creativa y quer?a expandir sus conocimientos en el arte. A la edad de siete a?os sentia que deb?a ser un ser libre. Ella se ubic? en una ciudad llamada Beirut, all? se juntaba con los artistas del pueblo. Al adquirir conocimientos decide viajar a Paris, sue?o que tuvo desde ni?a, lleg? all? en febrero de 1964. Al poner pie en Paris fu? a la casa de Halim Hurdak, la ?nica persona que conoc?a en aquel inmenso lugar, su amigo la llev? a un hotel que pagaba un dolar por d?a. Estando en Paris ingres ? a la Escuela de Bellas Arters, all? comienz? sus estudios escult?ricos. Su primer trabajo fue hecho en piedra, Mona lo llam? ?Mother/Earth?, ?ste fue inspirado en el escultor romano Constantin Brancusi. Esta obra de Mona fu? una de gran admiraci?n ya que integr? la obra org?nica o natural del arte, integrando el aspecto geom?trcio. Otras de las ilusiones que le daba a sus esculturas era la ?ilusi?n del espacio? inspirada por la escultora inglesa Barbara Hepworth y Henry Moore , estos dieron gran importancia al estilo de la artista Mona Saudi. Algunas de sus esculturas fueron hechas con jade, las m?s conocidas fueron: ?Sunrise?, ?Dawn? y ?Nocturne?; en ?stas enfatiz? el sentido geom?trico del arte. En las mejores obras de Mona Saudi se encuentra la obra ?The Geometry of the Soul? la est? hecha de m?rmol. Otra obra emblem?tica de la d?cada de 1980 fue ?Variations on Arabic ?N? ? esta tambi?n fue hecha en m?rmol. Las obras m?s recientes de la escultora fueron: ?Woman/River,? ?Woman/B ird y ?Woman/Water?. Estas obras tiene un aspecto de fluidez y siluetas ondulantes. Mona es una mujer que ya va a cumplir 65 a?os pero que vive una vida llena de sue?os que nunca dejar? de alcanzar, es una persona muy exitosa y emprendedora. Mona se reconcili? con su padre y a su madre siempre la va a recordar como su protectora e inspiraci?n. En mi opini?n puedo persibir que ella es una persona que nunca se dar? por vencida debido a sus acciones. Me encanta como persibe el arte ya que no s?lo le da importancia sino porque integra elementos diferentes en cada uno de ellos. En mi parte me gustan las artes y por esto escog? este art?culo, pienso que es una forma nueva de ver el arte y una forma para animarse a alcanzar todo lo que te propongas, especialmente me ense?a a seguir so?ando, ser creativa y disfrutar la vida al m?ximo. J