The Lord of the Underworld – Hades

Hades was the Lord of the Underworld, the warden of the death. Everyone who died goes to the underworld, and to enter the underworld, the soul-less must across the Styx River where Charon guarded the entrance. The dead must be buried their body with a coin in the mouth to pay Charon for the trip. After passing the river, the spirits will pass the gate guarded Cerebus before being directed to the three levels of the underworld:

Elysium – the island for a chosen few. Only gods, heroes, and good human were allowed to reside.

Asphodel Fields – the land for the common Greeks.

Tartarus – the deepest level for those who were to be punished. Titans were sent here after Zeus won the battle versus Cronus.

Hades had the worst draw when the brothers decided to rule the world. Hence, he was appointed to rule the dead.

Hades abducted Persephone, who is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Persephone was taken into the underworld while she was picking flowers in the field. Upon finding out her daughter was missing, Demeter stopped her work with the crops and the food was scarce. Zeus wanted Hades to release Persephone back to Demeter so the world can function again.

Before releasing Persephone, Hades asked Persephone to eat the seeds of a pomegranate. After eating the seeds, Persephone was then tied to the underworld and to Hades. Persephone was ordered to meet her mother for eight months and return to the underworld for four months. Demeter continued to allow the crops to fail when Persephone was taken with Hades. Thus the cycle of fertility and four seasons in nature.

Two stories were involved with the underworld and Hades.

1. Sisyphus was a clever, mortal man. He told his wife not to give him proper burial rights so that when he entered the underworld, he begged Persephone to allow him to return to the world of living for three days and to punish his wife. Hades dragged Sisyphus back to the underworld and punished him in Tartarus to push a stone ball up against a mountain that would eventually pull the ball back to the base level.
2. Orpheus was an excellent musician who lost his wife to a snakebite. He used his music to gain entrance into the underworld. Hade was also moved by the way he played the lyre. He was given an opportunity to bring her wife back to earth. One requirement was that he must not look back until they were out of the underworld. Orpheus resisted the temptation to look back until they were almost out of the underworld. He tried to sneak a look back his wife. As soon as he saw the face of his wife, his wife was sent back to the underworld. He was not able to return again until his natural death.

There were not too many temples built for Hades since he was the ruler of the dead. Greeks would like to learn about him but not to get close to him. No one can outwit Hades or Death.