Hades

Connections

•  Nix snatched the Unmovable Titan of Heraklion down to Hades

Context

Hades can refer both to the Greek god of the underworld and to the underworld itself. He is the oldest of three brothers (the others being Zeus and Poseidon). It is understood that the three brothers talked among themselves regarding who should rule over what. Depending on the source you go to, they either agreed or drew lots ("drew straws") and concluded that Poseidon could rule the sea, Zeus the skies, and Hades the underworld, the land of the dead.

Hades was fearsome even to the ancient Greeks, so much so that there are few depictions of him in artwork from the time. Even so, there are many known stories that involve Hades, including his capture of Zeus' daughter, Persephone; Hercules's capture of his three-headed dog, Cerberus; and several more. In original mythology, Hades wasn't considered evil, really; cold, stern, and passive, yes, but not quite the evil villain we tend to see in modern pop culture.