Hello Rhonda, it struck me that the christian hell is really hot and spicey, but the greek hell is dreary (as Isis says). So it's not just that they're both begative - we still see them as different. I guess we still see something truly greek here.Can we say that Greeks looked forward to spending eternity with Hades? Or do we think of it differently because there is a negative connotation with the Underworld because of the Christian view of hell that has been perpetuated onto these older views of the afterlife? Or for that matter other cultures' beliefs of punishment of those that did not lead a good life and did not pay respect to the gods.
I believe when Hades split the earth in two to abduct Persephone, he believed he was successful in doing so away from prying eyes, but the sun god, Helios, noticed. It was only when Demeter began to mourn over her daughter, causing the great drought, that Helios shared with Zeus what he saw, and Zeus demanded Hades to return Persephone to her mother.The story says that after Hades abducted Persephone, Demeter caused a terrible drought that determined Zeus to bring Persephone back, but she was obliged to spend half of the year in the underworld. I've always kind of wondered why Demeter accepted these half-measures. Why did she compromise? Couldn't she continue the drought until Hades released her daughter for good?
Did any mortal get to eat ambrosia or drink nectar? I think there is some story of someone stealing some but I can't remember who or anything else.
Meanwhile, well imprisoned with Hades, Persophone, in her own distress, refused to eat anything, despite Hades's attempts to get her to do so. But when Hermes arrived to to take her back to the surface, Hades made one more offer of a pomegranate seed which Persephone at last accepted. It is because of this that Persephone has to return to the underworld once a year. Eating food from another realm, requires you to return to that realm; some kind of bond.
I don't know any stories pertaining to the consumption of ambrosia or nectar, though I would not be surprised if there were any.Did any mortal get to eat ambrosia or drink nectar? I think there is some story of someone stealing some but I can't remember who or anything else.
Returning to Hades' realm is one thing, and being forced to stay there for six months every year is another. Does this "bond" mention for how long the person should stay on the other realm?Eating food from another realm, requires you to return to that realm; some kind of bond.
I think Hades is largely misunderstood by most folks. Yes he rules the Underworld, but merely by luck, or misfortune if you would have it that way. Hades is also probably the most powerful of all the gods. His power comes from the dominion of the dead which is forever growing, his power however is limited to the Underworld. Hades also has an incredibly stressful job, sheer logistics, not to mention that his domain is all that stands between Olympus and a second Titanmachy. He keeps those gates of Tartarus firmly locked. But he clearly has a softer side, the Underworld is not doom and gloom. The Elysian Fields were a beautiful place, reserved for the pure of heart, those that performed good and great deeds in their lives. Persephone was the final judge of who could enter that place. It's also noted that Persephone was much colder, as a personality, when ruling in the Underworld with her husband.
For my part, I've always interpreted the myth of Persphone's abduction as bad boy biker persuades hot virgin to leave home. Mother goes ballistic and starts destroying life, forcing Father to take action. Really when you think about it. Demeter was the antagonist of the tale. She destroyed countless lives for her own desires.
Finally, a nice modern portrait of our two lovers.
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I believe it was both Powell and Ovid who say that Pluto is the wealthiest God, even moreso thatn Jupiter. All precious metals and jewels: iron, gold, diamonds, metals that Vulcan uses to make Jupiter's thunderbolts, are in his domain. He holds the keys to death for mortals and immortals, the great Titan Gods are held in Tartarus. Translated from Latin, Pluto means wealth.
I always liked to think of Pluto as the nicer brother. It seemed to me that he did a much better job at ruling the Underworld than Jupiter. He was less subject to acts of malace. Jupiter whored himself out to anything with legs and did whatever he wanted without ever considering consequences. Pluto took one wife. There were a few instances where someone snuck into Hades, but aside from that, Pluto's dominion was always in order-much better god in my opinion.
For my part said:who did Persephone destroy?