Hades | The Greek God of death | Complete history of Hades

 

 When the Greeks buried their dead, they put a coin under the corpse‟s tongue so his soul could pay the fare on the ferry that crossed the river Styx. It was Charon who rowed the boat; he was a miser. Souls who could‟t pay for the ride had to wait on this side of the river. Sometimes they came back to haunt those who had‟t given them the fare. On the other side of the river was a great wall. Its gate was guarded by Cerberus, a three-headed dog who had an appetite for live meat and attacked everyone but spirit.

Beyond the gate, in Tartarus, was a great wide-field shaded by black poplars. Here lived the dead — heroes and cowards, soldiers, shepherds, priests, minstrels, slaves. They wandered back and forth aimlessly. When they spoke they twittered like bats. Here they awaited trial by three judges — Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Aeacus. Those who had particularly displeased the gods were given special punishment. Sisyphus, an avaricious king of Corinth, must always push a huge rock uphill. Each time he gets it halfway up, it breaks loose and rolls down to the bottom, and he must begin again. And this he will do for all time. Tantalus who had committed a sin has been given a burning thirst and set chin-deep in a cool, clear stream of water. But every time he bends to put his lips to the water, it shrinks away, and he can never drink. Here he will stand as long as Sisyphus rolls his stone. But these are special cases. Most of the souls were judged to be not too good and not too bad, but simply dead. They went back to the field, which is called the Field of Asphodel, to wait — for nothing. Those judged to be of unusual virtue went to the Elysian Fields close by. Here it was always a holiday. The air was full of music. The shades danced and played all day long — all night long too, for the dead need no sleep. Also, these happy spirits had the option of being reborn on earth. Only the bravest accepted. There was a special part of Elysium called the Isles of the Blest. Here lived those who had been three times born, and three times gained Elysium. Hades and his queen lived in a great palace made of black rock. He was very jealous of his brothers, and scarcely ever left his domain. He was fiercely possessive, gloated over every new arrival, and demanded a headcount from Charon at the close of each day. Never did he allow any of his subjects to escape. Nor did he allow a mortal to visit Tartarus, and return. There were only two exceptions to this rule, and those are other stories. The palace grounds and the surrounding fields were called Erebos; this was the deepest part of the underworld. No birds flew here, but the sound of wings was heard; for here lived the Erinyes, or Furies, who were older than the gods. Their names were Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megaera. They were hags, with snaky hair, red-hot eyes, and yellow teeth. They slashed the air with metal-skidded whips, and when they found a victim, they whipped the flesh from his bones. Their task was to visit the earth and punish evil-doers, especially those who had escaped other punishment. They were greatly feared; no one dared say their name. But they were referred to as the “Eumenides” or Kindly Ones. Hades valued them. They enriched his kingdom, for their attentions

persuaded people to suicide. He enjoyed their conversation. When they returned to Erebus after their work was done, they circled low over the palace grounds, screaming their tale, and the latest gossip. Hades was well-cast to rule the dead. He was violent, loathed change, and was given to slow black rage. His most dramatic hour was when he kidnapped Persephone and made her his queen. But that belongs to the next story.