Hades Research Paper

Death is a very mysterious topic that is still debated to this day. Many different cultures have many different theories, including one that the ancient greeks favored. In this essay, I will be exploring the greek underworld, particularly the ruler, Hades, through his myths, symbols, and worship. Hades is the greek king of the underworld. He is the son of Kronos and Rhea, and the oldest male sibling to Hesita, Hera, Demeter, Posiden, and the mighty Zeus. His story goes that after being freed from Kronos’ stomach, the Cyclopes gave him a special helmet, allowing him to be invisible, effeciently allowing him to sneak past the titans in the war that changed the world. When the war finished a victory for the gods, there was a small
Hades is not the only one in Hades, as not only his wife Persephone joins him, but Thanatos is the actual “grim reaper” of the greeks, along with Charon who mans the boat across the styx, the Furies to torture the guilty, Cerberus who stopped any of the dead coming back to the living, and many many other important figures. Of course, there are always the wandering souls that stay in Hades because of their unfortunate departure from thw mortal relm.
Hades was a well organised ruler. There were three sections to the grand underworld, one for the good, bad, and the average man. Elysium was for the heros, the chosen few who lived lives of great joy. If anyone would be allowed to return to the world of the living, it was these people. This happened, and true joy struck from returning to the Elysium five times. The catch being that each time you wish to return, you must drink from the river of forgetfulness.
The Asphodel Fields were not a place of punishment. This land was for the normal man. This was described as being like a neverending dream, where it was just dark, gloomy, but not quite sad. Almost a kind of Limbo for the