

This headgear allowed its wearer to become invisible. Zeus was given the lightning bolt, Poseidon the trident, and Hades the helm of darkness. In the end, the younger generation of gods, who became known as the Olympians, triumphed over the Titans.ĭuring the Titanomachy, the Cyclopes, who had been freed by the Olympians, made powerful weapons for the gods.

The resulting war between the two generations of gods is known as the Titanomachy. When Zeus grew up, he returned to Cronus, freed his siblings, and challenged the Titans for supremacy. Fearing that one of his own children would eventually overpower him and replace him as king of the gods, Cronus devoured his children, including Hades, as soon as they were born.Ĭronus’ youngest son, Zeus, however, was saved by his mother and raised in secret. His father was the Titan Cronus, while his mother was Rhea. The ancient Greeks believed that Hades belonged to the first generation of Olympian gods. Titanomachy Brings a New Generation of Gods As one of the major Greek gods, Hades is featured in a number of myths, normally as a supporting character, but sometimes as a main one as well. Nevertheless, he is not considered to be a member of the Twelve Olympians, as he resided not on Mount Olympus, but in the Underworld instead.Īs Hades’ domain is located beneath the earth, the Greeks also believed that he was the god of the earth’s hidden wealth. Thus, he was an important god in the Greek pantheon. Háidēs Ἅιδης, Háidēs) that infrequently appears in original sources, including Homer (Iliad v, 190 xx, 61.In Greek mythology, Hades was the god of the dead and the ruler of the Underworld. It is also notable that Aidoneus is a lengthened form of the Greek for Hades ( / ˈ h eɪ d iː z/ Greek: ᾍδης, translit. It has been written that this adaptation of the myth is "undoubtedly the work of a late interpreter" of ancient myths. Thus, the story of Aidoneus is the legend of Hades' kidnapping of Persephone, with the mythical king substituted for the God Hades.

Eusebius calls the wife of Aidoneus a daughter of queen Demeter, with whom he had eloped. When Aidoneus discovered that they had come with the intention of carrying off his wife, he had Pirithous killed by Cerberus, and kept Theseus in captivity, who was afterwards released at the request of Heracles. After Theseus, with the assistance of Pirithous, concealed Helen at Aphidnae, he went to Epirus to procure for Pirithous Kore, the wife of Aidoneus, as a reward. For the Greek god sometimes known by this name, see Hades.Īidoneus ( Ancient Greek: Ἀїδωνεύς) was a mythical king of the Molossians in Epirus, who is represented as the husband of Persephone.
