|
Hades is ruler of the underworld and king of the dead, the son
of Cronus of Rhea and the eldest brother of Zeus. Being very somber, thrifty,
jealous, loathing change and given to slow black rages, he is perfect for
the role. He sought always to enlarge his kingdom and forbade anyone to
leave; his kingdom was that of Tartarus, which lay deep under the ground
and was surrounded by black rivers and the gated were guarded by a three-headed
dog, trained to keep the living out and dead in. Life offended Hades; he
loved death and sorrow, drinking tears like whine, the weeping of mourners a song to him, and the chiming of the
furies' brass wings as they flew
over his ebony throne sweet. His favorite past time was to sit there in
that throne and listen to the feeble petitions of the dead, which were
always ignored and he rarely left his realm, always in his golden chariot
driven by his four black horses, and only attended the most important tribunals
on Olympus, though he always brought rich gifts, for great troves of gems
and precious metals in his kingdom. he was so loathed and feared by man
that they did not call him by his real name, but instead a positive name,
hoping to deflect him; they called him "Pluton", which means "rich one,"
but he was truly the most patient of the gods and despite all strategies,
he was able to outwait and finally get the one he was after.
|
