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Table of Contents
Hades was the Greek god of the underworld and the home of the dead. He was also the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea.
See the fact file below for more information on the Hades or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Hades worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
TITAN OFFSPRING
- Hades was the first-born son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea.
- He had three older sisters, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera and two younger brothers, Poseidon and Zeus.
- When Cronus learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overcome by his own sons, just as he had overthrown his father, he ate his own children as soon as they were born.
- Hades and the others were eaten, save Zeus, who grew and eventually forced their father to disgorge his siblings.
- After their release, the six young gods, along with allies, fought power in the Titanomachy, a divine war that lasted for ten years. It ended with the victory of the younger gods.
- After the victory, the brothers drew lots to determine their realm. Zeus received the sky, Poseidon received the seas, and Hades received the underworld, where the souls of the dead go.
GOD OF THE UNDERWORLD
- Hades was the only founding Greek god not to reside on Mount Olympus, dwelling instead in a palace beneath the earth called the underworld.
- In ancient Greek art, Hades is portrayed as a mature man, bearded and holding a sceptre, a two-pronged spear, a libation vase, or a cornucopia, the symbol of mineral and vegetable wealth.
- Hades also ruled the dead. Although assisted by other minor deities, he had complete authority of all underworld affairs.
- Hades was also the god of funeral rites and mourning. According to his decree, the dead who did not receive proper burial rites were refused entry to the underworld.
- Hades is also the god of necromancy and ghostly visitations. He was conjured in the rites of necromancy, the summoning of ghosts of the dead.
- Hades was the god of curses. He would sometimes dispatch an angry ghost from the underworld accompanied by an Erinys to avenge a crime, especially patricide or matricide.
- He was also the master of dreams, providing a two-doored gate of dreams; one false, the other true; located in Hades’ realm.
- Besides ruling the underworld, he also rules the realm of the fertile earth and all the precious metals found in it.
HADES AND PERSEPHONE
- Persephone (Kore) was the Greek goddess of vegetation, especially of grain. She was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of fertility of the earth who protected both farming and vegetation.
- According to mythology, Hades fell in love with beautiful Persephone when he saw her picking flowers in a meadow.
- The god carried her off in his chariot to live with him in the Underworld.
- Her father, Zeus, had previously given Persephone to Hades, to be his wife, as stated in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.
- Without consent, Demeter searched the earth for her lost daughter.
- Helios, or Hermes, told her of Persephone’s fate and soon created a great drought to convince the other gods to release Persephone from Hades.
- Fearing the drought would decimate the mortals, Zeus sent for Hermes to persuade Hades to release the lady.
- He obliged, but compelled Persephone to eat a pomegranate seed. Her eating the pomegranate seed binds her to Hades and the Underworld.
- This dismayed Demeter. In order to maintain balance, Hades then agreed to a compromise. It was decided that Persephone would be released but that she would have to return to Hades for one-third of the year.
- Winter occurs whenever Demeter is away from her daughter and the better seasons when Persephone is with her.
OWNERSHIP AND ATTRIBUTES
- The gate to Hades’ house was guarded by the ferocious three-headed hound Cerberus.
- Hades rides a golden chariot drawn by four immortal, sable-black horses.
- Hades and his doorman Aiakos kept the golden keys that locked the gates of the underworld from escaping souls.
- He held a royal sceptre that creates a passage between the worlds of the living and the dead.
- His sacred tree is the cypress, a tree of mourning. Other sacred plants also include the mint and poplar tree.
- Aside from Cerberus and the immortal horses, Hades also considers the screech-owl, a bird of ill-omen as his sacred bird.
POPULAR CULTURE
- Hades is popular in the Disney’s 1997 film Hercules as the main antagonist. He was also a mentioned in the movie Disney trilogy Descendants as the main character’s father.
- He also appeared in the movies Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and the remake of Clash of the Titans and its sequel Wrath of the Titans.
- He also appeared in many video games such as; God of War, Kamigami no Asobi: Ludere Deorum, Age of Mythology, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Kingdom Hearts and others.
- He appears in the God of War comic series and the main character in the webcomic Lore Olympus.
Hades Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Hades across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Hades worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Hades who was the Greek god of the underworld and the home of the dead. He was also the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Children of Titans
- Rulers of the Underworld
- The King’s Throne
- The Precious Earth
- Journey in the Underworld
- Life Afterlife
- Greek Tongue
- Hades & the Gods
- The Survivors
- Hades
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Link will appear as Hades Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 2, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.