Hades

Also known as: Aidoneus / Host of Many / Ruler of Many · Family: Olympians · Role: husband of Persephone · First appears: Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1

In Part 1 of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Zeus gave Persephone to his brother Hades, who seized her at the plain of Nysa and carried her away against her will. Helios later told Demeter that Hades took Persephone to his realm, “to be called his buxom wife.” The hymn identifies Hades as Persephone’s father’s brother as well as her husband.

In Part 3, Hades secretly gave Persephone pomegranate seed so she could not remain continually with Demeter. Persephone described how he carried her beneath the earth in his golden chariot, “all unwilling”.

Relationship record

Life events

• Zeus gave Persephone to Hades, who seized her and carried her away against her will.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1 · 📍 plain of Nysa)
  • With: Zeus Persephone
  • “the lord, Host of Many, with his immortal horses sprang out upon her—the Son of Cronos, He who has many names .”
• Helios revealed that Zeus gave Persephone to Hades, who seized her and took her to his realm.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1)
  • With: Demeter Helios Zeus Persephone
  • “None other of the deathless gods is to blame, but only cloud-gathering Zeus who gave her to Hades, her father’s brother, to be called his buxom wife. And Hades seized her and took her loudly crying in his chariot down to his realm of mist and gloom.”
• Hades secretly gave Persephone pomegranate seed to eat, ensuring she could not remain with Demeter continually.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3 · 📍 Erebus)
  • With: Persephone
  • “But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter.”
• Hades carried Persephone off beneath the earth in his golden chariot.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3)
  • With: Persephone
  • “That I plucked in my joy; but the earth parted beneath, and there the strong lord, the Host of Many, sprang forth and in his golden chariot he bore me away, all unwilling, beneath the earth:”

Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1

• siblings with Zeus “Hades, her father’s brother”
• younger kin: Persephone “her father’s brother”
• married with Persephone “to be called his buxom wife.”

Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3

• siblings with Zeus “for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus.”
• married with Persephone “for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus.”

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Extracted from the original text of Hesiod and Homerica. Made with Rho MD.