Mythology

Hades

The underworld god, Hades, can be very cold-hearted. One reason why he is mean and only thinks of himself is because he gives severe and terrible punishments to people who offend the gods. For example, a man named Sisyphus was given the punishment to push a titanic boulder up a hill, but it was not so easy. Each time he reached halfway up the hill the boulder would break free and would roll back to the bottom. Then would he have to repeat this task over and over again for an eternity. Hades also sentenced another terribly punished prisoner by the name of Tantalus, to a vile punishment. His beastly penalty was that he was given unbearable thirst, and then he was placed neck high in water. Every time he bent down to take a sip, the water always dwindled away. Another reason why Hades is mean-minded is because he kidnaps Persephone and makes her his queen. At first, he would not return her to Demeter, who loved Persephone more than anything. Also, he tricks Persephone into eating the seeds of a pomegranate, which bind her to his kingdom for six months of the year. All the reasons listed above prove that Hades is a compassion-lacking ruler of the underworld.

Return to Mythology Home Page

By Otis, June 2005