Hades, an Influence on Greek Society

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Greek gods, the basis of Greek culture and religion, are the center of Greeks’ superstitions and ways to worship. These relate to the god’s origin and their deeds in their myths. Gods can either show jealousy, courage, or kindness to mortals and other gods, so Greeks label the gods based on their qualities. In most circumstances, the Greeks decide whether to worship or despise a god only by whom or what they rule over. For example, Greeks show reluctance in worshipping Hades, the Lord of the Underworld. Greeks hold celebrations and festivities to earn favor from the gods. Greek gods can either have a positive or a negative impact on Greek culture. Most people believe that Hades, an important god in Greek culture, has a negative impact on Greek society. Hades is an impact to Greek society because of his reputation as Lord of the Underworld, his actions in popular myths, and his relationships with other gods and mortals; this influenced how Greeks view him and how they worship him.
Hades’ early childhood determined his reputation as a god, and his eventual title as Lord of the Underworld. Cronus and Rhea, two important titans, gave birth to Hades. Titans, in their evil and domineering way, ruled the universe. Negative qualities, like these, showed up when “Hades was devoured by Cronus as soon as he was born, along with four of his siblings. Zeus later caused the Titan to disgorge them” (Atsma). After killing Cronus, they easily overthrew the Titans. They needed to do this for the good of the other gods and mortals in the universe. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades worked together to defeat the Titans. They locked the Titans in Tartarus, the depths of the Underworld. This victory gave them power over the universe. They decided to take resid...

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...d result in immediate death. Therefore, few worship Hades. He balances out his strictness and unappealing personality with his fairness in giving out justice to the innocent and punishment to the wicked. Because Hades is an outcast from other gods and mortals, he has a negative influence on Greek society.

Works Cited

Atsma, Aaron J. "HADES : Greek King of the Underworld, God of the Dead ; Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO." HADES : Greek King of the Underworld, God of the Dead ; Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO. Theoi Project, n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.
"Hades (Greek Mythology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Ed. Kathleen Kuiper. Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 July 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
"Hades." Myths Encyclopedia. Advameg, Inc., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.
Taylor, Richard P. "Hades." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.

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