By the Gods!

Hades

We’ve only mentioned this guy in passing up until now, so let’s give him the recognition he deserves. Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld, was/is a pretty big deal. He was the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and as such was the brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. After Cronus was overthrown by the efforts of the younger generation of gods, the universe was divided between the three high-ranking brothers of the winning team: Zeus took the sky, Poseidon got the seas, and Hades got the Underworld. One of the only bright spots in the dark god’s life was his lovely wife Persephone, with whom he had a bit of a roller coaster relationship.

Dubbed by Homer as the “host of many,” (since the idea was that everyone would end up gracing his hall at one point or another) he was also known as Polydegmon, which meant “receiver of many guests.” It was also usual, among the ancient Greeks, to call Hades by the title of Pluto, which meant “giver of wealth;” many sacrifices were thrown his way, as it wasn’t the worst idea in the world to please the dude that would be the caretaker of your soul for eternity. 

Chances are you’ve seen Hades in some form of popular culture or another. There’s a fascination with the afterlife that persists from ancient days to now, though the tone has certainly varied by date and region. Neither the Greeks nor the Romans ever thought of Hades as an evil force like Satan in Christianity. He was certainly a grim deity, but malicious he was not. The Underworld was seen as very physical place––just a remote one. Deep under the earth, it could only be reached by a subterranean river known as Styx. Beyond that, the entrance was guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus, who ensured no soul escaped. Most of the time Cerberus was pretty good at his job… most of the time. 

Hestia

Kind and humble, passive and non-confrontational, Hestia is the virgin goddess of domesticity, architecture, and the hearth in the Greek pantheon. She would receive the first offering at every sacrifice within a Greek household, back in the day. She would also have a public hearth within each major city where a flame burned continuously. When a new colony was established, the flame would be carried from this hearth to the new settlement. 

Hestia is one of the goddesses of the first generation of Olympians; her brothers are Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, and her sisters Demeter and Hera. If you recall, that means she’s one of the children of the Titans Rhea and Cronus. She was described as both the oldest and youngest of the three sisters, as she was the first to be swallowed by Cronus and the last to be burped back out. 

Though she was originally listed as one of the Twelve Olympians, she willingly gave up her seat for the newcomer, Dionysus, to go instead and tend the sacred fire on Mount Olympus. She was always a good sport, that Hestia. Never threw tantrums like the other Olympians. She has the fewest exploits of any Greek god or goddess; I guess she was too busy tending that fire, being quiet, and and practicing not-arguing.