Hades, Tartarus and the Underworld in Greek Mythology

Video

Kelly Macquire
by
published on 12 July 2022

The Greek God Hades was born to the Titans Rhea and Cronus, and along with his siblings Hestia, Demeter, Hera and Poseidon, they were swallowed by their father (except Zeus). After the battle known as the Titanomachy, the Olympian gods were victorious and confined the Titans in Tartarus, the deepest and darkest part of the underworld.

Now that the Olympian gods were in charge, the three brothers divided up the cosmos so each of them had a domain of their own. Poseidon drew the sea, Zeus the sky, and Hades, the mists and darkness of the underworld. Hades wasn’t quite as active in the stories of Greek mythology, especially considering he was the only god who did not reside on Mount Olympus, but he seems to have still been held in high esteem, and in superstitious awe, by the ancient Greeks.

Hades was thought of perhaps more as a final resting place for the soul, rather than a place of suffering or torment. If the deceased was buried with the proper funerary rites, then the soul would be led to the river Styx in the underworld by Hermes Psychopomp, and then they would be ferried across to the gates of Hades by Charon, the boatman. At the gates of Hades, the souls were met with the three-headed dog Cerberus (or fifty-headed if you’re reading Hesiod), who stood guard and kept the souls in. Later in the Classical Greek myths, the concepts of Elysium and Tartarus were added to the vision of the afterlife.

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— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
1:14 Hades God of the Underworld
3:15 Myths Associated with Hades
6:21 The House of Hades and Tartarus (The Underworld)
9:16 Tantalus, Ixion and Sisyphus
13:57 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Hades https://www.worldhistory.org/Hades/
Charon https://www.worldhistory.org/Charon/
Persephone https://www.worldhistory.org/persephone/
Tartarus https://www.worldhistory.org/Tartarus/
Furies https://www.worldhistory.org/Furies/
Tantalus https://www.worldhistory.org/Tantalus/
Ixion https://www.worldhistory.org/Ixion/
Sisyphus https://www.worldhistory.org/sisyphus/
Greek Mythology https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Mythology/

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— ATTRIBUTIONS —
You can find all attribution and credits for images, animations, graphics and music here - https://worldhistory.typehut.com/hades-tartarus-and-the-underworld-in-greek-mythology-images-and-attributions-10273

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
https://www.ancientlyre.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

— THUMBNAIL IMAGE —
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Persephone_Hades_BM_Vase_E82.jpg
Marie-Lan Nguyen (User:Jastrow), 2007
CC BY 2.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Museum_of_Side_029.jpg
user:bgds
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About the Author

Kelly Macquire
Kelly is a graduate from Monash University who has completed her BA (Honours) in Ancient History and Archaeology, focussing on iconography and status in Pylos burials. She has a passion for mythology and the Aegean Bronze Age.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Macquire, K. (2022, July 12). Hades, Tartarus and the Underworld in Greek Mythology. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2804/hades-tartarus-and-the-underworld-in-greek-mytholo/

Chicago Style

Macquire, Kelly. "Hades, Tartarus and the Underworld in Greek Mythology." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified July 12, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2804/hades-tartarus-and-the-underworld-in-greek-mytholo/.

MLA Style

Macquire, Kelly. "Hades, Tartarus and the Underworld in Greek Mythology." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 12 Jul 2022. Web. 15 Oct 2024.

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