Discover the SONS of HADES in Greek mythology

Genealogy is one of the most interesting things in any mythology, since the study of parents and children lets us see great family stories of the main gods. To know the descendants of one of the most important gods of Greek mythology in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we must talk about who were the sons of hades.

Within the Gods of Greek mythology, Hades is one of the most important. But, before talking about his offspring, we must begin the lesson by talking about who Hades was to, thus, understand the importance of him in the Greek pantheon and the reasons why it is so relevant to know his offspring.

Hades he is the eldest son of Cronos and Rhea and God of the underworld. It is said that after defeating Zeus and his brothers to the Titans, who until then ruled the world, the three brothers elders divided the world, Zeus the heavens remained, Poseidonthe sea and Hades got the Underworld.

Although in popular culture he is often represented as someone evil, the reality is that Hades was one of the

more altruistic deities and at the same time one of the gods who did the least heinous acts. The only myth in which an evil act of Hades can be seen is the kidnapping his wife Persephoneher, that she married Hades and stayed in the underworld, falling in love after many years with the god of the Underworld. But the myths do not leave any other story about the evil of Hades, he being possibly the least atrocious god of all.

Hades reigned over the Underworld and the dead, being a kind of balance between life and death. It is said that Hades got angry on very few occasions, happening only when someone escaped from the Underworld, since he believed that this could end the balance of life and death.

In some myths it is said that Hades could have been infertile, largely due to the tradition of considering that the dead cannot have offspring and because Hades is their king. Even so in other stories of mythology some of his children are spoken of, so the tradition about Hades' infertility seems to be false.

To continue with this lesson we must talk about who were the sons of hades, commenting on its main facets and stories. We must bear in mind before talking about them that myths are highly variable and, therefore, some of the children of Hades that we are going to comment on below in some stories appear as children of others gods.

Zagreo

Son of Hades and an unknown mother, although from the texts he appears to be a descendant of Persephone. He is known as a kind of first Dionysus, although all sources relate him in one way or another to the underworld, and even in certain sources he is referred to as Hades. Many scholars of classical sources consider that he could be a predecessor of Dionysus, and that over the years he became Dionysus for the Greeks.

Macaria

Daughter of Hades and Persephoneher, although in some traditions she is known as the daughter of Heracles and Deyanira. Like other children of Hades, she was a goddess related to the Underworld, her role being related to the good or quiet deaths. It is said that she was the wife of Thanatos, personification of death without violence, although she was like a kind of good counterpart to it. Her role was so relevant in the Underworld that she ruled the Fortunate Isles, she being a kind of Paradise. where virtuous souls rested all eternity and are considered by many to be the ancestors of Heaven Christian.

Melinoe

Daughter of Hades and Persephone, she is the goddess of offerings to the deceased, being a very relevant element for the Greeks and a base system of the Athenian religion. It is said that every night he escaped from the Underworld and wandered with the spirits through the world, she being the reason why the dogs barked at night for no reason, and being one of the reasons for the greatest anger of Hades. Some myths say that his body was half dark and half light, with the part of the darkness being the responsibility of Hades and the part of the light being the fault of Persephone.

Pluto

Son of Hades and Persephone was the god of wealth, although his influence in this aspect seems to be less than that of other gods who were also related to these attributes. It is said that being young was blinded by Zeus, so that he was able to distribute the wealth without taking into account any type of prejudice, although in other myths these reasons change for some bad action that was punished by Zeus. He is one of the few children of Hades who has no relation to the Underworld, being the reason why He considers that he may be the son of other gods like Demeter, although being the son of Persephone he does not cease to be the grandson of Demeter.

Erinias

The Erinyes were a group of women daughters of Hades and Persephone whose mission was to persecute as personifications of revenge those people who commit crimes, tormenting their souls until they were delivered to the Underworld. They were used by the Greeks to threaten criminals that they should do the right thing, since the opposite was to receive the attack of the Erinyes.