Did We Judge Hades Wrong?

Every corner of the world has its own stories, different names, different gods. Yet, one question continues to appear across every civilization. What truly defines a god? The same conflict appears again and again, light and darkness. But here’s the question. Is darkness truly as evil as we believe light is good? And today we explore a story that may not give you the answers, but might leave you with a few questions of your own. This is the story of ancient Greece, a civilization where gods were not merely worshiped. They governed the universe itself. But to understand this story, we must travel back in time to an age when Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades did not even exist. At that time, the universe was ruled by Cronis, a ruler whose power was unmatched. His wife was Rehea. And when their children began to be born, a prophecy changed everything. It was foretold, “One day your own son will take your throne. And perhaps this was the moment when fear turned into tyranny. Each time a child was born, Cronis would swallow the child the moment it entered the world. No battle, no cry for help, only a father’s fear of his own children. Rehea could only watch as she lost her own children one by one. But then she made a choice. When her next child was born, she hid the infant away and gave Cronis a stone instead. And that child would one day become Zeus. And one day that child returned without an announcement. Without any noise, he stood before Cronis and forced him to release every child he had swallowed. One by one, Poseidon, Hades, and all the others returned. Beat the titan. This was not a new birth. It was a return. But simply returning was never enough to win a war. So they freed the Cyclopes, the ancient oneeyed master craftsmen who had long been imprisoned in darkness. When their chains were finally broken, for the very first time, the light of fire fell upon their faces. And then amidst stone, metal, and flame, they forged the weapons that would change history forever. For Zeus, the thunderbolt, a weapon of lightning, capable of tearing through the heavens. For Poseidon, the trident, a weapon powerful enough to command the seas. And for Hades, the helm of darkness, a gift that granted him the power of invisibility. They were no longer just brothers. They had become a force. And when they stood together upon a single peak, Mount Olympus. From that day onward, they came to be known as the Olympians. And then began the war that would reshape the world forever. When the war between the Olympians and the Titans finally ended, the Titans were defeated. And from that moment, a new world began, still needed to be ruled by three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. It was decided that the universe would be divided into three realms. Zeus was given the heavens high above from where he could watch over everything. Poseidon was given the seas, vast, restless yet alive. And the third realm belonged to Hades, a place from which no soul ever returns, the underworld. The heavens were looked upon with faith. The seas were regarded with respect, but the realm where Hades ruled was remembered with fear. So then was the reverence truly for Zeus or for the heavens that he ruled. And was the fear truly of Hades or of the underworld that he was destined to govern? And then Hades fell in love with Pphanie, the daughter of Deer, and the niece of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Wherever she walked, flowers bloomed. Her world was one of life, while Hades realm could not have been more different. De meter protected Pphanany, keeping her far from every danger. But one day, while she wandered alone, lost in her own thoughts, suddenly the earth split open. And from the depths of that great chasm, emerged Hades. He spoke not a single word. He simply looked at her. And in the very next moment, Pphanie was gone. And on that day, a mother lost her daughter. De meter, the goddess of the earth, the guardian of life itself. Deer searched for Pphanie everywhere. Forests, rivers, mountains. But she was nowhere to be found. And slowly her sorrow turned into fury. She turned away from the world. The rains ceased. The crops no longer grew. The trees withered. The flowers faded. And for the first time, life itself began to fade. This was no longer just a mother’s grief. It had become a crisis for the entire world, even the gods. For if this continued, nothing would survive. And then all eyes turned to Zeus, the king of the gods, whose single decision could change everything. This is where the story takes an unexpected turn. For it is said that Hades did not take Pphanie on his own. Behind it all was Zeus’s approval. Perhaps it was an agreement. Or perhaps it was simply a decision in which Pphanie was never given a choice. But now when Deer had brought the entire world to a standstill, Zeus had no other choice. He sent a message to Hades ordering that Pphanie be returned. But it wasn’t that simple because once someone became part of the underworld, they could never leave it so easily. Before Pphanany could return, there was placed before her a fruit, a pomegranate, and she ate its seeds. It is said that anyone who consumed the food of the underworld would forever become bound to that realm. One thing was now certain. She could never truly return. Deer’s grief still lingered upon the earth. It had not yet faded. The world remained barren. And Zeus knew that if this continued, life itself would come to an end. So he found a way. Pphanie would return. But for part of every year she would live with her mother and for the rest she would remain with Hades in the underworld, a divided life. Whenever Praphanany was with her mother, the earth came alive. Flowers bloomed. The crops flourished. But when she returned to the underworld, everything slowly began to wither. And it is said that this is how the changing of the seasons began. When Pphanie is with her mother, the world welcomes spring and summer. But when she returns to the underworld, slowly autumn and winter take their place. So this was the story of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. A story, a story where one was given the heavens, another the seas, and one the underworld. But if we look closely, Hera, the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades chose to marry Zeus and become the queen of heaven. But when it came to Hades, every one of his actions became a subject of judgment. So then, what was truly wrong? And in the end, we return to the very same question. What truly defines a god? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And tell us which mythology would you like us to explore next.