Even in Soviet schools, several lessonswas dedicated to the myths and legends of ancient Greece. In tsarist Russia it was a separate subject. Perhaps knowledge of myths in most cases does not have a practical need, but the concept of "cultural man" implies a deep acquaintance with them.
The main gods of Olympus
Hades - the name worn by the ancient Greek lordkingdom of the dead. He is also called Hades, Pluto and Aidoneem. According to the myths and legends of ancient Greece, he is the son of Rhea and Crohn, who swallows his children at birth. In this original way, he wanted to avoid the fate of his father Uranus, overthrown by Crohn himself. Already five swallowed loving father. They were Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. Zeus, thanks to his mother, escaped the sad fate of sisters and brothers, and, having grown up, still toppled his father and forced him to return the swallowed relatives. The liberated great gods divided spheres of influence.
Who got what?
Zeus became the omnipotent, god of gods and people,Poseidon got underwater world, and the ancient Greek ruler of the kingdom of the dead Hades forever fell under the ground. Of course, he visited Olympus - he healed there wounds, for example, from Hercules, did not skip feasts, took part in solving the fate of all beings subject to the Olympians. He carefully guarded his huge underworld. Aide had a retinue and a courtyard, and Persephone's beautiful wife, who was his niece, was a beauty, since her mother was Demeter. Incestuousness, or Oedipus complex - in general, on Olympus thing is quite common. Take at least Zeus, married to his own sister, Hera. But, obviously, the gods can do anything.
Wife and girlfriend
Persephone ancient Greek sovereign of the kingdom of the deadkidnapped. Mother was inconsolable and asked for help from Zeus in the matter of returning her daughter to the ground. But whether Persephone loved her husband very much, and he is portrayed as a handsome man in full blossom, or pity, or indeed the pomegranate grains that Hades made her eat, had a magnetic strength, but forever return to the land the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of fertility, refused. For some years she lived with her husband underground, part with her mother on the ground. Gradually, her image began to communicate with the change of seasons, with the arrival of spring and the beginning of field work.
Gloomy Hades
Ancient Greek lord of the kingdom of the dead alwaysis rewarded with epithets "gloomy" and "inexorable". So, in the realm of the dark Hades there is no paradise, for the ancient Greeks the afterlife was the personification of misfortune. Souls of the dead, wandering through gloomy fields, overgrown with faded wild tulips asphodel, constantly moan, at best sigh heavily. In this regard, I would like to know where the souls of the righteous disappeared. Of course, man is sinful by nature, but the Ancient Greece has approached this question in a very gloomy way. The kingdom of the dead is just a punishment for earthly joys. Neither you paradise, nor reincarnation - the rivers of oblivion and the three-headed Kerber (Cerberus), no one letting go back to the sun.
Popular Hero
It should be noted that the kingdom of the gloomy Aida, likeall Greek mythology, is very popular with writers and artists. Most recently, the American animated film "Hercules" came out, where the main villain was taken by Hades, who dreams of overthrowing Zeus and taking his throne. The beautiful writer Yevgeny Lukin has a wonderful story "There, behind Acheron". Acheron, Pyripleghetont, Coquitus are the rivers of the kingdom of gloomy Aida, less famous than the famous Styx, through which the souls of the dead are transported in their boat by Charon, and Leta is a river of oblivion. "And the memory of the young poet will be absorbed by the slow Summer, the world will forget me ..." - so in a dying poem on the eve of the duel wrote Lensky. In a word, the lord of the underworld of the dead is no less popular in the ages than his brothers Zeus and Poseidon.
Aida's retinue
In the underground kingdom had its own traditions, for example,For transportation across the Styx River, Charon needed to pay the money. Therefore, the Greeks for a long time put a coin in the mouth of the deceased. Aide's retinue includes Judges Minos and Radamant, who always stand behind the ruler and his wife. At the feet lies Kerber. Immediately there is the god of death Tanat, who is depicted, convicted in black, with a large sword and huge wings. Here there are bloodthirsty kers, companions of wars. The adornment of the suite is the young beautiful god Hypnos, who neither humans nor gods can resist. Myths and legends of Ancient Greece, thanks to cartoons, both American and domestic, are known to many. Therefore, the answer to the question "who is the ancient Greek ruler of the kingdom of the dead" is often heard - Hades. Sometimes his name is called the Underworld itself - "descended to Hades".
Great myths
Now online is very popular learning game"Avatar", where you can find many answers on the school program. In it to help sloths, created a crib with brief answers to popular questions. There the most frequently asked questions are listed alphabetically. In the section "History", under the letter "d" there are two subjects of discussion. The second is the question "who is the ancient Greek lord of the kingdom of the dead", "Avataria" gives a short answer - Hades. Maybe this is enough, but without knowing anything about the underworld of the ancient Greeks, many common words related to this section of "Myths and Legends" will not be understood. For example, what is "Tantalova flour" or "Sisyphean labor". Who are the constantly living there Echidna, Gorgon, Hydra and Harpy. And in the literature they are often referred to. Orpheus and Eurydice are known by many. But in fact the key moment of their mutual relations is connected with the realm of gloomy Aida, with the famous descent of the sweet-sounding singer and musician into the underground world behind the beloved Eudreica. The gods, subdued by his music, which sounded so much suffering because of the loss of his wife, allowed him the only one of all people to follow her and bring him back to earth. And the famous cry "Do not look back!" Came precisely from this myth. Very much, with what we face every day, is rooted in the legends of Ancient Greece.</ p>
