The Beginnings...

The history of the Gods, the retelling of the beginning and an understanding of how Hades came to be.

It has recently come to my attention that it is vital to the knowledge of future generations that I not only document the history of my life, but the history and involvement that I have with all those who surround me. Through documenting all of this information in my diary, all current and future generations of gods and mortals will be able to know and understand the story of Hades, the King of the Underworld and the God of the Dead, as well as the rest of the Olympians.

My great-grandmother, Gaia, was the one of the primordial deities who was the ancestral mother of all life and the personification of Earth. She gave birth to my grandfather, Uranus the primordial deity presiding over the sky, heavens, and universe, and it was through their union that the Titans, including my father and mother were born. My mother, Rhea, was known as “The Mother of Gods” while my father was Kronos, the leader of the Titans and God of the Harvest.

When great-grandmother Gaia had discovered grandfather Uranus hid her youngest children the hundred-handed Hecatonchires and one-eyed Cyclopes, in Tartarus, so that they would not see the light, she became furious and crafted a great stone sickle for one of her children to use to castrate Uranus. Father Kronos, having been envious of grandfather Uranus, used the sickle to attack and castrate Uranus. Father Kronos then overthrew grandfather Uranus and he and my mother Rhea took over the throne as the king and queen of the word.

For a period of time, all was well in the world until my father Kronos learned of a prophecy from Gaia and Uranus which was that much in the same way grandfather Uranus was usurped by his own sons, so too would Kronos be. Not wanting this to prophecy to come true, father Kronos sired and then immediately devoured all of his children including myself, brother Poseidon, and sisters Demeter, Hestia, and Hera.

Distraught at the fate of her children, my mother Rhea devised a plan with great-grandmother Gaia and in secret, my mother gave birth to my brother Zeus on Mount Ida on Crete. When the time came for my father to eat my brother, my mother handed him the Omphalos Stone instead which my father swallowed whole, thinking that it was my brother.

The Titanomachy

Once brother Zeus had grown and become of age, he was given a emetic to be used to force father Kronos to dispel of everything that he had swallowed including the Omphalos Stone, myself, Poseidon, and our three sisters. Immediately afterwards, Zeus freed the Hecatoncheires and Cyclopes from Tartarus so that they could forge thunderbolts for him, a trident for my brother Poseidon, and the Helm of Invisibility for myself. Together, myself and all of my siblings along with the Hecatoncheires and Cyclopes, captured many of the Titans and imprisoned them in Tartarus. The only Titans that we let go were Oceanus, Helios, Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus and Menoetius.

In her rage against many of the Titans being imprisoned, great-grandmother Gaia birthed the monster Typhon and set it loose to claim revenge against Zeus. After a long battle, brother Zeus won and the Typhon was thrown into the depths of Tartarus as well.

When all was over and great-grandmother Gaia’s wrath no more, brother Zeus decided that he would share the world with his other brothers, myself and Poseidon. We each drew lots to see who would rule what and I drew the short stick having to rule over the Underworld, while brother Zeus reined over the sky, air, and heavens and brother Poseidon ruled the waters and seas. In comparison with my brothers, it truly does seem as though I received the worst, but the Underworld has grown on me and became my beloved domain. Despite the complexities of my family’s history, I would not change a thing…