How old is pluto the god

In time, this aspect became independent of Jupiter and eventually merged with the Hellenic god Hades. Pluto was the lord of the subterranean underworld, which in Roman mythology served as the resting place of departed souls. He lived underground in a gloomy palace, and seemed to have little interest in the world of men.

Likewise, Pluto seldom involved himself in godly affairs. Pluto was often accompanied by Cerberus, a three-headed hound that served both as his pet and guardian of the underworld. These siblings included Neptune , lord of all waters, Juno , the matron goddess, Vesta , guardian of hearth and home, and Ceres , a fertility goddess associated with agriculture. Though Pluto lived alone in the gloomy places beneath the earth for much of his life, he eventually came to share his realm with another—Proserpina, the daughter of Ceres and Jupiter.

While Greek and Roman traditions insisted that Pluto had children, there was little consensus about who they might have been. Among the most popular candidates were the goddesses known as the Eumenides or Furies —deities of vengeance who lived in the chthonic darkness. Pluto was a lonely deity who lived in the gloomy underworld and seldom encountered others.

Taking pity on him, Venus told her son Cupid to fire one of his love arrows at Pluto so that he might become smitten with the next woman he saw. That woman was Proserpina, who was frolicking in fields of Nysa. Seized with irrepressible desire, Pluto flew forth upon his chariot, abducted Proserpina, and carried her away, leaving naught behind but a bow the girl had used as a belt.

The scene—one of the most famous in ancient literature—was rendered beautifully by the poet Ovid in his masterwork the Metamorphoses :. The frighted Goddess to her mother cries, But all in vain, for now far off she flies As she continued her search, Ceres began to waste away.

In her sorrow, she neglected her oversight of the growth of crops and the fertility of domestic animals. As the world became barren, the other gods decided that they must intervene. The King of the Gods, Jupiter, had a niece name Proserpina. She was the daughter of his sister Ceres, the goddess in charge of the harvest.

In consideration of her valuable domain, everyone, both gods and mortals, did all they could to keep Ceres happy. Proserpina was a lovely and happy young woman.

One day, while she was out in the fields collecting flowers, she was spotted by her uncle Pluto. He was enchanted with her beauty and felt compelled to have her, so he quickly kidnapped Proserpina and took her to the underworld in his chariot before anyone could run interference.

Disheartened at her fate, Proserpina refused to speak to Pluto, who had fallen madly in love with her, and also refused to eat. According to the legends, one who ate a meal in the underworld would seal their destiny and never be able to leave. Hoping for someone to come to her rescue, she held out as long as she could. Finally, after a week of crying and starving, she could no longer bear it, and ate six pomegranate seeds. At this point, back on earth, Jupiter was getting increasingly concerned about Ceres and the crops.

Ceres was absolutely miserable and tearful about her missing daughter. Jupiter decided to send his youngest son Mercury, the messenger, known for his excellent negotiating skills, to visit the underworld and try to make a deal with Pluto.

Since Proserpina had already eaten the pomegranate seeds, and Pluto was hopelessly in love, Mercury needed to think quickly. After much discourse, Pluto agreed that if Proserpina married him she would live as queen of the underworld for six months of the year and in the spring she could return to earth for six months.

Proserpina also agreed to these terms, as did Ceres. Each spring, Ceres blooms all the flowers as a welcome to her beloved daughter returning from the underworld. In the autumn, when Proserpina returns to Pluto, Ceres cries and lets all the crops die until the following spring when the cycle begins again. And so, according to the legend, this is why we have seasons. The one-eyed giant, Cyclops, gave Pluto the cap of invisibility to help in his battle with the Titans.

The cap enables the one who wears it to become invisible to all other supernatural and mortal beings. Pluto is also symbolized by the pomegranate, the fruit of the underworld. Proserpina ate six seeds from the symbolic fruit and sealed her destiny. The hard outer shell of the pomegranate encapsulates a multitude of seeds representing fertility, prosperity and abundance.

Each spring, when Proserpina emerges from the underworld and arrives on earth, she brings the seeds of fertility and the bloom of spring. Pluto holds a key and scepter, which he uses to protect his kingdom and guard the dead from escaping. The Romans adopted much of the Greek culture and mythology. Hades, his Greek counterpart, was a darker god than Pluto, who eventually became known as the ruler of the afterlife and a fair judge of the dead. When Proserpina could go back to her mother , it was summer.

This was how the Greeks explained the seasons. Pluton —86 by Henri Chapu, part of a pair with a standing Persephone gathering flowers. Plouton with cornucopia Attic red-figure amphora , ca. Pluto mythology facts for kids Kids Encyclopedia Facts. Quick facts for kids. Pluto velificans , with a Cupid attending his abduction of Proserpina in a four-horse chariot Roman cinerary altar, Antonine Era, 2nd century.