CULT OF HAIDES : Ancient Greek religion. HAIDES was the god of underworld and the dead.
Although he was honoured during funeral ceremonies and played a role in the Mystery cults, he had few actual temples or shrines in the ancient world. His cult centre in Greece was the so-called Oracle of the Dead in the Thesprotia. There are perhaps only two surviving cult statues of Haides (although one of these is labelled a Serapis), which depict him standing beside the three-headed dog Kerberos. Haides was honoured in Greek funeral services and necromantic rites (the summoning of the ghosts of the dead). I) ATHENS Chief City of Attika Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 28. 6 (trans. II) ELEUSIS Town in Attika Haides was a god of the Eleusinian Mysteries. I) KORINTHOS Chief City of Korinthia Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 2. 8 : "The images of Zeus [in the market-place of Korinthos] also are in the open; one had not a surname, another they call Khthonios (of the Lower World) [Haides] and the third Hypsistos (Most High) [Zeus].
" Sources: The Cults of the Greek States - Lewis Richard Farnell, Farnell Lewis Richard. Hades. Names and epithets As with almost every name for the gods, the origin of Hades's name is obscure.
The name as it came to be known in classical times was Ἅιδης, Hāidēs. Later the iota became silent.[3] Originally it was *Awides which has been claimed to mean "unseen".[4] This changed into Ἀΐδης, Aïdēs (and afterwards Āïdēs), with the dropping of the digamma. This Ionic and epic form of the name is the one used in epic poetry.[5] Pluto (mythology) God in Greek mythology Pluton (1884–86) by Henri Chapu, part of a pair with a standing Persephone gathering flowers Hydria (ca. 340 BC) depicting figures from the Eleusinian Mysteries Plouton with cornucopia (Attic red-figure amphora, ca. 470 BC) Attributes of Pluto mentioned in the Orphic Hymn to Pluto are his scepter, keys, throne, and horses.
In the hymn, the keys are connected to his capacity for giving wealth to humanity, specifically the agricultural wealth of "the year's fruits. " An ageing specimen of Mediterranean cypress The Smyrna inscription also records the presence of Helios Apollon at the sanctuary. Serapis with moon and sun on oil lamp Etruscan Charun presiding over an execution In the Little Book on Images of the Gods, Pluto is described as Jean Raoux's Orpheus and Eurydice (1718–20), with Pluto and Proserpina releasing the couple Rembrandt's Abduction of Proserpina (ca. 1631) Major artists who produced works depicting Pluto include: