Pluto (god)
Also known as: Plouton · Pluton
- 1Pluto is a title for the ruler of the underworld that emphasizes a more positive aspect.
- 2The name is etymologically linked to the Greek god of wealth, Ploutos.
- 3He is associated with the mineral wealth and seeds found deep within the earth.
- 4He is venerated as a stern ruler and a loving husband in the Eleusinian Mysteries.
- 5He is frequently invoked alongside Persephone in religious inscriptions.
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Pluto was the ruler of the underworld.
Connections1
Alternative epithet emphasizing wealth
The name Plouton (Pluto) highlights Hades' role as the god of the earth's hidden mineral wealth, distinguishing his function as a provider from his role as a jailer.
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Pluto was the ruler of the underworld. The earlier name for the god was Hades, which became more common as the name of the underworld itself. Pluto represents a more positive concept of the god who presides over the afterlife. Ploutōn was frequently conflated with Ploûtos, the Greek god of wealth, because mineral wealth was found underground, and because as a chthonic god Pluto ruled the deep earth that contained the seeds necessary for a bountiful harvest. The name Ploutōn came into widespread usage with the Eleusinian Mysteries, in which Pluto was venerated as both a stern ruler and a loving husband to Persephone. The couple received souls in the afterlife and are invoked together in religious inscriptions, being referred to as Plouton and as Kore respectively. Hades, by contrast, had few temples and religious practices associated with him, and he is portrayed as the dark and violent abductor of Persephone.
1st century sculpture of Pluto in the Getty VillaWikimedia CommonsA mosaic of the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis depicting the abduction of Persephone by Pluto which happened in the 4th century BCWikimedia CommonsPloutos with the horn of abundance, in the company of Dionysos (4th century BC)Wikimedia CommonsThe Rape of Proserpina by Gian Lorenzo Bernini at the Galleria Borghese in RomeWikimedia CommonsOrpheus before Pluto and Proserpina (1605), by Jan Brueghel the Elder.Wikimedia CommonsHydria ( ca. 340 BC) depicting figures from the Eleusinian MysteriesWikimedia CommonsHades and Persephone: tondo of an Attic red-figured kylix, ca. 440–430 BCWikimedia CommonsPluto (1592) by Agostino Carracci, probably influenced by the description in Vincenzo Cartari 's mythography, [ 90 ] with the god holding his scepter and key, Cerberus at his sideWikimedia Commons 157 words