hades

hades

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Pronunciation

Here is a detailed breakdown of the word "Hades."

IPA Phonetic Spelling

General American: /ˈheɪ.diːz/

• Syllable 1: /ˈheɪ/ (HAY)

• /h/: A voiceless glottal fricative, the 'h' sound in "hat."

• /eɪ/: A diphthong, the long 'a' sound in "say" or "fame."

• Syllable 2: /diːz/ (deez)

• /d/: A voiced alveolar plosive, the 'd' sound in "dog."

• /iː/: A long vowel, the 'ee' sound in "see" or "fleece."

• /z/: A voiced alveolar fricative, the 'z' sound in "zoo" or "buzz."

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Word Form Variations

• Singular: Hades

• Plural: Hades (The word is a singular noun ending in 's', like "chaos" or "molasses." It is typically treated as a singular proper noun or a mass noun and is not pluralized in standard use.)

• Singular Possessive: Hades's or Hades' (e.g., "Hades's helmet" or "Hades' domain.")

• Related Adjectival Form: Hadean (meaning "of or relating to Hades," or referring to the Hadean eon in geology)

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

1. (Proper Noun) In Greek mythology, the god who rules the underworld; the son of Cronus and Rhea and brother of Zeus and Poseidon.

• Synonyms: Pluto (Roman equivalent), Dis Pater, Aidoneus

• Antonyms: Zeus (god of the sky), Demeter (goddess of harvest/life), Olympus (as a concept of the gods' home)

2. (Proper Noun) The underworld realm of the dead in Greek mythology, ruled by the god of the same name.

• Synonyms: Underworld, Tartarus (specifically the pit of torment within it), Erebus, realm of the dead

• Antonyms: (Mount) Olympus, Elysium (a blissful part of the underworld, but often used in contrast), Heaven

3. (Common Noun, often uncapitalized) A general term for hell; any place, situation, or state of immense suffering, darkness, and despair.

• Synonyms: Hell, inferno, abyss, perdition, pandemonium

• Antonyms: Heaven, paradise, utopia, bliss, eden

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Examples of Use

In Literature and Books

• Classical Literature: In translations of Homer's The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus journeys to Hades (the place) to consult the spirit of the prophet Tiresias, describing it as a "joyless region" and the "moldering home of the dead."

• Modern Fiction: In the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan, the character Hades (the god) is a primary figure, often portrayed as a grim and powerful ruler residing in a modernized underworld.

• Literary Metaphor: A novelist describing a character's severe depression or grief might write, "He felt himself sinking, not into sadness, but into a cold, gray Hades of his own making, from which there was no escape."

In Newspapers and Online Publications

• Metaphor for Disaster/War: An editorial describing the aftermath of a devastating wildfire or a war-torn city might state, "The rescuing firefighters described the scene not as a disaster zone, but as a burning Hades."

• Reviewing Media: A New York Times review of the video game Hades discussed its unique interpretation of Greek mythology, noting how the game "turns the repetitive cycle of escaping Hades into a compelling narrative loop." (October 2020)

• Weather Reporting (Hyperbole): During a severe heatwave, a news headline or weather report might colloquially state, "The triple-digit temperatures will make the city feel hotter than Hades this weekend."

In Entertainment Media

• Video Games: The critically acclaimed game Hades (Supergiant Games) is centered entirely on the concept, with the player controlling Zagreus, the son of Hades, as he attempts to fight his way out of his father's domain.

• Film: In the 1997 Disney animated film Hercules, Hades is the main antagonist, portrayed as a fast-talking, fiery-tempered god (voiced by James Woods) who rules the underworld and plots to take over Mount Olympus.

• Theater: The Broadway musical Hadestown (Anaïs Mitchell) won the Tony Award for Best Musical. It reimagines the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, setting it in a Depression-era, industrialized version of Hades, which is depicted as a grim factory town ruled by King Hades.

In General Public Discourse

• Idiomatic Expression (Heat): "I am not mowing the lawn today; it must be hotter than Hades out there."

• Idiomatic Expression (Difficulty/Chaos): "Trying to get through airport security the day before Thanksgiving was absolute Hades."

• Idiomatic Expression (Impossibility): "He’ll pay you back that money when Hades freezes over." (A common variation of "when hell freezes over.")

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10 Famous Quotes Using Hades

1. My name is Hades, Lord of the Dead. Hi, how ya doin'? (James Woods as Hades, Disney's Hercules, 1997)

2. There is no escape from Hades, save through me. (Hades, Hades video game, 2020)

3. And Hades, the ruthless, the ruler of the dead below. (Hesiod, Theogony)

4. ...but Hades and Dionysus are the same, for whom they rave and revel. (Heraclitus, Fragment 15)

5. And in Hades he will be punished for any unrighteousness which he has committed here. (Plato, The Republic)

6. I'm... Aiakos... who keeps the gates of Hades. (Aristophanes, The Frogs)

7. ...to the high throne of the eternal God, and the deep Hades of the damned. (Edgar Allan Poe, "The Assignation")

8. I know what Hades is. (Edna St.Vincent Millay, "Spring")

9. Getting into Hades is easy; the real problem is getting out. (Rick Riordan, The Battle of the Labyrinth)

10. You must be taught to love me. Because Hades is your husband. (Louise Glück, "A Myth of Devotion")

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Etymology

The word Hades comes directly from Ancient Greek. Its original form was Háidēs (ᾍδης), and an even older version, seen in the earliest Greek poems, was Aídēs (Ἀΐδης).

First Known Use and Meaning

• First Use: The word first appears in some of the oldest known Greek literature, specifically in the epic poems of Homer (the Iliad and the Odyssey, around the 8th century BCE) and Hesiod (Theogony, around the 7th century BCE).

• Original Meaning: When first used, the word Hades referred only to the god who ruled the underworld. It was the name of a person, not a place. People would speak of "the house of Hades," just as you would speak of "Zeus's palace." It wasn't until later (around the 5th century BCE) that people started using "Hades" as a shorthand for the underworld realm itself.

What the Name "Hades" Means

The most common and accepted meaning of the name Hades is "The Unseen One" or "The Invisible."

This name likely comes from combining two very old word parts:

1. A prefix meaning "not" or "un-" (from the Greek a-).

2. A root word meaning "to see" (related to the Greek idein).

So, A-idēs literally meant "the one who cannot be seen."

This name makes perfect sense for two main reasons:

1. He ruled the invisible realm where the dead go, a place hidden beneath the earth, unseen by the living.

2. In mythology, Hades owned a magical helmet or cap (the Helm of Darkness) that made whoever wore it completely invisible.

Because the Greeks feared the god of the dead, they often avoided saying his real name. Instead, they used nicknames, the most popular being Plouton (Pluto in Roman), which means "The Wealthy One." This was a less scary name that referred to all the riches (like precious metals and fertile soil) that come from under the ground, his domain.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Hades

Here are phrases and idioms using the word "Hades," along with common variations using its synonyms.

• Hotter than Hades

• When Hades freezes over

• A cold day in Hades

• A snowball's chance in Hades

• (To run, work, fight, etc.) like Hades

• To Hades with it!

• The gates of Hades

• The road to Hades

• ...or high water (a common variation of "come hell or high water")

• All... broke loose (a common variation of "all hell broke loose")

• A bat out of Hades

• To catch Hades (to be scolded severely)

• There'll be Hades to pay

• Go to Hades!

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of hades from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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