

Fear of death caused the Ancient Greeks to avoid saying his name.

other translations of his surname are Polydectes, Clymenus, and Pankoitēs. Hades is possibly the exception, as articles revealed his surname is Polydegmon or “the one who receives many,” a little similar to his popular epithet. Norse deities have “-son (son of)” or “-dottir (daughter of)” in theirs, Greek and Roman gods don’t. There’s an online debate whether deities have surnames. Read also: Top 20 Jackie Robinson Facts Family Sports Legacy More Hades bears the surname Polydegmon. His alternative names Zeus Eubuleus (good counsel) and Zeus Meilichios (easy-to-be-entreated) came from Orphic hymns and he both Hades’ alternative names. This is probably the reason why Hades was sometimes called “the second Zeus.” Hades is just as powerful as his brothers, but his youngest brother took the title of being the chief Olympian god. Some of his alternative names start with Zeus. Some of his other epithets are Plouton (the rich one), Clymenus (notorious), and Hesperos Theos (god of death and darkness). It’s not a surprise that the epithet “god of wealth” fits Hades since everything within his realm is his. Though the Earth is abundant with wealth, there’s a lot more undiscovered underneath it. Photo from: Wikimedia Commons His most popular epithet is the “god of wealth.” The most common meaning behind his name is “the unseen one,” and in some translations “his knowledge of all noble things.”īritish classical scholar Martin Litchfield West argued that the name Hades’ original meaning is “the one who presides over death,” a fitting name for the god of the Underworld. His name means many things, whether it comes with the job or not. Hades means “the one who presides over death.”
