Pluto (mythology)

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Pluto (Ancient Greek: Πλούτων, romanized: Ploútōn) was the ruler of the underworld. He was the god who watched over the afterlife. Earlier, he was called Hades, but the name Pluto became more common, especially in stories.

1st century sculpture of Pluto in the Getty Villa

Pluto was sometimes linked to Ploûtos, the god of wealth, because valuable minerals come from deep in the earth. As a god of the deep earth, Pluto helped crops grow. In many stories, Pluto is married to Persephone, and together they care for the souls of those who have passed away.

In myths, Pluto, Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon shared the world. Zeus ruled the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Pluto the underworld. One famous story tells how Pluto brought Persephone to the underworld to be his wife. The name Pluto became well-known through Greek writers and later was used in Roman stories and art.

Hesiod

In the stories from ancient writer Hesiod, Pluto is not mentioned. Instead, a ruler of the underworld named Hades is told. Hades took a girl named Persephone from her mother Demeter. But Pluto is linked to wealth and growing things because of a character named Plutus, who is Demeter’s child. Over time, ideas about Hades and Pluto mixed together, showing Pluto as both the ruler of the underworld and a god who helps plants grow.

Hesiod also wrote about asking Zeus and Demeter for good harvests when people are preparing their fields for planting.

Plouton and Ploutos

Ploutos with the horn of abundance, in the company of Dionysos (4th century BC)

Plouton was another name for Hades, the god of the underworld. People liked this name because it meant "giver of wealth" and sounded less scary than Hades. This name made them think of the richness of the earth, like growing crops and treasures in mines.

Over time, Plouton came to stand for the good side of the underworld god, showing him as someone who brings abundance. Artists often drew him with a horn of plenty, called a cornucopia, to show this side of him. The Romans also had their own ideas about Plouton, sometimes connecting him to their gods of wealth and the earth.

Mythology

Mysteries and cult

As Pluto grew more important as a symbol of farming wealth in the Eleusinian Mysteries from the 5th century BC, the name Hades was used more for the underworld itself. Neither Hades nor Pluto was one of the traditional Twelve Olympians, and Hades seems to have had only limited worship, perhaps only at Elis.

During the time of Plato, the people of Athens sometimes honored the god called Plouton with a special ceremony called the "strewing of a couch" (tên klinên strôsai). At Eleusis, Plouton had his own priestess. Pluto was worshipped together with Persephone as a divine couple at several places including Knidos, Ephesos, Mytilene, and Sparta, as well as at Eleusis, where they were known simply as God (Theos) and Goddess (Thea).

Hydria (ca. 340 BC) depicting figures from the Eleusinian Mysteries

In the ritual texts of the mystery religions preserved by the so-called Orphic or Bacchic gold tablets, the name Hades appears more often than Plouton, but it refers to the underground place. Plouton is the ruler who presides over it together with Persephone. By the end of the 4th century BC, the name Plouton appears in Greek inscriptions. Some inscriptions greet Pluto and Persephone together, showing them as welcoming figures.

The Orphic Hymn to Pluto calls the god "strong-spirited" and the "All-Receiver." In the hymn, Pluto's home is in Tartarus, described as a "meadow" and "thick-shaded and dark," where the Acheron surrounds "the roots of the earth." Hades is the name of the place, described as "windless," and its gates are located in an Attic cave within the district of Eleusis. The hymn asks Pluto to come with favor and joy to the initiates.

The names of both Hades and Pluto appear in ancient Greek Magical Papyri and curse tablets, with Hades usually referring to the underworld as a place, and Pluto called upon as the partner of Persephone.

A sanctuary dedicated to Pluto was called a ploutonion. The complex at Eleusis had a ploutonion that was thought to be the birthplace of the divine child Ploutos. Greek inscriptions mention an altar of Pluto at Eleusis. One known ploutonion was in the sacred grove between Tralleis and Nysa, where a temple of Pluto and Persephone stood. Visitors went there seeking healing and dream oracles. The ploutonion at Hierapolis, Phrygia, was linked to the rites of Cybele, but later became part of the cult of Apollo. These sites were often chosen because natural vapors were thought to show an opening to the underworld. In Italy, Avernus was considered an entrance to the underworld because of its toxic vapors.

Iconography and attributes

Hades and Persephone: tondo of an Attic red-figured kylix, ca. 440–430 BC

Ancient stories tell us about Pluto, the ruler of the underworld, and the special symbols that show his role. In old paintings, Pluto looks like a grown-up man, sometimes with white hair. He often holds a scepter or a cornucopia, a horn that can give food. Unlike another name for the underworld ruler, Pluto is usually fully clothed and stands next to goddesses like Demeter and Kore.

Pluto is also known for carrying keys. These keys are a symbol of his power over the underworld. They appear in old poems and stories, showing his role in guarding the world of the dead. The color and plants around Pluto have meaning, too. He is sometimes shown with dark colors but can also look pale. Plants like glaciolus and cypress are linked to him, representing life and death in the stories.

In Greek literature and philosophy

Persephone and Pluto or Hades on a pinax from Locri

The name Plouton means the ruler of the underworld. Ancient Greek writers first used this name. In a funny play called The Frogs by the writer Aristophanes, Plouton appears as a character. The play shows the god Dionysus traveling to the underworld to bring back a great writer to help improve theater in Athens.

The writer Plato thought of Plouton as a kind spirit who helps people after they pass away. Plato believed Plouton gave gifts from the earth and was very important to worship.

Theogonies and cosmology

Euhemerism and Latinization

Serapis with moon and sun on oil lamp

In old stories, gods were like important leaders. People told stories about them for a long time. A writer named Ennius changed these stories to Latin. Later, a Christian writer named Lactantius wrote about them too. In these stories, Saturn, the Roman version of the god Cronus, married a goddess named Ops. They had children, including Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, and Pluto. Each child had a special job. Pluto was hidden when he was born, which gave him an important role in the stories.

Orphic and philosophical systems

Different groups told Pluto's stories in their own ways. Some believed that when the world began, everything came together and made an "egg." From this egg came a god named Phanes. The heavier parts became the world below, which they called Pluto. Others thought Pluto was a place where souls got ready before moving on. These ideas helped people understand the world and their place in it.

Helios Apollon	Plouton Helios
One	Many
clarity	invisibility
bright	dark
memory	oblivion

In Western art and literature

Christianization

Early Christian writers tried to show that older gods were not real. They said these gods were just made-up stories. But gods of the underworld were still seen as strong and scary. They were linked to the Devil and called evil by Christian teachers.

Christians did not like games where people dressed up as gods. In these games, someone dressed as Pluto would help carry away dead bodies. A writer named Tertullian called a figure named Charun, who looked like Pluto, the "brother of Jove." Another writer, Prudentius, said these games were cruel.

Medieval mythography

During the Middle Ages, stories about gods were written in Latin and mixed up Greek and Roman gods. Pluto was often used for the ruler of the underworld. This ruler was also linked to the Devil, Satan, or Lucifer in Christian stories. The underworld gods were sometimes used to represent Satan and Hell. For example, a writer named Abbo Cernuus called the Vikings "spawn of Pluto."

In a book, Pluto is described as a scary figure sitting on a throne, holding a scepter in one hand. Cerberus, a three-headed dog, stood under his feet, and Harpies, evil spirits, were beside him. Four rivers flowed from his throne. These rivers were part of a dark swamp.

Medieval and Renaissance literature

In a book by Dante, Pluto rules a place where greedy people are punished. Dante called Pluto "the great enemy." Geoffrey Chaucer brought the story of Pluto and Proserpina into English literature. Chaucer also described Pluto as the "King of Fairyland." The Scottish poet William Dunbar described Pluto as a being who appeared among the courtiers of Cupid.

The writer Arthur Golding made the name Pluto more common in English. This influenced writers like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Edmund Spenser. Pluto's court was a popular setting in stories. During the Renaissance, ideas and images from ancient times became popular again. They appeared in books, festivals, and public shows. The story of Orpheus going to the underworld was very popular on stage. Leonardo da Vinci even designed a set for this story.

Opera and ballet

The story of Orpheus going to the underworld was popular for operas and ballets. Pluto often appeared in these works. Famous operas include L'Orfeo from 1607 and Euridice from 1602. Pluto was also a character in ballets.

Fine art

The story of Pluto taking Proserpina was a favorite subject for artists. Major artists who painted or sculpted Pluto include Dürer, Caravaggio, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Bernini, and Rembrandt.

Modern literature

Later, writers like Thomas Hardy and D.H. Lawrence used the story of Pluto and Proserpina in their books. In a book by Rick Riordan, a character named Hazel Levesque is the daughter of Pluto.

Scientific terms

The name Pluto has inspired many scientific terms. For example, there is a dwarf planet called Pluto, along with related terms like plutoid and plutino. The element plutonium is named after this dwarf planet and is the heaviest naturally occurring element. In geology, "pluton" is a term used to describe certain types of rock formations, and plutonism refers to a theory about how the Earth's crust forms.