The underworld in Greek mythology was not a lively place, for it was where all the dead souls went. When a person died, the soul would be sent to Hades, a more formal name for the underworld. "The dead would go to Hades because there was no annihilation in the Greek mythology. The dead are dead because they have a flavorless and unhappy existence".

The primary ruling god of the underworld is Hades whose brother is Zeus, king of the gods, and whose parents are Cronus and Rhea. Hades is a greedy god with his greatest concern being to increase the number of his subjects. He is very stubborn about letting people out of the underworld. Hades himself, rarely leaves the underworld. In one myth, however, we know of a time when he did leave his soulful domain. Hades became very lonely in the underworld, and went above and kidnapped Demeter's daughter, Persephone, for his wife.Persephone, nonetheless, was not Hades' only significant other. Hades had a mistress called Minthe whom Persephone later transformed into a plant. Hades is also known as the god of wealth due to the precious metals mined from the e

Other places within Hades are the River of Pain, Acheron, the Plain of Oblivion, and Lethe, the River of Forgetfulness. Guarding the gates of Hades was Cerberus. Several different descriptions have been given describing Cerberus. Some have said this creature was a bronze-voiced hound, who ate raw flesh and had fifty heads. Others said he had three heads, each resembling the head of a dog, with the tail of a dragon.

One tradition involving the underworld occurs above Hades. When a person died someone would place a coin under the tongue of the victim. Charon, the ferryman, would not take any soul across the River Styx who did not have the coin. Those who didn't would roam the banks of the river for eternity.

When the Olympians overthrew their father Cronus, the Olympians drew straws to see who would rule what part of world. Even though Hades, also known as the Roman God Pluto, drew the straw for the underworld, there are many gods, goddesses and personifications within the underworld besides him. These being: The three Furies, or Erinyes who would seek out miscreants. They were three women: Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. Alecto is often known as the goddess of war and death.

At the entrance of Tartarus, one would encounter Tisiphone. Tisiphone is one of three Erinyes. Tisiphone sits in a bloodstained robe. In Tartarus, one also might pass by Campe. Campe is the jailer of the Cyclops and the Hecatoncheires. Campe appeared as a woman. She had clusters of poisonous serpents replacing her hair and from her chest to her thighs, she was covered in sea-serpent scales. On her shoulders sat a coiled scorpion.

Lyssa, an underworld goddess, name means canine madness. She drove her dogs through the world prompting the divine intoxication of the maenads to destructive fury.

Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos were more commonly known as the Fates, the personification of human destiny. Clotho would spin the thread when one would be born. Lachesis would weave the thread, while Atropos would cut the thread at the end of one's life. Not only humans submit to the Fates, but immortals as well.

Most souls remain in the

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Approximate Word count = 1444
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)