Hades (1) (HAY-deez). God of the dead, ruler of the Underworld, which was accordingly known as Hades. In various adventures, Hades abducted the maiden Persephone, tricked the heroes Theseus and Peirithous and managed to get himself handcuffed by Sisyphus. The god Hades was a dread figure to the living, who were quite careful how they swore oaths in his name. To many people, simply to utter the word "Hades" was a frightening proposition. So they made up a euphemism, a word that meant the same thing but with a more pleasant sound. Since all precious minerals came from under the earth (the dwelling place of Hades) and since the god was wealthy indeed when it came to the number of subjects in his kingdom of the dead, he was referred to as "Ploutos", wealth. This accounts for the name given him by the Romans, who called Zeus Jupiter, Ares Mars, Hermes Mercury and Hades Pluto.