Hades statue with Cerberus

Hades, brother of Zeus and Poseidon, ruled the realm of the dead — a kingdom not of punishment but of necessary order. At his side stands Cerberus, the three-headed hound who guarded the underworld's gate, allowing souls to enter but never to leave. Wealthy in the gold and gems hidden in the earth, Hades was both feared and propitiated, his name spoken rarely — for to call him was to invite his attention.