In Greek mythology, Hades ruled the underworld while Zeus ruled the sky.
Hades was one of the three sons of Cronus and Rhea, alongside Zeus and Poseidon. After the younger gods defeated the Titans, the brothers divided the cosmos by lot. Zeus received the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld. The earth and Mount Olympus were treated as shared realms rather than Hades’s personal kingdom.
Hades governed the realm of the dead, but he was not the Greek equivalent of death itself. Thanatos personified death, while Hades was the ruler and administrator of the underworld. His name could refer both to the god and to his kingdom.
The abduction of Persephone is his best-known myth. Their story explains the seasonal cycle in many later interpretations, although ancient versions differ in emphasis.