Pluto: God of the Underworld, Death, and Riches
God of the underworld, Pluto (Greek name Hades) is considered the wealthiest god - because the ground was so rich with minerals and precious metals. “Pluto” literally translates to “ the wealthy one.” In Ancient Roman culture, pluto was the god of mortality and riches. He is the Roman version of Hades, god of death and the underworld.
Pluto is the brother of gods Jupiter and Neptune, and in a lottery to split up dominion of the universe, he received the underworld. His symbols are the barn owl, serpents and the cypress tree.
First century B.C. statue of Hades & Cerberus in Heraklion Archeological Museum in Crete
Pluto famously had a three-headed dog, Cerberus, who guarded the entrance to the underworld. Cerberus is not a part of Roman mythology, but he plays an important role in Greek mythology.
A common legend that Pluto is associated with is the abduction of Proserpina, which angered Ceres and ultimately caused winter.
Interestingly, Pluto, the planet, was named by an 11 year old girl from Oxford, England, who submitted “Pluto” in a 1930 competition to name the newly discovered planet.
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