Today, we take a closer look at something we partially dealt with yesterday. These are the alternate names that Haides is known by.

The most prominent of these is Pluton. This name is derived from the word for wealthy in Greek. This is interesting in that it likely started as an epithet for him which became so well-known that it became universally used as an alternate name for Haides. This name for him is one that does not emphasize his role as Lord of the Underworld but rather that he is lord of the wealth within the earth.

This wealth is not only precious metals and gems, but also the fertility of the soil. It is in this aspect that I feel best links him with the world his wife Persephone also. It is this wealth that in many ways is the most important for mortals as the other type cannot be eaten to sustain mortals.

It is interesting to me that Pluto is the name that the Romans adopted for Haides, this is further indication that this was an actual alternate name for Haides by the time of the Roman conquest of Greece. The other name the Romans used for Haides was Dis, a name that I do not know the origin of other than to theorize it was potentially connected with the Etruscan or Latin peoples of the area.