Hades, god of the underworld, ruled over the dead in a realm separate from the living. One of the most famous stories about him is the abduction of Persephone, daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Hades fell in love with Persephone and took her to the underworld. Her mother, in grief, caused the earth to become barren. Zeus intervened, and a deal was made: Persephone would spend half the year with Hades (autumn and winter) and the other half with her mother (spring and summer), explaining the changing seasons.
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