#c; Zagreus

[ixmxgod]

|| CLOSED || Zagreus & Adamaris ||

@madderbythesecond

Zagreus had stopped as he was about to walk past Addy, pausing in his steps before turning and looking at her as he squinted his eyes slightly as if trying to pinpoint what about her felt off. After a moment, his eyes lit up with recognition. "You're a demi-god."

[ixmxgod]

"Actually I was just thinking about my family, have you ever heard how fucked up the Greek Pantheon is? Yet Hades is the only one locked away on the isle, do you have any idea how many times Hera and Apollo have tried to over throw Zeus?”

It wasn't something he thought about a lot, in fact he actively tried to avoid even thinking about it. But he'd just gotten off a call with his mother and it was hard not to think about anytime he saw that sadness she tried to hide in her eyes.

"everyone has a darker nature; everyone." - ixmxgod (Zagreus? I figure he's likely to be at least somewhat friendly with Aine before everything that happens with King Adam.)

"Well, isn't someone all doom and gloom today." Aine said, she punched Zagreus in the arm lightly. "Lighten up. Yes, everyone is capable of evil, but people don't typically think about it all the time. My father says it's bad luck to dwell on stuff like this."

@ixmxgod

[punkeropercyjackson]

'Your type being fucked up in head from trauma men who're already naturally objectively weirdos even besides it is because you have i can fix him syndrome'Or maybe i want a boyfriend who matches my freak and not a nonchalant normie.Black women can do things too y'know

[spineless-lobster]

I feel like zag would really love animal crossing and I say this as someone who has never played animal crossing in their life

[yonemurishiroku]

who wants to read Nicobaster with crossdressing Nico? me.

[kingroup]

zagreus (introject)　—　icons　 ╱　with nothing specified, sized for discord.

—MOD CHARON.　$　  ̖́-

[pupuseriazag]

Hace unos dias lleve sopita a la uni pa compartirsela a mis compas y me senti bien Senshi todo orgulloso de ver que les gusto mi sopita a mi grupo de hambrientos

[tenebriism]

Opinion meme for Thanatos, Dana and Alphen (from Dohalim), mayhaps?? :)

Opinion Meme - [ ACCEPTING ] ;; @ervaurem :

●●●●● | ATTRACTION ●●●●● | AFFECTION ●●●●● | INTEREST ●●●●●| LOYALTY ●●●●● | TRUST

●●●●● | ATTRACTION ●●●●○ | AFFECTION ●●●●● | INTEREST ●●●●●| LOYALTY ●●●●● | TRUST

●●●●○ | ATTRACTION ●●○○○ | AFFECTION ●●●○○ INTEREST ●●●●○ | LOYALTY ●●●●○ | TRUST

[soulcluster]

@dcwnseeker / zagreus ❝ if you ever need a place to stay, let me know, okay? ❞

Being sent to the underworld was one of the least strange place she had found herself in, but finding a friend in the son of Hades hadn't been on her bingo card. She wasn't complaining.

Lara gestured around them, to the skulls and bones and lava. The heat was oppressive. "I've camped in worse places, but I can't say this would be my first choice. But uh, where is it that you live exactly?"

[nefarrilou]

Underworld Gods: Greek 🏛️ ⤷ Hades ⋮ Part 1

⌞ Top ⟶ Bottom ⌝

✦ Erinyes ⋮ ⊱ Hair 1, 2, 3 | Dress | Wings | Snake | Mask | Bracelets | Claws ✦ Melinoë ⋮ ⊱ Hair | Veil | Dress* | Cape | Rose Eyepatch + Staff | Disembodied Hands | Body Chain | Butterfly Rings ✦ Zagreus ⋮ ⊱ Hair | Bottom | Sandals | Bandages | Chain | Bracelets ✦ Persephone ⋮ ⊱ Hair | Wreath + Acc | Dress + Chain | Veil ✦ Hades ⋮ ⊱ Hair | Werath | Top | Skirt | Cloak | Skulls | Keys | Bracelets | Hands | Claws ✦ Cerberus 🐕 ⊱ Eyes | Ears | Heads*

* Edited

C R E A T O R S

Erinyes @scyllasims @simandy @lady-moriel @sewersims @zouyousims

Melinoë @qicc @zouyousims  @saruin  @ashwwa

Zagreus @raccoonium @justarandomsim  @kleos-sims  @kleos-sims

Persephone @simstrouble @atelierlena @erschsims

Hades @daylifesims @ellone-andreea @kleos-sims @mssims @bluecravingcc

@valhallansim @strangegrapefruit @bradfordsims

Cerberus @voidfeather @mahocreations

[mongeroffanfics]

Zagreus SFW and NSFW alphabets ♥️, for my friend @ember1224

≿———————— ❈ ————————≾

SFW alphabet

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Zagreus is extremely affectionate to his friends, as we see in the game, he offers you as much nectar as you’ll accept, and once you stop accepting nectar he’s giving you Ambrosia until you demand he stops.

Zagreus also shows his affection by standing close to you, or having a hand on your shoulder as you walk together.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Oh if you’re his best friend you’re going to get so much gossip.

He will tell you anything and everything- Achilles and Patroclus have a small argument? You know every detail before even Hermes does. Charon was caught being affectionate to Hermes? You’re helping him spread the news across the house.

You’d undoubtably meet him by being a servant to the house, someone he’s known for a long time and already has a small bond with.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Zagreus adores cuddling, he cuddles by literally yanking you into his lap, putting his head on your shoulder while he yaps about his day/night. He’s so giddy about it, arms loosely around you as he holds a new book of legends and myths that he’s had edited and he’s reading it to you.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Zagreus is absolutely down to settle down with a partner, the only bad part is he’s very uh… well he has no culinary skills and his ‘cleaning’ is mostly shoving clothes under his bed and into whatever crevices he can find.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Zagreus would definitely be far more polite than most when it comes to breaking up. He’d probably bring you into his room and apologize, comforting that it wasn’t your fault but he’s just no longer interested in you. He’d still be down to be best friends, but if you didn’t want to be he’d understand completely.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Zagreus, as we all know, is impulsive as FUCK. He’d be down to get married if you even show a little attraction back to him. He will commit if he thinks you’ll commit.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He’s uh.. he’s a little dense, but that’s ok. He’s not the most emotionally gentle guy out there, I mean, have you seen how his dad deals with everything?

Nonetheless, he’s very physically gentle, he knows his own strength very well and he (somewhat) knows when to use it.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Zagreus adores hugs, he will yank you into a bone crushing (not literally) hug every time he sees you, grinning like an idiot.

Zagreus will hug you every time he sees you, even if he only saw you a few minutes ago, you will not escape the hugs from the Prince of the underworld.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He says “I love you” very quickly, right as he confesses, actually. Every morning he will wake you up with praises, kisses all along your shoulder and neck, and him mumbling “I love you” against your skin.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Zagreus will only get jealous if you’re getting ‘too’ close with someone he knows, then he’ll basically turn into a ‘big scary dog’ and hover over your shoulder pouting.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Zagreus’ kisses are soft, but quick, usually on your forehead before he goes off on a run and literally jumps out his window.

He loves when you kiss the palms of his hands, just adoring the scars on them.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Please don’t let him around kids, he doesn’t know what to do. The way his dad treated him is his ONLY reference- he will hand them Stygious and try to teach them how to use it if he’s unsupervised.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings are spent in bed- he will not get up. Good luck leaving his bed if you’re there, he’s holding you hostage until his dad comes in there and shouts at him to get up because he’s late for his duties.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights are spent cuddled up against each other, him somewhat flopped on you as he reads the Iliad (one of his favorite stories as it’s about Achilles) to you until you both fall asleep and the book falls to the ground.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Zagreus won’t be super quick to reveal things about himself, but every time he talks he mentions some little thing about himself. He honestly focused more on trying to understand you, rather than trying to vent about himself and all of his trauma.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Zagreus has decent patience, but if you do something royally idiotic you’re getting an annoyed interrogation from Zagreus. I think the only way to truly piss him off would be to hurt someone dear to him or break something important.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He remembers random details about you, whatever his brain considers interesting. He remembers your important details along with when you first became friends, to the last time he saw you interacting with a random shade. But he won’t remember your birthday- for some strange reason.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite moment is when he first gave you ambrosia, how you put your hands over your mouth and stared in shock at the bottle he was handing you. You were so, so flattered and shocked that Zagreus cared enough to give it to you.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Zagreus is extremely protective of his friends, and he’d absolutely protect you against everything he could. He’d do the same with all of his friends- and he’d honestly laugh if you tried protecting him back. He understands that you care about him, but believe me, he’s far stronger than you.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

As much effort as he can possibly use, he’s going to Elysium, beating Theseus’ ass into the ground, and bringing you back some fine ambrosia for you to drink in celebration- and if you like fish then he’s beating the shit out of his dad and bringing back a fish from Greece.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He has a bad habit of just yoinking some of your gold. He’s gotten so used to sparring with Charon after stealing from him, that hes started unconsciously pick pocketing stray coins whenever he sees them.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Not at all concerned- he’s already the underworlds biggest nuisance and the biggest pain in his dad’s ass. Any worries about his appearance is long gone.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

I think Zagreus would definitely feel lonely without you, I mean he knows plenty of shades, but each of them takes up space in his heart. He’d definitely feel a part of him missing, and would undoubtably search for you.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Zagreus has a diary with little notes on everyone he’s met, usually it has things that they like and little interesting facts about them written down so he knows what to get them.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He doesn’t like someone who lies for no reason- it just tells him you can’t be trusted with anything. He can tell a lie immediately, and will probably tell you not to lie to him because he likes to trust his friends, but if you keep doing it he will cut you off completely.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Insomniac king- he almost never sleeps, but when he does it’s the heaviest sleep ever and he will sleep for a day and a half if he’s not woken up. You’ll find him curled up in his blankets, face down in his pillows and chances are he still has his clothes on.

NSFW alphabet

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Zagreus is so sweet after sex, giving you sips of nectar as he bathes you, gently massaging your sore muscles. He’s a gentleman, albeit a somewhat clueless one. He takes care of you and even tucks you snuggle into his bed before he dares to care for himself.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Zagreus’ favorite part of himself is his hands- they’re strong and durable, after all. He uses them to hold you close as he fucks you, or even to gently tug your hair. He will absolutely melt if you kiss along his callouses and compliment the scars on his palms.

His favorite part of you? That has to be your lips, he loves how they trail along his scars, or leave gentle marks along his immortal skin. He also loves feeling your soft lips against his own, it’s almost enough to make him moan.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Zagreus’ loves cumming down your throat, feeling your throat constricting around his cock and milking all of the cum out of it. Breathless praises would leave his mouth as he loosely holds you there.

His second favorite place to cum is between your thighs, not necessarily in your pussy (if you’re female) or in your ass (if you’re either gender), but he likes seeing the white liquid staining them and slowly dripping down onto the bed/couch.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

I can’t really see Zagreys having a dirty secret, if I’m being honest :P

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Zagreus is not the most experienced man in the world, considering how I think he’s only ever been with Meg, but that taught him a lot. He… well he somewhat knows what he’s doing, but he’s a quick learner and can improvise on the spot.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

His favorite position is the lotus position, with him slightly reclining back in a chair in his room , arms around your waist, your legs and arms wrapped around him as he gently fucks into you.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Zagreus is not the most serious person in the world- I mean he won’t just be a complete dumbass during sex, but he is absolutely not stoic and serious during sex. He’s definitely the kind of guy to lightly joke around during sex.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Zagreus is not well groomed, at least not until after you get together. He has some thick hair down there, but he’s drummed it down quite a bit. The hair along his crotch is dark, like his hair, and slightly curly.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Zagreus is so sweet, generally he has one hand cupping your jaw, making your eyes stay on his own as he praises you and asks if you’re alright. He is the definition of attentive, even the slightest show of discomfort and he will stop to check on you.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Zagreus doesn’t really give himself the time to jack off, but if he’s been on a particularly long run, once he’s cleared a room he’ll start jacking himself off to hold himself over until you can be in his arms again.

All in all, Zagreus doesn’t masturbate often, but if he gets impatient for you he will.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Zagreus has a mirror kink, he loves holding you close while he glances into a mirror across from him, watching himself fuck you, watching your face if you’re turned away from him, or just eyeing all the marks his nails have left across your back and sides.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Zagreus will only do it in his room- he loves you, he really does- but he’s not going to fuck you anywhere but his room. It’s completely out of his comfort zone to have sex outside of his room.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

He gets turned on by the simplest things, you could be brushing his hair and say some simple compliment and he’d have a hard on, if anything the sweeter the compliment or comment is, the more horny he gets.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He will not share, he will not hurt you and he absolutely won’t do it anywhere but his room. Zagreus has boundaries and if you push them, or try to push them, he’d be turned off pretty quickly.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Zagreus loves receiving Oral, he will do almost anything for a quick blowjob from you, but if you want oral you’ll have to guide him through it. He’s a quick learner, and honestly adores the taste of you- and might (will) become addicted.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Zagreus lets you control the pace most days, if you want it fast and rough he’s holding you close and fucking you until your throats gone raw from moaning.

If you want it slow and sensual, he’s going to murmur how much he loves you into your ear and slowly roll his hips against your own.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

The quickie king, always willing to give you a quick fuck before going on another run, always making sure to at least clean you up before leaving.

Quickies happen at least four times a week, if not more.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Zagreus needs quite a bit of convincing to take risks during sex, as he’s very content to just coddle your smaller frame as he fucks you. Needles to say if you do risk something and he doesn’t like it, risks are off the table for a while.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Zagreus is a god, he could last for days if he tried hard enough, he can last for a decent amount of time each round. On average he’ll go for two or three rounds, just so you stay conscious and thinking while he fucks you.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Zagreus owns a few dildos and plugs, all gifts from his uncles (he will never use them, he does not trust them), but they’re locked away in a safe and you will have to let him watch you boil them for literal days before he willingly uses them.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Zagreus will be in a teasing mood about half the time, playfully slowing down whenever you’re on the brink- or just stopping and going on a run to make sure you’re ready for him later.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Zagreus is not exactly loud, but he’s very vocal. Hes grunting in your ear, gasping whenever he’s about to cum and if you’re lucky, he might start whimpering in your ear.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Zagreus is honestly embarrassed about any mention of you being his mate, or any conversation about sex. He does not want to talk to his dad or uncles about his sex life and he would love if they stopped asking about it.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Zagreus is almost seven inches long, and slightly tapered towards his tip. His cock is almost a pale orangish red at the tip, giving off a little heat. Hes about two inches wide.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

He has a very high sex drive, willing to go whenever you are. He always craves your body against your own, wanting nothing more than to have you in his arms and your body pressed against his own.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He takes at least two hours to fall asleep, just because he wants to take care of you and make sure you’re perfectly taken care of before he even thinks about cleaning himself up to go to bed.

Im gonna be honest i got really tired like halfway through the NSFW half, but i really enjoyed making this :)

Hades is up next

[subbyp]

thanatos, appearing with a frantic yet pint-sized toll akin to someone smashing their forehead into the call bell at a hotel front desk: MOTHER WHY IS ZAGREUS PRAYING THAT I WILL GRANT HIM A PEACEFUL DEATH

tired: zagreus is ftm because the god of life should have a womb

wired: zagreus is ftm because the god of rebirth should be trans

inspired: zagreus is ftm because the god of blood should have a period

[cantheykillmacbeth]

Could Goncharov kill Macbeth?

Okay, I'm really glad you brought this up, since this is a topic that has... kind of come up before on this blog (See: Steven Universe, Zagreus from Hades) but not exactly so I think this is a great moment to address it:

I think that if being a C-section baby counted towards the Unconventional Birth Clause for MacDuff, then it should count for it when a character is delivered posthumously. Since Goncharov is this sort of situation, with his mother Viktoria having died during childbirth (the wording implies that she died slightly before childbirth, but either way it is explicitly said she died in the hospital), he would count towards the Unconventional Birth Clause.

As for the Gender Clause, I know someone is going to bring this up, so let me make this clear: Goncharov saying "I can no longer look in the mirror and see a man" in the balcony scene with Andrey is just him dramatically saying that he is disgusted with who he has become at that point in the movie. He's not saying that he's trans, he's saying that he's a monster/inhuman. You can headcanon this however you want, but the fact of the matter is that in canon, he's just saying he can't live with himself after what he did to Antonio. So, no, Goncharov does not apply for the Gender Clause.

So, long story short: Yes, Lo Straniero aka Goncharov from the eponymous Goncharov (1973) could kill Macbeth!

He applies for the Unconventional Birth Clause.

Thank you for your submission!

[tenebriism]

okay but takumi and zag tho for that shipping meme

Send Me a Ship and I'll Tell You . . . [ ACCEPTING ] ;;

TAKUMI X ZAGREUS :

Who is more likely to hurt the other?

Not intentionally, by any means, but I could see Zagreus hurting Takumi on several occasions, just because of his situation alone.

Who is emotionally stronger?

For this one, I'm not sure. Takumi doesn't seem the type to let things get to him, but then, Zagreus is still up and kicking after being kicked down by his father and many others for so many centuries. I'll say they're equal on this.

Who is physically stronger?

Zagreus. Being part god has its advantages, ya know?

Who is more likely to break a bone? 

Zagreus. His father makes it absolute HELL ( lol, get it? ) to escape his domain, so Zagreus comes back with all sorts of scrapes and bruises and cuts more often than he'd like.

Who knows best what to say to upset the other? 

I don't think he'd ever do it on purpose, but probably Zagreus?

Who is most likely to apologize first after an argument? 

Probably Takumi. I don't think it's that Zagreus wouldn't WANT to, but he'd definitely stew for a bit before owning up to what he's done. He's a tad on the immature side.

Who treats whose wounds more often? 

Given Zagreus' recklessness, Takumi definitely has to patch him up more. Thankfully, Zagreus' body heals extremely quickly, so Takumi doesn't have to do much to get him right as rain again.

Who is in constant need of comfort? 

Again, Zagreus. Dude has a LOT of personal battles, physical and mental. He's, uh... gonna need a LOT of comfort.

Who gets more jealous? 

Zag. I mean, LOOK at Takumi... mans is beautiful. >:o Zag doesn't necessarily show it that much, but in the moments Takumi gets attention ( and he will -- again, he's gorgeous, and those in hell still have eyes and common sense ), there will be s i g n s.

Who’s most likely to walk out on the other? 

Sadly, Zagreus. I could see him getting to a point where he honestly, truly, wholeheartedly believes that Takumi is better off ( and, more importantly, SAFER ) without him, and he just straight up LEAVES.

Who will propose? 

:) I think Zagreus will propose to Takumi. That pure, beautiful man stuck by Zagreus, and even endangered HIMSELF to escape. Zagreus ain't lettin' that go.

Who has the most difficult parents?

Lawd, Zagreus, Zagreus, Zagreus, lmao.

Who initiates hand-holding when they’re out in public? 

I think they both do in equal amounts! Takumi is naturally affectionate, but then, so is Zag. It's a gesture of love, but also, of wanting to keep Takumi close so he can keep him safe.

Who hogs the blankets? 

Probably Zagreus. He just LOOKS like he sleeps erratically and pulls the covers off of poor Takumi at night. XD

Who gets more sad? 

Mm, Zag. Daddy Issues'll do that to ya.

Who is better at cheering the other up? 

Takumi is definitely better at cheering Zag up. I think Takumi would be good at cheering ANYONE up, really, but especially his partner.

Who’s the one that playfully slaps the other all the time after they make silly jokes?

I could see Zag doing this to Takumi? They're both extremely energetic, but Zagreus seems like the type to be a bit more... say, aggressive with it?

Who is more streetwise?

Probably Takumi, since he's had far more exposure to the mortal world than Zagreus. Now, if we're talkin' HELL streetwise, then Zagreus, obviously.

Who is more wise?

I'd say Takumi! Zagreus is still maturing, to some extent, and still extremely reckless. I think he could learn a lot from Takumi, in all honesty.

Who’s the shyest? 

Deeeeeefinitely Takumi, haha, and Zagreus thinks it's so cute.

Who boasts about the other more? 

Zagreus doesn't shut up about Takumi, and I do mean that literally. The moment they make things official, anybody that Zagreus trusts knows about Takumi, and how happy Takumi makes him, and how BEAUTIFUL Takumi is, and how lovely he smells, and---

Who sits on whose lap? 

I'd saaaay... Takumi is the lap sitter. :) And Zagreus welcomes him every single time without reservation.

@box-of-characters ;;

[whencyclopedia]

Zagreus

In ancient Greek mythology, Zagreus is a god closely associated with the wine god Dionysus, the underworld, and hunting. A son of Zeus and Persephone, he is known in the Orphic tradition as the first incarnation of Dionysus, whilst other stories identify him as the son of Hades or even as Hades himself.

The earliest mention of Zagreus comes from a quoted line from the lost Greek epic Alcmeonis, a poem dating back to at least the 6th century BCE, where he is described alongside Gaia, the Greek personification of the earth, as "highest of all the gods" (West, 61). Yet some scholars believe this line was only in reference to him being the highest of all the gods of the underworld, as surviving fragments of works written by the Greek tragedy playwright Aeschylus (c. 525 to c. 456 BCE) identify him closely with Hades.

Zagreus is also the name often given to Orphic Dionysus, whose story was central to the beliefs of the followers of Orphism. In the story, Zagreus, a child of Zeus and Persephone, was killed and eaten by the Titans, except for his heart which was found by Athena and brought to Zeus. Because his heart was saved, Zagreus was able to be reincarnated as the god Dionysus. Zeus punished the Titans for their treachery by destroying them with a thunderbolt, and it was from their ashes that humanity was born.

Followers of Orphism, therefore, believed that humanity had a dual nature, one of the body, inherited from the Titans, and one of the soul, or the divine spark inherited from the parts of Zagreus ingested by the Titans. It was the central focus of Orphism for one to achieve salvation through acts of atonement during their lifetime or else be cursed with endless reincarnation. Aspects of Orphism, including the suffering, death, and resurrection of Dionysus Zagreus, and the idea of redemption for an original sin call to mind aspects of later religions, such as Christianity.

Origins & Interpretations

What little is known of Zagreus outside his association with Dionysus comes from fragments of lost works of Greek literature. He was certainly renowned, as a surviving quote from the lost Greek epic Alcmeonis offers a prayer to "Mistress Earth, and Zagreus highest of all the gods" (West, 61). The invocation of his name alongside Mother Earth seems to suggest that Zagreus was held in high esteem and was thought to be very powerful. Some scholars believe that the reference to him as "highest of all the gods" does not claim that he was the greatest god on Mount Olympus, but rather that he was the greatest god of the underworld.

This can be gathered from the context of the prayer, in which the hero of the Alcmeonis, Alcmaon, calls upon the powers of the earth to see the soul of his father safely transferred to heaven. Zagreus' status as a god of the underworld can further be attested to by two works written by Aeschylus. One of these references, found in a fragmented line of one of Aeschylus' lost Sisyphus plays dating back to around the 5th century BCE, identifies Zagreus as the son of Hades. Another reference, from Aeschylus' Egyptians names Zagreus as Hades himself.

Either way, Zagreus seems to have been a powerful underworld god, earning the epithet "Chthonios," or "the subterranean." As for the associations of him to Dionysus, scholars such as Timothy Gantz have postulated that the separate myths of Zagreus, a son of Hades and Persephone, had over time become merged with the myth of Orphic Dionysus, the son of Zeus and Persephone, so that the name Zagreus came to be associated with both myths.

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[wee-chlo]

So I'm reading a pretty cool book called Hades: Myth, Magic and Modern Devotion by Jamie Waggoner, which is very good and interesting so far, 10/10, really enjoying my preliminary ADHD skim.

And one of the chapters deals with the obvious: Greek thoughts about death, dying, and the various rituals surrounding the dead in ancient Greece.

And that's the chapter that mentions Hades' children.

So apparently in actual myth, whether or not Hades has children is fairly ambiguous, but the ones that do say he has children reference two daughters specifically: Melinoë and Makaria.

Both deal with the dead specifically. Makaria is the goddess of the blessed dead, and rules over Elysium. She's the embodiment of the shades who pass peacefully, or have come to terms with their death and settle in the Underworld.

Melinoë, on the other hand, is the goddess of restless spirits. Shades who return to haunt the living for various reasons but most commonly because of a failure to show their remains due deference, who are angry and unsettled. She doesn't rule over a specific place in the Underworld, but is associated with the river Cocytus, or the river of wailing and lamentation.

(on a note somewhat unrelated to actual Greek mythology, Cocytus is also the place in Virgil's Divine Comedy where traitors are sent, including Cain, Judas, and Satan)

In the context of SGG Hades, this means a few things to me:

A) there is a clear piece of connective tissue between the divine portfolios of all of Mel's potential divine suitors and her own: retribution, strife, and doom all slot pretty neatly into the idea of being haunted by shades of angered dead.

B) Much like Zagreus always being On the Go, I don't think Melinoë will settle into the House very well. Perhaps hers will be a mirror of Persephone, where she stays there for short stays and goes between the House and the Crossroads.

C) Hades and Persephone will have another kid and she's gonna be the baby of the family and have a great time being a chthonic goddess while her siblings are just like "WOW WONDER WHAT THAT'S LIKE"