Episode 164: Eat
Editor: Bre BoswellReleased: 3 July 2021
Photo from Webtoons
Hades brings Persephone to Tartarus, assuring her that she’ll be fine. He explains that Tower 4 is more of a gateway to other areas of afterlife punishment and he’ll be bringing her to Ancient Tartarus.
Ancient Tartarus is not just a place but actually a deity without a physical body. Persephone offers a gift of honey made from her own bees to Tartarus and is received well. Hades is able to bring her to meet the only thing in the Underworld that is able to grow: a mysterious pomegranate tree which Persephone can’t tell whether or not it’s cursed or enchanted.
“Here we are. This is Ancient Tartarus. They are actually a deity themselves, but they don’t have a physical body like us.”
Hades
“Hello, my name is Persephone. I’ve brought you a gift from home.”
Persephone
Hades goes on to tell Persephone that becoming the king of the Underworld wasn’t easy. It’s an old place, full of older rules, and he wasn’t initially welcomed with open arms. He found his way to this tree, where the deity Erebus asks him if he wants to be the true king or a king in name only.
To become a true king, Hades must offer something to the realm and make a sacrifice. Eating the pomegranate will make the exchange, but Hades does not know what he is sacrificing.
Photo from Webtoons
OBSERVATIONS / NOTES FROM CONTRIBUTOR
As Persephone and Hades travel down the elevator, it is seen that the tree Persephone grew in Tower 4 has grown its roots deep down in Ancient Tartarus. We do not know if Hades has noticed this.
In this episode, we see that there is a new level of constant closeness and contact between these two. Hades wants Persephone to learn more about him and the pros and cons of being with him from his own lips so she isn’t hurt by malicious gossip.
Some of the Underworld residents that initially rejected Hades were Nyx and Megaera. Hecate is seen only giving him a wary look, implying that she didn’t reject him.
WHAT WE LEARNED
OTHER INSIGHTS
OTHER EPISODES
In Ancient Greece, honey and bees were associated with the Underworld. Various Greek philosophers even believed that humans could be reincarnated as bees, or that bees are the souls of humans who had not yet been born. Above is an image of a Greek coin depicting a bee. In Lore Olympus, Persephone is seen snacking on honey in Episodes 54 and 130.