Hades (the Roman Pluto) is the god and king of the underworld, the realm of the dead [S2][S3]. One of the first-born sons of Cronus and Rhea, he was swallowed at birth and later disgorged by Zeus [S1]. When the world was divided, Hades received the third of it: the underworld [S1]. His most defining act is the seizure of Persephone (daughter of Demeter) to be his queen, which set in motion the myth of the seasons [S4][S5]. Though often conflated with his realm, Hades is a distinct deity: a stern, just, and not especially evil ruler of the dead, who rarely leaves his domain [S2][S3][S5]. The name 'Hades' came to mean the place itself (the underworld) as well as its god — a shift the sources make clear [S2].