Hades (called Pluto by the Romans) was the Greek god of the underworld. According to mythology, he received his dominion in a division of worldwide sovereignty between his two brothers (Zeus received heaven to rule, while Poseidon received the sea). Hades’ wife was Persephone, whom he abducted after falling in love with her. His dog, Cerberus, guarded the gates of the underworld and prevented those who crossed the river Styx from returning. In New Testament theology, Hades came to refer to the place of the dead as a location, rather than a deity personified, equivalent to the Hebrew word sheol (“grave”). In English, Hades is essentially hell, a place of constant suffering and separation from God.