Plouton

Plouton is the Greek form of Pluto, the name of the god of the underworld in ancient Greek religion and mythology. The name derives from the Greek element ploutos, meaning “wealth.”

Etymology and Mythology

In classical sources, Plouton was frequently conflated with Ploûtos, the god of wealth, because mineral riches are found underground, and as a chthonic deity Plouton ruled the deep earth that contained seeds essential for a bountiful harvest. The earlier and more common name for the underworld ruler was Hades (from Greek aides, meaning “unseen”), but Plouton came into wider usage through the Eleusinian Mysteries, where he was venerated as a stern but just ruler and a loving husband to Persephone. The couple were often invoked together in religious inscriptions as Plouton and Kore (the Maiden). Unlike Hades, who had few temples, Plouton received cult worship as a giver of blessings from the earth.

Cultural Significance

Plouton represents a more positive conception of the underworld god, associated not only with death but also with the agricultural cycle and abundance. In Roman times, he was identified with Dis Pater and later with Orcus. The name also lives on in the dwarf planet Pluto (discovered in 1930 and reclassified in 2006).

• Meaning: Wealth
• Origin: Greek
• Type: Mythological name
• Usage: Greek