Hades has never enjoyed family get-togethers, and the birthdays, anniversaries, marriages, and coming of age ceremonies of his siblings many, many children are a particular sore point: watching Zeus have the life he never will, the life that by all rights should have been his as eldest.

Politics demands he come, but he does not relish the occasion; he stays only as long as he must, gives each child a forgettable and easy gift (an advantage of the underworld: easy access to meaningless jewels).

The only time he gets anything in return is when his sister's daughter comes of age; "This is yours, uncle!" she says, giggling, tossing a crown of flowers on his head -- she winks at him, positively fetching, and from that moment onward, he is so taken by her that he forgets to take the flower crown off, and is only reminded of its presence when it crumbles to mulch under his feet as he steps back into his dark and dismal home.