The Three Judges from Greek Underworld

03/06/2020
     The Three Judges in Greek Underworld were popularly known after the Anime Knights of the Zodiac, but these Three Mythological beings existed a long time ago within Greek Mythology.

The Three Judges in Greek Mythology:

     The grand court was chaired by three judges: Eacus, Radamanthys and Minus. The judgment of souls was attended by Hades himself and, depending on the sentence, they would proceed to the Camp of Asphodelos, the Champs Elysées or Tartarus. The sentences proposed by Hades were irrevocable and even Zeus could not interfere with his decision. Those who had committed crimes, especially against the gods, were directly sent to Tartarus, where they would serve their sentences. 

     We also know that Éaco was the one who judged European souls, while Radamanto judged Asian souls, and Minus finally decided which region of hell the souls would go to. It has been reported that those who were sent to Tartarus received some type of sacrifice that should be made for the rest of their lives. A well-known example is that of Sifiso, who was ordered to roll a huge rock to the top of a high mountain and every time he got there the rock would roll down again, having to repeat the process tirelessly.

Greek Underworld:

     In Greek mythology hell is known as Hades (from Greek Aidòs), it is the land of the dead, ruled by the namesake god. Located in the lower world, below the earth's surface, it is also known as the home or domain of Hades (dómos Aidaoú) and is the place where the souls of dead people (whether good or bad) go, guided by Hermes, the emissary of the gods, to become shadows there. It is governed by the god Hades, his name is often used to designate his world. Upon reaching the world of the dead, souls were judged by three judges, with specific responsibilities: Minos, had the deciding vote, Aiacos judged European souls and Radamanthys judged Asian souls. Even Hades himself did not interfere in their judgment, except on rare occasions.

Check: All for Greek Underworld

Minus, Celestial Star of Nobility:

     In Greek mythology, Minus (in Greek: Μίνως) was a legendary king of the island of Crete, son of Zeus and of the Phoenician princess Europa, being brother of Sarpedão and Radamanthys. He would have been born in about 1445 BC and reigned from 1 406 BC to 1 204 BC The same was the one who locked the minotaur in the labyrinth of Crete, built by Daedalus at the behest of King Minos (this story is very long and deserves a post of his own) The civilization that prospered in Crete, when it was discovered by the archaeologist Arthur Evans, received the nickname of Minoan, in reference to Minos. 

     After his death, Minus became one of the three judges of hell, being the judge responsible for the final verdict. , that is, the decisions of the other Judges were only validated if Minos approved them, souls depending on their sins would be sent to Tartarus for punishment or to the Champs Elysées if acquitted, thus being leader among the Judges. He is a very calm and rational man and always calculates the next step according to the situation in front of him, he is considered a very cold and sadistic man.

Aiacus, Heavenly Star of Heroism:

     According to Greek mythology, Aiacus is the son of Zeus and the nymph Égina, daughter of the river god Asopo. Aiacos married Endeis, daughter of Sciron, and had two sons, Peleus and Telamon, also had a son with Psâmate, daughter of Nereus, called Foco and a daughter, Aikimachus. Pious by nature, he is loved by the gods who are happy to satisfy their vows. Thus, during an enemy invasion, all his soldiers were killed and his city was on fire, badly wounded, Aiacos kneels in front of a sacred oak of the city and calls for help to Zeus, the king of the gods answers his plea and transforms all the ants of the oak in very strong soldiers, these were called Mirmídões (ant in Greek), in the same instant the game turned and the enemies of Aiacos were exterminated in few minutes. His wisdom and his passion for justice led the gods to choose him to be a judge and, later, to judge in the court of the Hereafter, chaired by Hades, alongside Minos and Radamanthys. He was particularly in charge of judging, in hell, the souls coming from the European continent. 

     The inhabitants of the island of Aegina gave him a fervent cult, whose parties were combined with Olympic games. The winners of these games suspended their crowns in the temple that had been consecrated to them. Athens also venerated Aiacos, building him a sanctuary in the Agora. Aiacos is usually represented using a royal scepter and the key to the Hells, of which he is the sole holder.

Radamanthys, Fury Celeste Star:

     In classical Greek: Ῥαδάμανθυς. Son of Zeus and Europa, brother of Minos and Sarpedão. He was adopted by Asterius, king of Crete, when he married Europe. He is credited with organizing the Cretan code of laws, which served as a model for several Greek cities. Expelled from Crete by his brother Minos, who was jealous of his popularity, he fled to Boeotia, where he married Alcmena, widow of Host. She had two children with her, Gortis and Eritro and settled in Lycia. He was known for his wisdom and justice. Because of his integrity, when he died he became one of the judges of Hades, along with his brother Minos and Aiacos. According to Plato, Radamanthys was supposed to judge souls from Asia. 

     Everywhere he acquired the reputation of a just, but severe prince, in the Hells too his decisions are not only about justice, but also about strict severity. As Judge of Hades he is appointed to judge particularly the inhabitants not only of Asia, but also of Africa, while Aiacos did the same with the western ones, with Minos having the decisive vote. It was Radamanthys who taught Hercules the handling of the bow. He is known as one of the most loyal to Emperor Hades and is ordinarily represented with a scepter and seated on a throne given by Zeus, at the door of the Champs Elysees.

EXTRA:

     Escaping Greek mythology a little, in Christianity Radamanthys is presented as a fire-dominant demon with six black angel wings and a third eye on his forehead. He is also known for his dual evil and benign personality. This being found at the end of Hell alongside Lucifer. He is kept chained by the Prince, due to the great amount of power that this being has. He had been the most difficult for Lucifer. Before he was the Prince of Hell, it was Radamanthys who ran the underworld, although that command did not have an organization. We can say that it was because he was the strongest among all. Even Lucifer fears his power. He is known in Hell as the Angel of Death, for having killed many humans, including not being at the correct time for some. He has no connection with Heaven. He is a cold demon who does not express emotions with his face, let alone with words. Many say he never spoke. His strength is not impressive, but his ability to kill is always described using a large and powerful scythe.

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