In Roman mythology, Pluto is the formidable god of the Underworld and judge of the dead, equivalent to the Greek god Hades. One of the three supreme brothers who overthrew their father Saturn, he drew the short straw when the cosmos was divided and received the dark realm of the afterlife, while Jupiter took the skies and Neptune the seas. Despite his ominous reputation, Pluto was not regarded as an evil deity; he was a stern and just ruler who maintained the necessary balance of life and death. Because his domain lay deep within the earth, he was also revered as the god of hidden wealth, overseeing precious metals, gems, and the fertile soil that nourishes crops above. His most famous myth involves the abduction of his niece, Proserpina (Persephone in Greek), whom he carried to the Underworld to be his queen. This tale explains the changing of the seasons: Proserpina’s mother, Ceres, brings winter upon the earth while her daughter is below, and restores spring when she returns.
The manuscript illustration depicts Pluto, god of the Underworld, and his queen, Proserpina, ruling over the realm of the dead. They sit together on a throne within a dark cavern shaped like a monstrous mouth, echoing medieval Christian visions of hell. At their feet lies Cerberus, the fearsome three-headed hound who guards the gates of the underworld to prevent souls from escaping. To the left, peaceful musicians play their instruments, likely referencing the myth of Orpheus. To the right, in stark contrast, demons torment the damned. The accompanying Old French text beneath the miniature directly describes and interprets the scene. It characterizes Pluto as a terrible man seated on a “sulfurous throne,” holding a royal scepter, and describes Cerberus as a strange, monstrous dog with three heads. It then names other inhabitants of the underworld—the Furies, the Fates, and the Harpies—as well as the subterranean rivers flowing from beneath the throne. Finally, it offers a classic medieval allegorical reading of the myth, stating that the name Pluto represents the earth itself, or the “god of the earth.”
Illumination from Le livre des échecs amoureux moralisés.This detail depicts the rulers of the classical underworld within a niche shaped like a giant owl—a medieval symbol of darkness and death. The three-headed hound Cerberus lies chained at their feet, while surrounding musicians evoke the tragic myth of Orpheus.
Library of Light Edition 1.0 — Last revised: June 2026