The God of Wealth: 5 Facts About the Greek God Plutus

The God of Wealth is one of the more obscure and unusual gods in the Greek pantheon. Known as Plutus in Greek, he was a minor deity who was rarely mentioned.

In fact, we know so little about this god that even his origins are unclear. Some sources claim that he was connected to subterranean riches such as minerals and metals; others suggest that he represented the wealth of livestock or agriculture.

In modern times, we might expect a god of wealth to be miserly and stingy. However, this could not have been further from the truth with Plutus (the Roman equivalent being Pluto).

He was depicted as being almost comically generous, with stories detailing how he would shower his followers with riches if they offered him sacrifices of gold and silver coins.

6 Things to Know About the God of Wealth

1.  Plutus was the god of wealth.
2. He was usually represented by a young man with a cornucopia and a bag of coins.
3. He was typically depicted holding a cornucopia in one hand and a bag of coins in the other.
4. He was a minor deity, rarely mentioned in the ancient sources.
5. He was sometimes associated with subterranean riches.
6. He was depicted as being almost comically generous.

Who is Plutus?

The origins of Plutus remain a mystery. His name suggests that he was originally a god of subterranean riches, like minerals and metals. However, other sources suggest that he represented the wealth of livestock or agriculture.

Plutus may have been the manifestation of the concept of luck.

He was considered to be the son of the god Zeus and the goddess Persephone.

He was one of the more obscure deities in the Greek pantheon.

Plutus was a minor god who rarely featured in the stories of the Greeks.

Why was Plutus worshipped?

Like all the Olympian deities, Plutus was worshipped because people believed that he could bring them good fortune. Wealth would have been a particularly useful gift, as it would have allowed people to live more comfortably and easily.

Plutus was particularly associated with ensuring that people had a good harvest.  The ancient Greeks believed that the gods could influence the prosperity of mortal people through a process known as “kleromancy”.

This process involved people making sacrifices to the gods, who would respond by sending them a sign. In the case of kleromancy, a sign could take the form of celestial phenomena or a visit from a god.

In the latter case, a god would send an omophorion, or token of favour, to the people who had made sacrifices to him.

Stories about Plutus

- According to one story, Plutus was the child of a Corinthian king. When his father was overthrown and his mother killed, Plutus was taken away and cared for by shepherds.

When he grew up, he returned to the city and claimed his throne, bringing great wealth to his people.

Another story tells of how Plutus was once invited to a feast at the home of a miserly host. When he arrived at the house, he found that his host refused to open the door.

When the god grew tired of being ignored, he turned the house into gold. The miserly man was then forced to open his front door in order to let the gold inside.

He was worshipped with a ritual involving pigs and honey.

The worship of Plutus was usually accompanied by a ritual in which pigs were sacrificed and honey was poured onto the ground.

The pigs were then either eaten or buried in the earth, and the honey was allowed to ferment. The fermented honey, also known as mead, was then drunk by the worshippers as a sign of their devotion to the god.

The pigs were selected because they were considered to be a sign of fertility. They were also associated with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. The honey was chosen because it was a common offering among Mediterranean cultures.

He is associated with the festival of Gamelion.

The Gamelion festival is an ancient Greek celebration that was connected with the god Plutus.

It was celebrated at the beginning of the year, usually in late January or early February. - The festival represented the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

It was a time when people would start to sow their crops and plant seeds that would grow into crops in the spring.

During the celebration, people would wear crowns of flowers. According to some sources, the festival also included a ritual in which people would exchange presents.

Conclusion

The God of Wealth is one of the more obscure and unusual gods in the Greek pantheon. Known as Plutus in Greek, he was a minor deity who was rarely mentioned.

In fact, we know so little about this god that even his origins are unclear. Some sources claim that he was connected to subterranean riches such as minerals and metals; others suggest that he represented the wealth of livestock or agriculture.

In modern times, we might expect a god of wealth to be miserly and stingy. However, this could not have been further from the truth with Plutus (the Roman equivalent being Pluto).

He was depicted as being almost comically generous, with stories detailing how he would shower his followers with riches if they offered him sacrifices of gold and silver coins.