in Pagan worship, the king of the infernal regions, was the son of Saturn and Ops, and the brother of Jupiter and Neptune. This deity finding himself childless and unmarried, mounted his chariot to visit the world; and arriving in Sicily, fell in love with Proserpine, whom he saw gathering flowers with her companions in the valley of Enna, near Mount Etna: when, forcing her into his chariot, he drove her to the river Chamarus, through which he opened himself a passage back to the realms of night. See CERES and PROSERPINE.

Pluto is usually represented in an ebony chariot drawn by four black horses; sometimes holding a sceptre, to denote his power; at others, a wand, with which he drives away the ghosts; and at others, some keys, to signify that he had the keys of death. Homer observes, that his helmet had the quality of rendering the wearer invisible, and that Minerva borrowed it in order to be concealed from Mars when he fought against the Trojans. Pluto was greatly revered both by the Greeks and Romans, who erected temples and altars to him. To this god sacrifices were offered in the night, and it was not lawful to offer them by day.