Relating to or dwelling in the underworld, depths of the earth, or the realm of the dead in ancient Greek mythology.
From Greek 'chthonios,' derived from 'chthon' (earth). Used in classical mythology to describe underworld deities and forces, adopted into English in the 19th century.
Hades and Persephone are chthonian gods—they rule from below—and the word reminds us that ancient Greeks were thinking about layers of reality, much like how we now think about below-ground ecosystems!
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