Persephone was with the daughters of Oceanus, one of the Greek Titans, “gathering flowers over a soft meadow,” when the earth opened up and appeared Hades, riding his chariot of immortal horses. The majority of the story used here comes from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, while some aspects also come from “The Library of History” by Diodorus Siculus. “The Rape of Persephone” is one of the most-repeated stories in both Greek and Roman mythology. While playing with friends, Persephone was raped and kidnapped by Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. It could be said that Persephone was known as two very different goddesses – daughter of Demeter and wife of Hades. The story of Persephone’s kidnapping by Hades, and her time in the underworld runs parallel to her mother’s fearful search for her. However, Demeter would have other children to Poseidon and the mortal Iasion.ĭemeter was quite close to her daughter, and they are connecting in almost all places of worship. In some myths, Demeter and Zeus had lain together as serpents, and Persephone was their only child. Persephone was the child of Zeus and Demeter. In these cases, she usually stands behind her mother’s chariot, facing the hero Triptolemos. Persephone’s image can be found on much pottery due to her agricultural connection. Greek art from the classical era shows the goddess holding a sheaf of wheat, and/or a golden torch in her hands. Persephone is sometimes represented as a young child, alongside her mother, while other times as an adult beside Hades, her husband. READ MORE: Roman Gods and Goddesses How Is Persephone Portrayed? In Latin, Proserpina was the name given to her, while her character remained exactly the same. Goddess Persephone is also called Kore (or Core) in Greek mythology, which means “The Maiden” or “The Mistress.” She was worshipped in some parts of Greece as Despoina, though that may be a confusion with her half-brother, Despoine. Hence, “Persephone” would literally mean “The thresher of grains,” which would relate to her role as a goddess of agriculture. Modern linguists suspect it may be connected to ancient languages which used the word “persa” to refer to “sheaves of grain” while “phone” does not come from the word for sound, but from a proto-Indian word for “beating.”

Unlike many of the Greek gods and goddesses, the name of Persephone is difficult to trace the origin. As Nestis, she is sometimes referred to as the goddess of water, or springs. With her mother Demeter, she was worshiped in the Eleusinian Mysteries and was important in many agricultural cults. Persephone may best be known as the Queen of the Underworld, but she has also been known and worshiped as the goddess of spring growth. What Is Persephone Goddess Of in Greek Mythology?

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Greek hades and persephone