He was seen as a ruler, protector, and father to both gods and human beings and was often represented by lightning bolts and eagles. Zeus was the chief deity of the Olympian pantheon and served as God of the Sky. His exploits and various relationships have marked most of Greek mythology in one way or another. Zeus, unlike his sister and fourth wife, Demeter, is much more widely known. Unlike many other Greek gods and goddesses, Demeter was not mentioned very often by Homer, but her legend in relation to Persephone was likely quite ancient. She gave birth to her daughter, Persephone, and it was her daughter’s story for which she was most well-known. She also served as the goddess of agriculture, fertility, the cycle of life, sacred law, and death. Demeter was most commonly recognized as the Goddess of the Harvest, and in that role, she watched over all grains and fertility on Earth. Persephone was born to the Greek gods Zeus and Demeter. Persephone’s Family The Return of Persephone, Frederic Leighton, 1891, via ArtUK Persephone’s Role in Greek Mythology Diana Hunting and Presperina in the Underworld, early 17th century, The Metropolitan Museum of National Art The names were thought to appease the feared gods and goddesses in some way. The greater (and nicer) a name a god or goddess received, the more likely they were to be feared. In her role as Queen of the Underworld, she was known by many titles, including “The Pure One,” “The Venerable One,” and “The Great Goddess.” It is likely that she was given these names because she was feared by humans who knew her to be a ruler of the Underworld. In Roman mythology, she is known as Proserpina or Proserpine and Mistress of the Erinyes, otherwise known as the Three Furies: Allecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.Īs Demeter’s daughter, and because of her close relationship with her mother, Persephone and her mother had the collective titles of “The Two Demeters” and “The Two Goddesses” to represent both the intimate nature of their relationship and their shared agricultural duties. Initially, she was known as Kore, “The Maiden,” a reference to her determined virgin status and her role as Goddess of Spring.
Persephone is most commonly known today by her Greek name meaning “ Destroy-Slay ,” but she was also known by many other monikers and titles throughout Greek and Roman mythologies. The Goddess Persephone’s Many Names Proserpine, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1821-1882, Tate Modern Art Gallery, London
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