The myth of Demeter and Persephone is the central myth of Greek agricultural religion, the story of how the goddess of the harvest lost her daughter to the god of the underworld, and how her grief caused the earth to become barren. The myth was the foundation of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the most important religious festival of the ancient Greek world, and it is the source of the Greek explanation of the seasons. The story is told in detail in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, one of the most important sources of Greek myth.
Persephone Before the Abduction
Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. She was raised on the island of Sicily, or in some traditions in the fields of Nysa, in the care of her mother and the Oceanids. She was a beautiful young maiden, often depicted as gathering flowers with her companions.
According to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Persephone was gathering flowers in a meadow with the daughters of Oceanus when the earth opened and Hades burst forth in his chariot. He seized Persephone, who screamed, and carried her down to the underworld. The only witness was Hecate, who heard the scream but did not see who had taken her.
The Grief of Demeter
Demeter was devastated by the loss of her daughter. She wandered the earth for nine days, holding two torches that she had lit from the fires of Mount Etna, searching for Persephone. She did not eat, drink, or bathe, and she refused to allow the earth to bear fruit.
On the tenth day, Demeter met Hecate, who told her that she had heard the scream but did not know who had taken Persephone. Together, they went to Helios, the sun-god, who sees all things, and he told them that Zeus had given Persephone to Hades to be his wife, with the consent of Persephone’s father.
The Foundation of Eleusis
Demeter was furious at Zeus and at the gods in general. She withdrew her favor from the earth, and the crops failed. The earth became barren, the livestock died, and humanity faced starvation. To prevent the total destruction of the human race, Zeus had to intervene.
According to one version of the myth, during her search for Persephone, Demeter came to the city of Eleusis, near Athens, disguised as an old woman. The queen, Metaneira, took her in as a nurse for her infant son Demophon. Demeter tried to make the child immortal by anointing him with ambrosia and holding him in the fire, but the queen discovered her and screamed. The goddess revealed herself and demanded that a temple be built in her honor. The temple of Demeter at Eleusis was the site of the great mysteries.
The Return of Persephone
Zeus finally sent Hermes to the underworld to negotiate Persephone’s return. Hades agreed, but he tricked Persephone into eating four (or, in some versions, three) pomegranate seeds. Because she had eaten the food of the dead, she was bound to spend part of each year in the underworld.
The compromise was that Persephone would spend part of the year with her mother in the upper world and part of the year with Hades in the underworld. When she returned to her mother, the earth blossomed. When she descended to the underworld, the earth grew cold.
The myth is a brilliant personification of the cycle of the seasons. When Persephone returns to her mother, spring comes. When she descends to the underworld, autumn and winter come. The myth was at the heart of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the most important religious festival of the ancient Greek world.
The Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries, the most important religious festival of the ancient Greek world, were celebrated annually in honor of Demeter and Persephone. The festival was held in September-October and lasted nine days. It involved a procession from Athens to Eleusis, ritual purification, the recitation of sacred myths, the revelation of secret rites to the initiates, and a celebration of the gift of grain to humanity.
The secrets of the mysteries were so well kept that we do not know exactly what happened in the inner sanctum. We do know that the initiates were promised a blessed afterlife, and that the experience of the mysteries was considered the most profound religious experience available to the Greeks. The festival was attended by hundreds of thousands of people over the centuries, including many of the most famous figures of the ancient world.
The Variants of the Myth
The myth of Persephone has many variants. In some versions, she is the daughter of Zeus and Styx, not Demeter. In others, she is the daughter of Zeus and Rhea, or of Zeus and Demeter in a more sacred union. In some versions, she is abducted by Hades with the consent of Zeus, and in others, against his will.
The number of pomegranate seeds she eats also varies. In some versions, she eats four, in others three, in still others six. The number of seeds is sometimes connected to the number of months she spends in the underworld, and thus to the length of winter.
The Cult of Persephone
Persephone was worshipped as a goddess in many places, particularly in Sicily, the great wheat-producing island, where her abduction was said to have taken place. She was also worshipped in other parts of Greece, particularly in regions where agriculture was important.
The cult of Persephone was closely associated with that of her mother Demeter, and the two were worshipped together as Demeter and Kore (the Maiden). The Eleusinian Mysteries were the central cult of both goddesses, and the mysteries were considered the most important religious festival of the ancient Greek world.
The Romans identified Persephone with their own goddess Proserpina, who was the consort of Dis Pater (the Roman equivalent of Hades). The myth of Proserpina was central to Roman religion, and the festival of the Parentalia was celebrated in her honor.
The Cultural Legacy of Persephone
The myth of Persephone has had a profound influence on Western culture. The story of the maiden who spends part of the year in the underworld and part of the year in the upper world has been the subject of countless works of literature, art, and film.
The figure of Persephone has been interpreted by feminist critics as a symbol of the mother-daughter bond, the transition from girlhood to womanhood, and the cyclical nature of life. The myth has been adapted by many modern writers, including Toni Morrison (Song of Solomon), Sarah Ruhl (Eurydice), and Madeline Miller (Galatea).
The 2021 webtoon Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe, which has been read by hundreds of millions of readers, is a modern retelling of the myth of Persephone. The phrase “Persephone” has been used in popular culture to describe young women caught between two worlds, and the “Persephone complex” has been used in psychology to describe the relationship between mothers and daughters.
For more on the mythological context, see our profile of Demeter, our guide to the Olympian gods, and our profile of Hades. For more on the cultural legacy, see our guide to Greek mythology in modern culture.