Persephone

## Relevant Pages

**Persephone** is a Mount Olympus character in *Greek Mythology*. She made her début in around seven hundred BCE on Homer's: The Iliad and ends around the ninth century.

Persephone was the greek goddess of spring and the goddess of the Underworld in Greek Mythology.

## History

In Greek mythology, Persephone, also called Kore or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest goddess Demeter, and is the queen of the underworld. Homer describes her as the formidable, venerable majestic princess of the underworld, who carries into effect the curses of men upon the souls of the dead. Persephone was married to Hades, the god-king of the underworld. The myth of her abduction represents her function as the personification of vegetation, which shoots forth in spring and withdraws into the earth after harvest; hence, she is also associated with spring as well as the fertility of vegetation, she was also fairly aged during this time, since it does not say she was just born, it takes place **decades** after her birth. Similar myths appear in the Orient, in the cults of male gods like Attis, and Osiris, and in Minoan Crete.

Persephone as a vegetation goddess and her mother Demeter were the central figures of the Eleusinian mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon and promised the initiated a more enjoyable prospect after death. Persephone is further said to have become by Zeus the mother of Dionysus, Iacchus, or Zagreus, usually in orphic tradition. The origins of her cult are uncertain, but it was based on very old agrarian cults of agricultural communities.

Persephone was commonly worshipped along with Demeter and with the same mysteries. To her alone were dedicated the mysteries celebrated at Athens in the month of Anthesterion. In Classical Greek art, Persephone is invariably portrayed robed, often carrying a sheaf of grain. She may appear as a mystical divinity with a sceptre and a little box, but she was mostly represented in the act of being carried off by Hades.

Once the titans were destroyed, Mount Olympus was made and Zeus raped Demeter, and she later bore Persephone. Hades went to great lengths to be married to the goddess of spring, Persephone. He saw this beautiful woman and told his grandmother Gaia to show her a flower, the most beautiful flower, Persephone dazzled by the flower's beauty got too distracted, then Hades coming up from the Underworld in a beautiful, rich golden chariot and forced her into it by grabbing her arm and then getting her fully and heading back down to the underworld with him. Hecate, who lived in the underworld heard the poor goddesses' cry but could not know what had happened.

Demeter, devastated over her daughter's disappearance, went searching for her, out of nowhere, Hecate appeared and said she heard Persephone's cries but could not see what had happened. She then suggested going to Helios, the sun [[[Deities|god]]], who immediately spoke out that Hades kidnapped her. Hades was going to let Persephone go, but before she left the Underworld, he gave her a pomegranate to eat. Persephone, not knowing what the fruit of the Underworld does, ate it. Not knowing, it keeps you trapped in the Underworld for eternity. So Demeter knew a deal needed to be struck. She told Hades and begged him to let out her daughter. Hades refused, then Demeter requested that Persephone stay the first half of the year up with her mother and the other half, in the Underworld with Hades. Hades accepted the offer. After a while, Hades asked Zeus, for his hand in marriage to Persephone, who agreed without a thought.

## Personality

Persephone is sweet-tempered and kind. Before being taken to the Underworld, she was happy and carefree, but is more calm and collected as the queen. She is compassionate and empathetic to everyone, like helping Psyche by giving her a box of beauty and helping Orpheus by freeing Eurydice.

## Appearance

Persephone is a very beautiful young goddess with chestnut brown hair, emerald green eyes, lightly tanned skin with soft, feminine face and a slender hourglass-like figure.

## Family

*Notes:*

* Solid lines denote parent-child blood relationships
* Dashed lines denote marriage relationships that result in offspring
* **†** denotes the deceased
* Zeus was married to his sister, Hera.

## Portrayers

  A light blue cell indicates a special guest cast member.

## References

1. ↑ Persephone's abduction took place decades, maybe centuries after her birth, so her main home and where she originated would be Mount Olympus. Though sometimes referenced as an Underworld character.