Demeter (U432)

**Demeter** was the Olympian pantheon of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over grains and the fertility of the earth.

## History

### Early History

Demeter is one of the oldest Pantheons, having dated to the time of the Titanomachy. She is rumored to have at one point courted with her younger brother, Poseidon, bearing Arion. Their affair was consensual and did not involve rape. They were not often seen together after.

### Famine

Demeter's rage resulting in famine is that of Erysichthon, king of Thessaly. The myth tells of Erysichthon ordering all of the trees in one of Demeter's sacred groves to be cut down, as he wanted to build an extention of his palace and hold feasts there. One tree, a huge oak, was found to be covered with votive wreaths, symbols of the prayers Demeter had granted, and so Erysichthon's men refused to cut it down. The king used an axe to cut it down himself, killing a dryad nymph in the process. The nymph's dying words were a curse on Erysichthon. Demeter punished the king by calling upon Limos, the spirit of unrelenting and insatiable hunger, to enter his stomach. The more the king ate, the hungrier he became. Erysichthon sold all his possessions to buy food, but was still hungry. Finally, he sold his own daughter, Mestra, into slavery. Mestra was freed from slavery by her former lover, Poseidon, who gave her the gift of shape-shifting into any creature at will to escape her bonds. Erysichthon used her shape-shifting ability to sell her numerous times to make more money to feed himself, but no amount of food was enough. Eventually, Erysichthon ate himself.

### Pelops

Once Tantalus, a son of Zeus, invited the gods over for dinner. Tantalus, wanting to test them, cut his son Pelops, cooked him and offered him as meal to them. They all saw through Tantalus' crime except Demeter, who ate Pelops' shoulder before the gods brought him back to life

### Challenge Against Damithales (U432)

The Pheneatians have a story that even before Naos arrived the wanderings of Demeter brought her to their city also. To those Pheneatians who received her with hospitality into their homes the goddess gave all sorts of pulse save the bean only. There is a sacred story to explain why the bean in their eyes is an impure kind of pulse. Those who, the Pheneatians say, gave the goddess a welcome, Trisaules and Damithales, the latter of which bearing a challenge that Demeter's harvests would not be as fruitful as in their homeland. Outraged, she destroyed a portion of Damithales' palace and garden, and then challenged that if he could regrow his crop within a certain period of time that she would keep his fields fertile for five generations. Damithales succeeded, and Demeter kept her bargain.

### Hercules

At the birth of Hercules, she is seen speaking to Athena and Poseidon in cordial conversation. Later at the party, she was seen laughing and holding a horn of grapes, pineapple, pears, and oranges.

## Appearance and Personality

### Appearance

Demeter was frequently associated with images of the harvest, including flowers, fruit, and grain. He hat represents blooming.

### Personality

Nurturing, Demeter gave gifts to those who were welcoming to her, Demeter was also a goddess who nursed the young; all of Plemaeus's children born by his first wife died in cradle; Demeter took pity of him and reared herself his son Orthopolis. She has a warm personality, and often laughs at other's jokes.

## Differences

* Because Zeus is more faithful to Hera, Demeter does not have her daughter Persephone, thus preventing Hades from acquiring the stability he needs. He still keeps the Minthe as a mistress.