| Persephone | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Abode | The underworld |
| Symbol | Pomegranate, seeds of grain, torch, and deer |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Zeus and Demeter Zeus and Rhea (Orphic) |
| Siblings | Several paternal half-siblings and maternal half-siblings |
| Spouse | Hades |
| Children | |
| Equivalents | |
| Roman | Proserpina |
| Babylonian | Ereshkigal |
| Part of a series on |
| Ancient Greek religion |
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In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone (/pərˈsɛfəniː/ pər-SEF-ə-nee; Greek: Περσεφόνη, romanized: Persephónē, classical pronunciation: [per.se.pʰó.nɛː]), also called Kore (/ˈkɔːriː/ KOR-ee; Greek: Κόρη, romanized: Kórē, lit. 'the maiden') or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after her abduction by her uncle Hades, the king of the underworld, who would later also take her into marriage.[6]
The myth of her abduction, her sojourn in the underworld, and her cyclical return to the surface represents her functions as the embodiment of spring and the personification of vegetation, especially grain crops, which disappear into the earth when sown, sprout from the earth in spring, and are harvested when fully grown. 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 process of being carried off by Hades.
Persephone, as a vegetation goddess, and her mother Demeter were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which promised the initiated a happy afterlife. The origins of her cult are uncertain, but it was based on ancient agrarian cults of agricultural communities. In Athens, the mysteries celebrated in the month of Anthesterion were dedicated to her. The city of Locri Epizephyrii, in modern Calabria (southern Italy), was famous for its cult of Persephone, where she is a goddess of marriage and childbirth in this region.
Her name has numerous historical variants. These include Persephassa (Περσεφάσσα) and Persephatta (Περσεφάττα). In Latin, her name is rendered Proserpina. She was identified by the Romans as the Italic goddess Libera, who was conflated with Proserpina. Myths similar to Persephone's descent and return to earth also appear in the cults of male gods, including Attis, Adonis, and Osiris,[7] and in Minoan Crete.
- ^ Gantz 1996, p. 118
- ^ Hard 2004, p. 35
- ^ Grimal 1996, Zagreus, p. 456
- ^ Orphic Hymn 29 to Persephone 11 Archived 10 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine (Athanassakis & Wolkow 2013, pp. 26–27).
- ^ Orphic Hymn 70 to the Erinyes 4-5 Archived 10 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine (Athanassakis & Wolkow 2013, pp. 56–57).
- ^ Nilsson 1967, pp. 462–463, 479–480
- ^ Nilsson 1967, Vol I, pp. 215