Demeter was a deity that was present in the religiosity of the ancient Greeks, worshiped as the goddess of agriculture, being responsible for the growth of planted grains and fertility on Earth. She was the daughter of Cronos and Rhea and the sister of Zeus, the most powerful god of Greek religiosity.
Demeter was greatly worshiped by the Greeks, who held one of the most renowned religious festivals in her honor. of the time:Mysteries of Eleusis, performed at Eleusis. Her best-known mythological mention refers to the abduction of her daughter Persephone by Hades, god of the underworld. Sadness took hold of Demeter to such an extent that she began to lack food on earth.
Also read: Sphinx — a mythological being present in several cultures of antiquity
Demeter Summary
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Demeter was the goddess of agriculture.
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she was responsible for the fertility and growth of the grains that were planted.
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The Eleusinian Mysteries was an important religious festival that served to worship Demeter.
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Greek myths tell of Demeter's sadness when Persephone was kidnapped.
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The Romans worshiped the deity Demeter by the name of Ceres.
Who is Demeter in Greek Mythology?
Demeter was one of the deities present in the Greek pantheon and, therefore, was part of the religiosity of the Greeks in Antiquity. She was recognized as one of the goddesses of agriculture and considered responsible for guaranteeing the fertility of the Earth and the growth of the planted grains.
The cult of Demeter and her relationship to agriculture is believed to be derived from the cult held by rural communities that existed in the region of Greece before the emergence of the Greek people.
Demeter shared the role of goddess of agriculture with her daughter , and both were marked in the myths for being very close to each other. In Greek religiosity, they were worshiped together in one of the most important religious rituals of Ancient Greece:the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Demeter was daughter of Kronos and Rhea and was sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia and Hera . She was freed by Zeus, who started a revolt against her father. Demeter had a few children, with Persephone, her best-known daughter, being the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She also had Pluto with Iasion, a Greek hero. Greek myths still claim that Demeter had a series of other children.
Rape of Persephone, daughter of Demeter
The best-known myth involving Demeter is the one that narrates the kidnapping of her daughter Persephone by Hades, god of the underworld. Hades came to the surface temporarily and ended up being hit by an arrow launched by Eros, god of love. After that,Hades fell in love with Persephone , who was picking flowers on a prairie in Sicily.
Hades fell in love at the sight of the goddess and immediately decided to kidnap her and take her with him to the underworld in his chariot . Some versions of the myth claim that he only did this after Zeus authorized him to do so.
Anyway, Persephone's disappearance made Demeter desperate . She searched for her daughter nonstop, until Hermes told her what had happened. Sadness and despair caused Demeter to keep looking for her daughter and wander around different places until she settled in Eleusis. There, she helped Demophon, son of Celeus, a man who had invited Demeter (in the guise of an old woman) to dinner at her house.
Demeter was interrupted while performing a ritual to make Demophon immortal, so she demanded that Celeus and his wife Metanira build a temple for her in Eleusis. After the temple was finished, Demeter was overcome with sadness and isolated herself within it. Demeter's isolation meant that her obligations were not fulfilled, andagriculture began to decline .
This spread famine across the world and began to affect mortal offerings to the gods. So Zeus decided to seek out Demeter to inform her that he would intervene in the situation to ensure Persephone's return. Zeus was informed that Hades would only accept to return Persephone if she had not consumed any underworld food.
However, Persephone had eaten a grain of pomegranate, which made it impossible for her to return. An arrangement was made, and Hades allowed Persephone to stay with her mother for a part of the an the . Different versions state that this time would be either 2/3 or half of the year.
This would explain the seasons, because in the period away from her daughter, Demeter was sad, and agriculture ceased to be fertile (winter). When Persephone returned, Demeter rejoiced, and agriculture prospered again (spring).
See also: Aphrodite — the Greek Goddess of Love, Beauty, Fertility and Desire
Worship of Demeter
As mentioned, one of the most traditional cults in Greece was the festival held in honor of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. It was about the Eleusinian Mysteries , festival held twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. The festival represented the change of seasons, the return of the afterlife, and also served to ensure a good afterlife for its initiates.
The Eleusinian Mysteries were established as a cult around 600 BC, when it became part of the Athenian calendar, but historians claim that this ritual is related to cults dating back to the 15th century BC, during the existence of the Mycenaean civilization. The Eleusinian Mysteries were a popular festival in Greece until the 4th century A.D.
We currently know little about the Eleusinian Mysteries, as those initiated into this ritual took an oath of privacy. So what happened at the festival was secret. Historians know only fragments of what happened, such as the staging of Persephone's kidnapping , for example.
It is known that there were animal sacrifices . It is believed that there were also celebrations during the festival, including parties with music, dancing and drinking. The ritual was associated with ensuring fertility for agriculture and the search for a good afterlife.
The cult of Demeter went beyond the Eleusinian Mysteries. We know that Eleusis was the center of the cult of this goddess, but she was also worshiped in other places, such as Naxos, Messenia and some cities in Arcadia. In addition, Demeter was worshiped by the Romans, who knew her by the name Ceres.
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