Persephone

Family: Olympians · Role: daughter of Demeter · First appears: Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1

At the plain of Nysa, Zeus gave Persephone to Hades, his brother, and Hades seized and carried her away against her will. Demeter heard her cry and searched for her; Helios later told Demeter that Zeus had given Persephone to Hades to be his wife. “And Hades seized her and took her loudly crying in his chariot down to his realm of mist and gloom.”

At Erebus, Hades secretly gave Persephone pomegranate seed, so she could not remain with Demeter continually. Afterward, Demeter declared that Persephone would spend one third of each year below and two thirds with her and the gods, an arrangement Zeus agreed to. From then on, Hecate was Persephone’s minister and companion.

Relationship record

Life events

• Zeus gave Persephone to Hades, who seized her and carried her away against her will.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1 · 📍 plain of Nysa)
  • With: Zeus Hades
  • “the lord, Host of Many, with his immortal horses sprang out upon her—the Son of Cronos, He who has many names .”
• Demeter heard Persephone's cry and began searching for her.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1)
  • With: Demeter
  • “and her queenly mother heard her.”
• Helios revealed that Zeus gave Persephone to Hades, who seized her and took her to his realm.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1)
  • With: Demeter Helios Zeus Hades
  • “None other of the deathless gods is to blame, but only cloud-gathering Zeus who gave her to Hades, her father’s brother, to be called his buxom wife. And Hades seized her and took her loudly crying in his chariot down to his realm of mist and gloom.”
• Hades secretly gave Persephone pomegranate seed to eat, ensuring she could not remain with Demeter continually.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3 · 📍 Erebus)
  • With: Hades
  • “But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter.”
• Hades carried Persephone off beneath the earth in his golden chariot.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3)
  • With: Hades
  • “That I plucked in my joy; but the earth parted beneath, and there the strong lord, the Host of Many, sprang forth and in his golden chariot he bore me away, all unwilling, beneath the earth:”
• Demeter declared that Persephone must spend one third of each year below and two thirds with her and the gods.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3)
  • With: Demeter
  • “if you have tasted food, you must go back again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of the seasons every year: yet for the two parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods.”
• Hecate became Persephone’s minister and companion.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3)
  • With: Hecate
  • “and from that time the lady Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone.”
• Zeus agreed that Persephone would spend one third of the year in darkness and two thirds with Demeter and the gods.(Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 4)
  • With: Zeus Demeter
  • “and agreed that her daughter should go down for the third part of the circling year to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts should live with her mother and the other deathless gods.”

Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 1

• parent: Demeter “her trim-ankled daughter whom Aidoneus rapt away”
• parent: Zeus “Aidoneus, the Ruler of Many, is no unfitting husband among the deathless gods for your child, being your own brother and born of the same stock”
• elder kin: Hades “her father’s brother”
• married with Hades “to be called his buxom wife.”

Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 3

• parent: Demeter “And when Demeter saw them, she rushed forth as does a Maenad down some thick-wooded mountain, while Persephone on the other side, when she saw her mother’s sweet eyes, left the chariot and horses, and leaped down to run to her, and falling upon her neck, embraced her.”
• parent: Zeus “When luck-bringing Hermes came, swift messenger from my father the Son of Cronos and the other Sons of Heaven, bidding me come back from Erebus that you might see me with your eyes and so cease from your anger and fearful wrath against the gods, I sprang up at once for joy”
• married with Hades “for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus.”
• with Hecate (Hecate is Persephone’s minister and companion.) “Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone.”
• friends with Hecate “Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone.”

Homeric Hymn II · To Demeter · Part 4

• parent: Demeter “and agreed that her daughter should go down for the third part of the circling year to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts should live with her mother and the other deathless gods.”

Homeric Hymn XIII · To Demeter

• parent: Demeter “I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter, awful goddess, of her and of her daughter lovely Persephone.”

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Extracted from the original text of Hesiod and Homerica. Made with Rho MD.