Persephone, Hera and Hades

Story

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus, the god of the sky, and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. One day, she is out picking flowers and she is kidnapped by Hades, king of the Underworld, who has fallen in love with Persephone and wants her as his wife. Will Demeter save her daughter or will Persephone stay in the Underworld forever?

Why we chose it

The story of Persephone is one of the better known Greek myths with its association with the coming of spring and winter.

Where it came from

The earliest account of the myth is the Homeric Myth to Demeter, from the seventh century BC. Over six centuries later, the Roman poet Ovid wrote about the myth of Persephone in Book V of the Metamorphoses.

Where it went next

The myth is referenced in many ancient works, including Homer’s The Illiad and The Odyssey and Virgil’s The Aeneid. Persephone also appears in many modern works, including Mary Shelley’s drama Proserpine and the books The Demigod Files and The Last Olympian from Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, which was also made into a film series.

Associated stories

In the Roman version of the myth, Persephone is called Proserpina, her mother is called Ceres and she is abducted by Pluto. The character Persephone also appears in the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, in which she allows Orpheus to lead his wife back to the land of the living.