Hades dragging Persephone to the underworld in his chariot

Hades/Persephone

In Greek mythology Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was the goddess of vegetation and fertility and known for her beauty and grace that the god of the underworld would begin to desire. According to the myth, Hades fell in love with Persephone and decided to make her his queen. One day, while Persephone was picking flowers in a meadow, Hades emerged from the underworld in his chariot and abducted her.

Though Persephone’s cries went unheard above ground, Demeter's heartache swiftly alerted her to a grave issue. She searched high and low for her dear daughter, who had vanished from both the heavens and the earth. The land turned barren, and no harvest flourished.

When faced with the wrath of the Gods, Hades tricked Persephone so she could never leave. He gifted her a pomegranate with luscious ruby-red seeds, not knowing that anyone who ate from the depths of the underworld would be forced to stay there forever. As she consumed the fruit, she became forever intertwined with the realm of the dead, transitioning from a carefree maiden to the queen of the underworld. 

Zeus, the king of the gods, intervened and brokered a deal between Hades and Demeter. It was agreed that Persephone would spend six months of the year with Hades in the underworld and the remaining six months with her mother on earth.

When Persephone returns to her mother, Demeter rejoices, and the earth flourishes with life. But when she goes back to the underworld, Demeter mourns, and the earth becomes barren once again.

 

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