The Homeric Hymn to Demeter

Summary

Hades kidnaps Persephone (Demeter’s daughter) while she is picking flowers on Earth and takes her down to the Underworld. Demeter realises that Persephone is gone and starts to look for her, but only Hecate and Helios (a goddess associated with the Underworld and crossroads and one of the Titans, and the sun god who travels across the sky each day in a chariot) help her and tell her what happened. She realises that Zeus is involved in giving her daughter away in marriage without her permission, so she leaves Mount Olympus. Demeter refuses to perform her usual duties so the harvest dies. Demeter goes to a city called Eleusis and stays with the king. Zeus relents once the humans are dying of starvation so there is a risk that no one will be alive to sacrifice to him or the other gods so he sends Hermes down to Hades to tell him to let Persephone go. Hades tricks Persephone into eating a pomegranate seed so that she must spend 1/3 of her time in a year in the Underworld.

What does this myth explain and how?

The story accounts for the seasons as one part of the year is spent in winter when no crops can grow due to Demeter’s grief for her lost daughter.

Persephone

Goddess of spring, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, queen of the Underworld and married to Hades. She spends 1/3 of her time in the Underworld.

What is Persephone doing at the start of the hymn?

Picking flowers with the daughters of Oceanus

Who makes a specific flower grow to trap Persephone?

Zeus

What is this flower called?

Daffodil, narcissus

How does Hades kidnap Persephone?

He leaps out of the ground and seizes her

How does Persephone react?

She screams and wails

What is Zeus doing while Persephone gets kidnapped?

Receiving sacrifices in a temple

Who else heard or saw Persephone’s cries?

Hecate and Helios

How long does Demeter search for Persephone?

9 days

Which god comes to help Demeter?

Hecate

Who do Hecate and Demeter go to find out what happened?

Helios

What does Helios tell Demeter has happened?

Hades has taken Persephone as his wife with permission from Zeus

Why does Helios say Demeter shouldn’t be angry?

Hades has high status and power among the gods so he is a good husband for Persephone

How does Demeter react when she finds out what happened to Persephone?

She is furious and abandons Olympus in her grief

Where does Demeter go when she leaves Olympus?

She lives among the humans at Eleusis in disguise

What does Demeter decide to do in order to get Persephone back?

She prevents crops from growing (by hiding the seeds in the ground) and starves all the humans

Why do the gods care about the humans starving?

They won’t get any sacrifices or worship if all the humans are dead

Who does Zeus send to talk to Demeter first?

Iris

Who does Zeus later send to talk to Demeter?

All the other gods in turn

How did the gods try to persuade Demeter to return?

They ‘offered plentiful gifts of great beauty’ and ‘any honours she might want’

Does Demeter listen to any of the gods?

No

How long does human starvation through the loss of crops and harvest go on for?

One year

Who does Zeus send to talk to Hades?

Hermes

What does Hermes tell Hades to do?

Send Persephone home to Demeter

What does Hades say to Persephone about their marriage?

He is not a ‘shameful husband’ as he is a brother of Zeus; she will ‘rule all that lives and moves’, and receive ‘the greatest honours amongst the immortals’; those who don’t ‘appease’ her ‘power with sacrifices’ will be punished

What does Hades secretly do to Persephone?

Feeds her a pomegranate seed

What does Demeter ask Persephone when they are reunited?

Did you eat anything in the Underworld?

What does Persephone have to do as a result of eating in the Underworld?

Spend a third of the year there

How long does Persephone get to spend with Demeter each year?

Two thirds of the year

What does the story of Persephone explain for the Greeks?

The seasons

Which god does Zeus finally send to Demeter at the end?

Rhea

What does Demeter return at the end of the story?

The harvest to the humans

Epithets used to describe Demeter

Beautiful haired, dark veiled

Epithets used to describe Persephone

Deep bosomed, skilful, delicate ankled

Epithets used to describe Helios

Watchmen of the gods and men, Son of Hyperion

Epithets used to describe Hecate

Of the bright headband

Epithets used to describe Iris

Golden winged

Epithets used to describe Hermes

Slayer of Argus

Why is the Homeric Hymn to Demeter significant?

Because it provides an insight into the Greek thoughts of the relationship between gods and men

Why were myths surrounding the Underworld popular on funeral monuments?

They gave the deceased hope that they could enter the Underworld and gain favour from the King and Queen

What was the relationship between Zeus and Persephone?

He was her father

Why might Zeus have given Persephone to Hades?

To improve the relationship between the Underworld and Olympus

How do we know that Demeter was really upset?

She didn’t wash or take ambrosia