- (Δημήτηρ, Ceres). Goddess of agriculture, mainly the patroness of grain fruits. She was the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Zeus and Hades. From Zeus she had a daughter, Persephone, whom Hades took to his underground kingdom. Upon learning of the kidnapping of his daughter... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology
Demeter- >). Bryaxis Circle Statue. Marble. 340 330 BC British museum. London. />Demeter(). Bryaxis Circle Statue. Marble. 340 330 BC British museum. London. Demeter (). Bryaxis Circle Statue. Marble. 340 330 BC British museum.… … Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History
- (Greek Demeter, from de instead, ge earth, and meter mother). Greek name for Ceres, goddess of agriculture. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. DEMETER is a Greek goddess who personified productivity. forces of the earth... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Demeter- (Demeter of Cnidus). Bryaxis Circle Statue. Marble. 340 330 BC British museum. London. DEMETER, in Greek mythology, the goddess of fertility and agriculture. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister and wife of Zeus, mother of Persephone. They were dedicated to Demeter... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
In the myths of the ancient Greeks, the goddess of fertility and agriculture, the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, the sister and wife of Zeus, from whom she gave birth to Persephone. She was portrayed by ancient authors as a goddess who was kind to people, of beautiful appearance, with hair the color of ripe wheat... Historical Dictionary
Ceres, goddess of agriculture Dictionary of Russian synonyms. demeter noun, number of synonyms: 5 goddess (346) ... Synonym dictionary
DEMETER, in Greek mythology, the goddess of fertility and agriculture. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister and wife of Zeus, mother of Persephone. The Eleusinian Mysteries (in the city of Eleusis) were dedicated to Demeter. It corresponds to the Roman Ceres... Modern encyclopedia
In Greek mythology, the goddess of fertility, patroness of agriculture. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Zeus, mother of Persephone. It corresponds to the Roman Ceres... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Dhmhthr) daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Zeus, occupied a prominent place in Greek mythology as the goddess of agriculture, civil order and marriage. The myth about her and her daughter Persephone is described in detail in one of these titles. Homeric hymns. Hades, s... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Demeter- y, w. In Greek mythology: goddess of fertility, patroness of agriculture, nurse of people. Etymology: Greek name Dēmētēr ‘Demeter’. Encyclopedic commentary: Demeter and the thunderer Zeus had a young daughter, Persephone. Gloomy Hades, god... ... Popular dictionary of the Russian language
Books
- Demeter (ed. 2008), Andrey Livadny. While approaching the mysterious planet Demeter, the goal of its twelve-year space journey, the Terra spaceship dies under mysterious circumstances. Only...
- Demeter, Andrey Livadny. While approaching the mysterious planet Demeter, the goal of its twelve-year space journey, the Terra spaceship dies under mysterious circumstances. Only...
The goddess Demeter carries a significant mythological chthonic heritage, but from the elemental life-giving power of the earth she is already turning into a personified goddess of ordered fertility and civilized agriculture.
This is how her stories begin. Her younger brother Zeus seduced his sister in the form of a serpent, and from this seduction her daughter Persephone was born. Her elder brother, the half-mad Hades, kidnapped her niece Persephone and took her to his underground kingdom of Hades.
Demeter was in despair. In torn clothes, she went across the lands to look for traces of her kidnapped daughter, forgetting about her divine duties. Without the support of the goddess, the earth stopped bearing fruit, plants stopped growing, flowers stopped blooming, animals stopped giving birth, and nature plunged into a hopeless winter, turning into mortal torpor.
A way out of the eschatological crisis was, fortunately, found in a timely manner, as narrated by a number of myths scattered throughout this site; Zeus acted as a mediator in its resolution, and a compromise mutually acceptable to all parties was that from now on Demeter’s daughter Persephone will be part of the year - winter - spend in Hades with her husband Hades, and the rest on earth, with her mother Demeter, which will ensure the fertility of nature.
To celebrate, Demeter taught a whole squad of earthly heroes various agricultural processes and a unique religious cult of Demeter was formed, completely personal, with secret mysteries dedicated to her - the Eleusinian mysteries, about which there were only silent conversations, because they remained absolutely undisclosed. The laymen heard only unverifiable rumors - straight up, some kind of conspiracy theory. The Eleusinian mysteries continued under the Romans, leaving a trace in the word ceremony - from Ceres. Roman equivalent of Demeter. By the way, the mysteries were also dedicated to various mythological personalities - deities and heroes - associated with Demeter, in particular, the Cabirs.
Demeter is often taken to be the prototype of the constellation Virgo. Her attribute is Libra, perhaps captured in the constellation of the same name. And the beloved island of Sicily, where the theft of Persephone took place, is in the constellation Triangulum.
Demeter took part in the fate and actions of Triptolemus for his timely information about the abduction of Demeter’s daughter by Hades. In this regard, it is involved - as a version - in the appearance in the sky of the constellations Bootes, Draco, Sagittarius and Ophiuchus. Indirectly involved in other plots.
Goddess Demeter
At the very beginning, it is worth noting that Demeter is the daughter of Rhea and Kronos, the sister of the almighty god Zeus and the goddess Hera, which puts her on the same level as the most powerful and influential gods of Olympus.
The goddess Demeter in Greek mythology is considered the patroness of farmers, the mother of the fertility of the earth. According to legend, thanks to her and her daughter Persephone, the seasons change; only part of the year can mother and daughter spend together, then summer begins on earth. All other times, Persephone lives in a dungeon with her husband Hades, and at this time Demeter yearns and cries for her daughter, giving birth to rains, snowstorms and bad weather. And only when the hour of meeting approaches, a thaw sets in, Demeter begins to hope for a quick meeting and spring comes.
The goddess Demeter is very attractive, and her image is warm and pleasant. So, her hair is like ears of ripe wheat, her face is sweet, and her body is lush and rich. At one time, it was precisely such women that attracted men, so Demeter was always desired by the opposite sex. The goddess's character is kind, she is calm and balanced, but with a painful sense of justice. She often brutally punished people who tried to deceive her or their own kind.
The goddess Demeter was sung by many poets; a huge number of legends were written about her and paintings were written about her. She was often represented as a wandering woman in search of her daughter, sometimes seated, surrounded by the fruits of the earth. Her main attributes are ears of corn, symbols of fertility, as well as a torch as a symbol of the search for her lost daughter. The fertility goddess Demeter considered the Snake and Pig to be her sacred animals.
All gods had their own followers, dedicated people. So, the origin of the name Dmitry is interesting, which stands for one dedicated to Demeter, one who worships Demeter, the goddess of fertility.
They depicted the confusion of the goddess and her vain searches. Persephone, wearing a wreath of daffodils, sat on a throne next to Hades, among the souls of hell, holding a bunch of poppies in her hands. At the end of the holiday, the daughter, who was returned to her mother, was joyfully congratulated by the celestials. The amazing feeling of the play was enhanced by the darkness of the temple. Only for a meek moment did a bright light flash, which showed the luxuriously dressed statue of Demeter, then darkness fell again, and flickering reflections appeared under the arch, highlighting some visions and monsters. The silence was broken by unexpected thunder. Finally, in the midst of complete silence, a huge gate opened, and by the light of torches, a luxurious garden, filled with the smells of trees and flowers, was revealed in the depths. The priest announced the sacred commandments, told the story of the origin of the holiday, and foreshadowed the mysterious and righteous a better fate in the next world, that is, in a land of happiness where people dance and walk all the time through flowering meadows, the air of which is refreshed by a gentle wind.
Demeter is one of the most respected goddesses. Her name means “mother earth,” and she herself is the embodiment of that fertile ball of earth into which man sows grain. The deity, virtuous on all sides, gave people, in addition to cereals, fig trees and poppies, and opened springs in dry and rocky areas. Demeter took care of the homes of grain growers, their lives and customs. In the spring, when the lambs are born, Demeter was in the fields, in the fall she walked near the stodol, like the good spirit of the sheaves; her presence was felt by housewives when they placed the first bread from the new harvest in the oven.
But this patroness of agricultural life also looked after other matters. Her name was announced during the conclusion of treaties, and civil servants and judges, before taking their positions, took an oath to Demeter that they would comply with written and unwritten laws.
In Arcadia there was an ancient image of Demeter with a horse's head; she held a dove in one hand and a dolphin in the other. Because this eternal goddess, in the minds of the ancient inhabitants of Greece, was the creator of both birds and fish, the goddess of all living nature. And when the Greek uttered the word “nature,” at that moment he saw not only fields and meadows, forests full of animals, and waters full of fish, but also felt the creative power that lies in the earth and in the water and thanks to which everything around lives and is reborn all the time. That is, Demeter was the goddess of life, just as Persephone was the goddess of death.
The attributes of Demeter and Persephone were spikelets and poppies, narcissus and pomegranate fruit. Usually a cow or pig was sacrificed to them. Demeter was portrayed as a revered goddess with thoughtful eyes; on her head is a wreath of spikelets, and in her hand she holds a torch; the long robe falls to the feet.
Sources: astromyth.ru, fb.ru, mithology.ru, otvet.mail.ru, www.wikiznanie.ru
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Demeter Demeter
(Δημήτηρ, Ceres). Goddess of agriculture, mainly the patroness of grain fruits. She was the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Zeus and Hades. From Zeus she had a daughter, Persephone, whom Hades took to his underground kingdom. Upon learning of the kidnapping of her daughter, Demeter, overwhelmed with grief and anger, forbade the earth to produce fruit, so Zeus was forced to send Hermes to the underworld for Persephone. Hades let her go to her mother, but forced her to first swallow a pomegranate seed; by this he obliged her to spend a third of the year with him, and for the remaining two-thirds of the year he let her go to her mother. Then the earth began to produce fruit again. This legend obviously refers to the periodic appearance of vegetation on the earth and its temporary disappearance. Demeter was considered a merciful, gracious goddess, the nurse of people. Partly through Triptolemus, partly herself, she taught people agriculture. In her honor the so-called Eleusinian Mysteries were established. Cows, pigs, fruits, and honeycombs were sacrificed to her. The Romans identified Demeter with their goddess Ceres. See Ceres.
Source: “A Concise Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)
DEMETER(Δημήτηρ), in Greek mythology, goddess of fertility and agriculture, daughter Kronos And Rhea(Hes. Theog. 453), sister and wife of Zeus, by whom she gave birth Persephone(912-914). One of the most revered Olympic deities. The ancient chthonic origin of D. is attested to by her name (lit. “earth-mother”; Greek δα, δη-γή, “earth”). Cult appeals to D.: Chloe (“greens”, “sowing”), Carpophora (“giver of fruits”), Thesmophora (“legislator”, “organizer”), Sieve (“bread”, “flour”) indicate the functions of D. .as goddess of fertility. She is a goddess who is kind to people, of beautiful appearance with hair the color of ripe wheat, and an assistant in peasant labors (Hom. II. V 499-501). She fills the farmer's barns with supplies (Hes. Opp. 300 next). They appeal to D. so that the grains come out full-bodied and so that the plowing is successful (465-468). D. taught people plowing and sowing, combining in a sacred marriage on a thrice-plowed field on the island of Crete with the Cretan god of agriculture Iasion, and the fruit of this marriage was Plutos - the god of wealth and abundance (Hes. Theog. 969-974). D. taught Triptolema, son of the Eleusinian king, sow the fields with wheat and cultivate them. She gave Triptolemus a chariot with winged dragons and gave grains of wheat with which he sowed the whole earth (Apollod. I 5, 2). The myth about D. also reflects the eternal struggle of life and death. She is portrayed as a grieving mother who lost her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades. The Homeric hymn “To Demeter” (Hymn. Hom. V) tells of the wanderings and grief of the goddess in search of her daughter; Having assumed the image of a kind old woman, D. comes to Eleusis, neighboring Athens, to the king’s house Keleya and Metanira. She was warmly welcomed into the royal family, and for the first time after the loss of her daughter, D. was amused by the funny jokes of the maid Yamba. She is raising the king's son Demophonta and, wanting to make him immortal, rubs the boy with ambrosia and hardens him in fire. But after Metanira accidentally saw these magical manipulations of D., the goddess leaves, revealing her name and ordering a temple to be built in her honor. It is in it that the sad goddess sits, grieving for her daughter. Famine sets in on earth, people die, and Zeus orders Persephone to be returned to her mother. However, Hades gives his wife Persephone a pomegranate seed to eat so that she will not forget the kingdom of death. The daughter spends two-thirds of the year with D., and all nature blossoms, bears fruit and rejoices; Persephone devotes one third of the year to Hades. The fertility of the earth is not conceivable without the idea of the inevitable death of the plant world, without which its revival in all the fullness of its vital forces is unthinkable. (The pomegranate seed is a symbol of fertility, but its owner is the god of death.).
D. is primarily a goddess, revered by farmers, but by no means by the pampered Ionian nobility. She is universally glorified at the Thesmophoria festival as the organizer of reasonable agricultural practices. D. is one of the ancient female great goddesses (Gaia, Cybele, Great Mother of the Gods, Mistress of Beasts), bestowing fruitful power on the earth, animals and people. D. is revered at this festival together with her daughter Persephone, they are called “two goddesses” and swear by the name of “both goddesses” (cf. “Women at the Thesmophoria” by Aristophanes). The main sacred place of D. is Eleusis in Attica, where during the 9 days of the month of Boedromion (September) the Eleusinian Mysteries took place, symbolically representing D.’s grief, her wanderings in search of her daughter, the secret connection between the living and dead world, physical and spiritual purification; mother and daughter - “both goddesses” - were worshiped together. Ancient Athenian families had the hereditary right to participate in Eleusinian sacred rites and obeyed a vow of silence. Aeschylus traditionally exercised this right and was even expelled from Athens for allegedly disclosing ritual facts known only to initiates. The Eleusinian sacraments, perceived as the “passions” of Dionysus, are considered one of the sources of ancient Greek tragedy and thereby come close to the bacchanalia of Dionysus. Pausanias describes the temple of D. Eleusis in Telpus (Arcadia), where marble statues of D., Persephone and Dionysus are adjacent (VIII 25, 3). The rudiments of chthonic fertility are reflected in the cult of D. Erinyes; Poseidon in the form of a stallion combined with her, who turned into a mare. “Wrathful and avenging” D. (Erinyes) washes herself in the river and, having been cleansed, again becomes a benevolent goddess (VIII 25, 5-7). In Hermione (Corinth) D. was revered as Chthonia (“earthy”) (II 35, 5) and Thermasia (“hot”), the patroness of hot springs (II 34, 6). In Figaleia (Arcadia) an ancient wooden image of D. Melaina (“Black”) was revered (VIII 5, 8). In Hesiod (Orr. 465 next), the “pure” D. is adjacent to the “underground” Zeus, and the farmer offers his prayers to both of them.
In Roman mythology, D. corresponds to Ceres.
Lit.: Dieterich A., Mutter Erde, 2 Aufl., Lpi.-V., 1913; Altheim F., Terra mater, Giessen. 1931; Мeautis G., Les mystères d "Eleusis. P., 1938; Jung K. G., Kerenyi K., Einführung in das Wesen der Mythologie. Gottkindmythos. Eleusinische Mysterien, Amst.-Lpz., 1941; Deichgräber K., Eleusinische Frömmigkeit und homerische Vorstellungswelt im homerischen Demeterhymnus, Mainz, ; Uxkull W. von, Die Eleusinischen Mysterien. Versuch einer Rekonstruktion. Büdingen - Gettenbach, 1957.
A. A. Tahoe-Godi.
Among the monuments of ancient fine art: “D. Cnidus" (statue of the circle of Briaxis). Dedicatory reliefs associated with the Eleusinian mysteries, numerous terracotta figurines of D., as well as her images on Pompeian frescoes and in paintings discovered in the Northern Black Sea region (the so-called D. crypts in Bolshaya Bliznitsa and Kerch) have been preserved.
In medieval book illustrations, D. appears as the patroness of rural work and as the personification of summer. In Renaissance painting, D. is often depicted nude; its attributes are ears of corn, fruits, a sickle, and sometimes a cornucopia. The embodiment of the image of D. in European art of the 16th-17th centuries. was associated with the glorification of the gifts of nature (drawings by G. Vasari and X. Goltzius, paintings by J. Jordaens “Sacrifice to Ceres”, P. P. Rubens “Statue of Ceres”, etc.) or with the chanting of the joys of life (paintings “Bacchus, Venus and Ceres” by B. Spranger, Goltzius, Rubens, Jordaens, N. Poussin, etc.). Statues of D. are especially widespread in Baroque garden sculpture.
The most significant works of European literature associated with the myth of D. were created in poetry (F. Schiller, “The Eleusinian Feast”, A. Tennyson, “D. and Persephone”). Among the operas is “Pacified D.” N. Yommelli.
Demeter is the personification of the true mother. The goddess takes care of the harvest, grows trees and cannot imagine her own life without children. But a pliable, calm woman is ready to destroy everything that she herself has created when a stranger bursts into her daughter’s peaceful life. Perhaps, boundless love made Demeter such a revered deity for the ancient Greek people.
History of origin
The exact time of the emergence of the cult of the mother goddess is unknown, but the first reliable mention of Demeter dates back to 1500 BC. Worship became especially widespread in the city of Eleusis, whose name is mentioned in the myth dedicated to the abduction.
Initially revered as the goddess of the barley field, Demeter eventually gained the status of patroness of agriculture. Simple mention in prayers gave way to five-day mysteries held every year.
Thesmophoria, as the holidays in honor of Demeter were called, were led exclusively by rich women who covered all expenses. In honor of the mother goddess, sacrifices were made, songs were sung and processions were organized.
In Roman mythology, Demeter is known as Ceres. Ceres is accompanied by the harvest goddess Annona, and the mother woman holds a variety of fruits in her hands. Ancient Greek mythology assigned another attribute to the goddess - most often Demeter is depicted with an ear of wheat in her hands.
The Roman name Ceres is not the only pseudonym for Demeter. The goddess of agriculture is also known under the names Anthea, Europa, Erinyes and others. Researchers counted 18 pseudonyms for the patroness of agriculture.
Demeter in mythology
The birth of Demeter was accompanied by unpleasant events. The goddess's father, the almighty Kronos, ate all the children that Rhea's wife gave birth to. The same fate befell Demeter, who became the second child in the family of the rulers of Olympus.
Later, the goddess's brother freed the girl from her father's stomach. Demeter settled on Olympus surrounded by relatives. A beautiful, cheerful girl attracted the attention of the Thunderer. Zeus often visited the goddess in the form of a serpent. Over time, the relationship between brother and sister became closer, and Persephone was born from the divine union. However, the ruler of Olympus soon lost interest in his sister and became interested in another young beauty.
Considering herself free, Demeter responded to the advances of another god (in other sources, a mere mortal). Iasion, the son of Zeus and Electra, long sought the goddess of fertility. Captivated by the young man’s persistence, the woman came to Iasion three times for dates, which took place in a plowed field. After these meetings, Demeter gave birth to sons Plutos and Philomela. Zeus, having learned about his sister's adventures, in a fit of jealousy killed Iasion with lightning.
No less close relationships connect Demeter and. The Lord of the Sea accidentally saw the goddess while bathing and desired the woman. But Demeter did not have reciprocal feelings for the man. To hide from persistent courtship, the goddess of fertility turned into a mare and hid in a herd grazing nearby.
The cunning move had no effect; Poseidon immediately understood his sister’s plan. The Lord of the seas and rivers turned into a stallion and overtook Demeter while she was resting in the shade of a tree. It seems that Zeus did not object to such an alliance. The new love affair brought Demeter two children: the talking horse Areyon and daughter Despina.
Demeter loved and cared for all children, but still singled out Persephone. A special affection for the daughter is illuminated by the myth telling about the girl’s marriage.
Zeus, whose duties included arranging the marriages of the gods, decided to give Persephone in marriage to his own brother, who ruled the kingdom of the dead. While the girl was walking with her friends on Earth, the newly made groom persuaded Gaia to grow an unusual flower not far from Persephone.
Attracted by the aroma of the plant, the daughter of Demeter left her friends. At that moment, the earth split, and Hades dragged the beauty into the underworld. Hearing the girl’s screams, Demeter rushed to the scene, but there were no traces of her daughter left. The inconsolable mother searched the world for nine days for Persephone. No one knew what happened to the girl and could not tell the goddess where to look for her daughter.
The purposeful woman finally found out the truth. Realizing that Zeus had separated her from Persephone, Demeter left Olympus. Taking on the appearance of a mere mortal, the woman began to wander around the world until she reached the city of Eleusis. Here the goddess of fertility took a job as a nanny in the house of Queen Metanira.
The royal son became the new object of Demeter's worship. The goddess transferred all her love for Persephone to the little boy. In order not to part with the baby, Demeter decided to make the prince immortal. But during the ceremony, Metanira entered the room and screamed when she saw that the nanny was holding the boy over the fire.
The goddess dropped the child into the fire; Metanira did not have time to save her son. The angry goddess appeared before the queen in her true form and ordered the construction of a temple in her own honor in the city. The lonely and unhappy sister of Zeus settled there, ceasing to talk with gods and mortals.
While Demeter was looking for her daughter and grieving over her loss, the fields on earth dried up and the trees stopped bearing fruit. Concerned Zeus sent messengers to his sister asking her to come to her senses. But Demeter did not listen to her family. The only way out was to return Persephone to her mother, but Hades did not want to part with his wife.
Then the lord of Olympus decided that the daughter would spend two-thirds of the year with her mother, and return to her husband for the remaining time. Since then, every autumn Demeter falls into longing for her daughter and is reborn and has fun again with the arrival of spring.
- The myths dedicated to Demeter mention the goddess’s beautiful hair, the color of which resembles a wheat field.
- The meaning of the name of the patroness of agriculture is not clear. The first part of Demeter's name is translated as "mother". There is some debate about the second component. Possible translation is “mother earth” or “mother wheat”.
- The ancient Greeks dedicated the constellation Virgo to Demeter.
Demeter, Greek, Lat. Ceres - daughter of Kronos and Rhea; goddess of fertility and agriculture.
After birth, Demeter faced the fate of all the children of Kronos: her father swallowed her. Having defeated Kronos, Zeus called Demeter to Olympus and entrusted her with the care of the fertility of the earth. So that this fertility would not go to waste, Demeter taught people to cultivate the fields. Thus, it marked the beginning not only of agriculture, but also of a new way of life for people who had previously led a nomadic lifestyle, engaged in hunting and cattle breeding. At the same time, Demeter gave people laws that they had to follow in this new life.
Although Demeter was the giver of a quiet and calm life, she herself was deprived of these joys for a long time. Having met the minor god (or demigod) Iasion, Demeter gave birth to a son, Plutos, who became the god of wealth and at the same time the cause of her grief. When Zeus, who vainly sought the favor of Demeter, learned about the birth of Plutos, he killed Iasion with lightning. Convinced of the strength and determination of the supreme god, Demeter yielded to him and gave birth to his daughter Persephone. She didn't have long to rejoice over her daughter. One day, when Persephone was frolicking with nymphs in a Nysian meadow, the earth suddenly opened up in front of her, the god of the underworld appeared and kidnapped Persephone, hiding in the depths of the earth. Demeter heard her daughter's desperate cry and hurried to her aid, but there was no trace of Persephone. For nine days Demeter wandered the earth, forgetting about food and sleep, in a vain search for her daughter. Finally the all-seeing sun god told her what had happened. Demeter immediately went to Olympus and demanded that Zeus restore justice and force Hades to return Persephone to her mother. But Zeus was powerless, since Hades, meanwhile, had already married Persephone (lat. Proserpina) and, moreover, gave her a pomegranate seed to taste, and the one who tasted something in the kingdom of the dead could no longer return to life in earth. Then Demeter left Olympus, locked herself in her temple at Eleusis and sent sterility to the earth. This led to catastrophic consequences not only for people, but also for the gods: becoming embittered, people stopped making sacrifices to the gods. In this critical situation, Zeus made a compromise decision. At his insistence, Hades undertook to let Persephone go to her mother for two-thirds of the year, while Demeter accepted the fact that her daughter would spend a third of the year with her husband in the kingdom of the dead. Thus, when the farmer throws seeds into the ground in the fall, Persephone goes to the kingdom of the dead, and the grieving Demeter deprives nature of fertility. When Persephone comes out into the light again in the spring, Demeter, along with all of nature, greets her with flowers and greenery.
The first person whom Demeter taught to grow bread was Triptolemus, whose parents gave a friendly welcome to the goddess when she wandered the earth in search of her daughter, taking the form of an old woman. Demeter gave Triptolemus grains of wheat, showed him how to plow the land, and ordered him to pass on the acquired knowledge to all people.
Demeter wanted to grant immortality to Triptolemus's young brother, Demophon. But when his mother Metanira saw that Demeter was holding the baby over the fire, tempering him, she screamed in horror; Demeter, shuddering, dropped the boy, and he burned. After the departure of Demeter, the father of Triptolemus and Demophon, King Kelei, ordered the construction of a magnificent temple in Eleusis, which over time became the center of her cult.
The Eleusinian Temple dates back to the Mycenaean era (15-14 centuries BC). In the 5th century BC e. the Athenian ruler Pisistratus rebuilt it, sparing no expense; almost a hundred years later Pericles followed his example. The main building of the sacred site (telesterion) had a square shape and could accommodate up to 4,000 people; in the center of the telesterion there was a stage on which liturgical performances were held, depicting episodes from the life of Demeter. Initially, the festivities in honor of Demeter were simple in nature, and the rituals symbolized the progress of agricultural work . Later, they were inspired by the desire to clearly show and explain the dying and resurrection of plants in nature, and then by attempts to clarify the mystery of human life and the posthumous fate of man. Only initiates had access to these rituals. The main festivals in honor of Demeter were called “great mysteries”, they began at the end of September and lasted nine days, and a month before their start, a universal sacred peace (ekehiriya), obligatory for all Greek states, was proclaimed.
Demeter was one of the oldest Greek goddesses. Her name is found on tablets from the so-called Palace of Nestor in Pylos, written in Linear B (14th-13th centuries BC). As the importance of agriculture grew in the Greek economy, the cult of Demeter spread everywhere where the Greeks lived. Through Sicily and southern Italy, the cult of Demeter came to Rome, where it was identified with the cult of the goddess of cereals and harvest, Ceres. Later, her cult began to merge with the cult of Gaia and Rhea, and partly Cybele.
Ancient images of Demeter resemble Hera, but her maternal features are more emphasized - in contrast to the imperious grandeur of Hera. Symbols of Demeter were wreaths of ears, baskets of fruit and torches. Her most famous images: the so-called “Demeter of Knidos” (Greek original, ca. 330 BC, attributed to the sculptor Leocharos), the colossal head of “Demeter with a diadem” (4th or 3rd century BC), large relief from the workshop of Philius “Triptolemus between Demeter and Kore” (430-420 BC), found in Eleusis.
From the temples of Demeter, mostly only ruins remain, except for the temple of the 6th century. BC e. in Paestum (Posidonia), but it seems that this temple is attributed to her erroneously.
The hymn “To Demeter” by Homer and the hymn of the same name by Callimachus (3rd century BC), as well as “The Eleusinian Festival” by Schiller (1798) are dedicated to Demeter.