Persephone (Proserpina) was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and the wife of Hades (Pluto or Aidoneus), the marriage being childless. Struck by the charms of her beauty, Hades had obtained permission from his brother, Zeus, to carry her off by force. Hades suddenly rose up from a dark hole in the earth near to where she was wandering in a flowery meadow not far from Mt. Ætna in Sicily, plucking and gathering the narcissus. He seized her and made off with her to the underworld, Hermes leading the way. Persephone resisted, begged and implored gods and men to help her; but Zeus, approving the transaction, let it pass. Demeter searched in vain for her daughter, pursing the escaping Hades with her yoke of winged serpents. When she had finally learned from the Sun what had taken place, Demeter entreated Zeus with tears to give her daughter back. He promised to do so, provided that Persephone had not tasted of any food in the underworld. But by the time Hermes reached the underworld with Zeus's mandate, she had eaten half of a pomegranate that Hades had given her as an expression of love. For this reason the permanent return of Persephone to the upper world became impossible, and she must remain the wife of Hades. An arrangement was made to allow her to stay with her mother half the year on earth and the other half as queen of the Underworld.

     In the Underworld, Persephone helped the judges and Hades in cases when the sides were balanced. While Hades' word was final, Persephone was the only one who could attempt to persuade him. She typically would argue for a more merciful ruling.

ACTIVITIES:
Persephone activity

KEY TEST WORDS:
Persephone (Proserpina), the goddess of spring.

The Underworld

Creatures

Footnotes:
As queen of the shades Persephone had control over the various dreaded beings whose occupation, like that of the Sirens, was to beguile men to their death, or like that of the Erinys, who avenge murder and all base crimes. Her principal festivals occurred in the autumn and in the spring. Visitors would appear during the autumn dressed in mourning to commemorate her being carried off by Hades, while in the spring all wore holiday garments to commemorate her return. Her attribute as the wife of Hades was the pomegranate; her sacrifice consisted of cows and pigs. Kore ('Maiden') was the title given to Persephone when she was worshiped at Eleusis.

SOURCES:
Jane Smith
Edith Hamilton's Mythology
Edward Tripp's "Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology"
"Manual of Mythology" by Alexander S. Murray.
Michael Gibson's Gods, Men and Monsters from the Greek Myths