Textbook
Demeter: the earth goddess
Demeter was the Greek goddess of agriculture. She represents the earth as a source of food, and so was also associated with the fertility of the soil and the harvest of fruit and grain.
Demeter was the sister of Zeus. They had a child together, Persephone, who was abducted by Hades and taken to the underworld. The abduction of her daughter was a defining moment for Demeter in Greek myth and religion. The story is told in the ancient poem the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, which is one of the earliest examples of European literature.
Because her daughter lived with Hades, Demeter was linked to the afterlife, a belief which was central to the Eleusinian Mysteries, a secret religious cult based at Eleusis, near Athens.
Responsibilities
- Agriculture and the harvest: Demeter was essential for life on earth, as she was responsible for the food which comes from the soil. A good harvest, and therefore human survival, depended on her.
Demeter iconography
wheatsheaf, diadem, flowers.
Resources
Videos
The video below explains the nature and deeds of Demeter.
The video below explains the abduction of Persephone by Hades, an event which shocked the world.
