Iasion

Iasion, also written Iason, is a figure in Greek mythology best known as a mortal who becomes the lover of the goddess Demeter. In the most common tradition, Demeter and Iasion lie together in a thrice-sown field, and from their union is born Plutus, the personification of wealth. This myth links Demeter’s agricultural domain to the origin of wealth and abundance and is one of the few widely cited origin stories associated with her.

There are variations in ancient sources. In some accounts, Plutus is described as the son of different parents or his parentage is treated differently, and the emphasis on Iasion’s role can vary among poets and mythographers. Because of overlapping names and genealogies in Greek myth, Iasion is sometimes conflated with other figures, leading to multiple, sometimes conflicting, identifications in later tradition. The Demeter–Iasion narrative is often connected with Eleusinian imagery and agricultural rites, though direct cultic worship of Iasion is not widely attested.

In scholarly and literary treatments, Iasion remains a relatively minor figure, but his story is cited as an etiological tale linking Demeter’s agricultural functions to the emergence of wealth and prosperity. The name itself is encountered primarily in discussions of Demeter’s cult and in references to the myth of Plutus, rather than as a central character with a large independent mythological storyline.