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Persephone

Persephone, also known as Kore, is a central figure in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, and Zeus, and she becomes the wife and queen of Hades, ruler of the underworld. Her story intertwines themes of life, death, and the seasonal cycle.

The most familiar myth recounts her abduction by Hades. While she was gathering flowers in a field,

As a goddess, Persephone is associated with vegetation, grain, and renewal, reflecting the life-death-rebirth cycle of

Her Roman counterpart is Proserpina. Persephone’s myth has been interpreted as a symbolic explanation for the

he
emerged
from
the
earth
in
a
chariot
and
carried
her
to
the
underworld.
Demeter’s
grief
caused
the
earth
to
wither,
leading
to
famine.
To
restore
balance,
Zeus
arranged
a
compromise:
Persephone
would
spend
part
of
the
year
with
Hades
in
the
underworld
and
part
with
her
mother
on
earth.
The
portion
she
spends
underground
is
often
linked
to
autumn
and
winter,
while
her
return
signals
spring
and
summer.
In
many
versions,
Persephone’s
consumption
of
pomegranate
seeds
in
the
underworld
binds
her
to
that
realm
for
a
portion
of
each
year.
the
seasons.
She
plays
a
key
role
in
the
Eleusinian
Mysteries,
a
set
of
religious
rites
honoring
Demeter
and
Persephone.
In
art
and
literature,
she
is
frequently
depicted
as
a
queenly
figure,
sometimes
with
symbols
such
as
flowers,
a
crown,
or
pomegranate
seeds.
seasonal
pattern
of
plant
life
and
as
a
narrative
about
the
vulnerability
and
resilience
of
life.