Sources for Greek mythology usually claim that Persephone was the
daughter of two Olympian gods, Zeus and Demeter. This is an
interesting ancestry for a goddess who was destined to be the Queen
of the Underworld, but in ancient myth, almost anything is
possible. And although her parents were powerful and well known
deities, Persephone remains somewhat elusive and shadowy, like the
realm over which she co-rules. This may be due to the fact that she
is overshadowed by her mother. In the Hymn to Demeter, we find the
most important myth about Persephone, and yet the majority of the
poem is dedicated to Demeter (as the title suggests).
Marriage of Persephone
Most of the Hymn to Demeter is concerned with the details of
Demeter's search for her lost daughter, because the poem is in many
respects more about Demeter and her reactions to the loss of
Persephone than about the abduction of Persephone itself. Be this
as it may, the young goddess who is enamored of flowers and
cavorting with her friends is transformed into the wife of the
stern and imperious Hades in the Hymn. This is accomplished through
one significant event: once in the Underworld, Hades offers
Persephone the seeds of the pomegranate, which she accepts. The act
of ingesting pomegranate seeds symbolizes the consummation of their
relationship, which is a beautiful poetic touch. Hereafter,
Persephone, who was previously known as Kore ("the maiden") is
regarded as the spouse of Hades, and she inhabits the Underworld
with him for part of the year.
The goddess Persephone was known as Proserpina in Roman
mythology.