The Greeks and Romans are two groups of people that were closely associated with each other. They both used legends of gods and mighty beings to explain the mysteries of the universe. A myth that has strong significance to both of them is the rape of Persephone or Prosperine as she was known to the Romans. The myths, while both referring to the same event, occur differently, over different periods of time and have slightly different outcomes. The key characters, Demeter (Ceres), Zeus (Jove), Persephone (Prosperine), and Hades (Pluto) are in both versions of the myth. Other characters that interact with the key characters such as Aphrodite (Venus) and Eros (Cupid) are only in one version of the myth. In both versions of the myth, Persephone is taken by Hades for different reasons and she is returned to Demeter for only parts of the year. Demeter is told who kidnapped her daughter by different people in both myths and different people explain to her why Hades is a fit husband and son-in-law. While both versions of the myth bear similarities, there are significant differences that make the myths stand apart.
There are many similarities between both versions of the rape of Persephone. In both, Hades kidnaps Persephone and makes her his queen. For ease of explanation, the Roman names of gods and the Greek names of gods will refer to separate entities. Hades kidnaps Persephone under direct orders from his brother Zeus (HHDem.36), whereas Pluto kidnaps Prosperine because his own love for her created by Cupid’s arrow (Met., p. 110). Zeus orders her kidnapping in order to expand his own domain. Cupid infatuates Pluto with Prosperine in order to expand his mother, Venus’ domain. With Hades married to Persephone, Zeus has ...
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...perine, and Hades and Persephone. Persephone and Prosperine eating the fruit are symbolic of the final feast at a wedding.
Prosperine and Persephone are both innocent characters who have their innocence stolen away by force. The thieves in question are none other than the darkest of all gods, the rulers of the underworlds. Although kidnapped through different methods, the characters that set the kidnappings in motion had similar motives, to expand their power to the third realm. This myth shows that the Greeks and Romans had a similar way of thinking but also viewed the same situations in a different light.
Works Cited
Homer. “Hymn to Demeter.” The Homeric Hymns. Trans. Susan C. Shelmerdine. Newburyport, MA: Focus, 2009. 33-38, 49-54. Print.
Ovid. “Book V.” Metamorphoses. Trans. A.D. Melville. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. 110-116. Print.
The main characters of each work are automatically associated with each other by their names, but they also share similar personalities and characteristics. Odysseus is a wily hero of the Trojan War who uses his deceptive...
Briefly speaking, the Hymn to Demeter is similar in playing out the theme of separation and isolation by depicting Persephone picking flowers in and isolated space. In Ovid's version, the empowerment of women plays an important role by the story being told by a woman, Venus being the mastermind, and Ceres being a strong confident woman and taking swift action. Also, the roles of the gods are switched with the nymphs, and the symbolist use of the environment is seen in the abduction of Proserpine.
In The Odyssey and Hymn to Demeter, both Penelope and Demeter love and miss their family members. When Demeter hears her daughter Persephone’s cry, “a sharp grief took hold of Demeter in
...sts severely with the view of Christian women in the Roman Empire. The Greek play carries a very satirical connotation as a comedy that plays off of the weakness and pettiness of women of the era. The account of Perpetua’s death maintains a very somber and respectful tone that remains constant throughout all eight pages of the text. Perpetua’s masculine characteristics stand out as she models her dedication to religion, stubbornness, and physical endurance. The differences between the two texts highlight how Christianity influences the views of society to the benefit of women in such a short period of time.
Both mothers were deceitful, cunning and used disguises. Demeter disguised herself as an old woman to get a replacement child. Clytemnestra disguised herself as an obedient and loving wife to make sure that no one knew what she was actually plotting. Both women also lose their daughters because of other gods. Artemis demanded Agamemnon’s daughter as a sacrifice because Agamemnon offended her. Similarly in the Hymn to Demeter, Hades wanted a wife and picked Persephone. Interestingly, marriage is depicted as death in this hymn. Demeter acted as if Persephone’s marriage was a death sentence, which can lead back to the assumption that women should be submissive and not in leadership roles. This is because the wife is usually taking care of the husband by making sure he is happy. Their purpose is to make sure the husbands are content with the marriage. So, the wives lose their sense of being since they are forced to consider their husbands at all times. Being in a relationship assumes that the women will be submissive and obedient, which are not qualities of a ruler. A ruler should be independent and dominant. Therefore, Demeter assumed that Persephone’s life was over because she had to take care of Hades. It was similar to death because Demeter would never get to see her daughter again. Additionally, both females caused chaos throughout the land because of their emotional
In light of this, Calypso’s complaint about the unfairness of the gods becomes ill-founded. “’Hard-hearted / you are, you gods! You unrivaled lords of jealousy— / scandalized when goddesses sleep with mortals…’” (Od. V.130-32) The gods are acting not to stop Calypso from keeping a mortal man, as she claims, but to reunite Odysseus and Penelope. This further detaches Calypso from Demeter while clearly exhibiting similarities between Demeter and Penelope. Demeter’s loss of Persephone and her subsequent grief directly parallel Penelope’s loss and sorrow for
“Demeter.” Mythography: Exploring Greek, Roman, and Celtic Myth and Art. Web. 8 Dec. 2009 .
Ovid Metamorphoses. Trans. A. D. Melville, Intro and Notes E. J. Kenney. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986.
The primary ruling god of the underworld is Hades whose brother is Zeus, king of the gods, and whose parents are Cronus and Rhea. Hades is a greedy god with his greatest concern being to increase the number of his subjects. He is very stubborn about letting people out of the underworld. Hades himself, rarely leaves the underworld. In one myth, however, we know of a time when he did leave his soulful domain. Hades became very lonely in the underworld, and went above and kidnapped Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, for his wife.Persephone, nonetheless, was not Hades’ only significant other. Hades had a mistress called Minthe whom Persephone later transformed into a plant. Hades is also known as the god of wealth due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He has been said to possess a helmet that was given to him by the Cyclops. This helmet has been said to make him invisible. Hades lent it to gods and mortal men. Perseus used the helmet on his quest for Medusa’s head and Athena, goddess of battle skills, put to use the helmet so the god of war, Ares, could not notice her.
Liveley, Genevieve. Ovid's Metamorphoses [Electronic Resource] : A Reader's Guide / Genevieve Liveley. n.p.: New York : Continuum, 2011., 2011. Mercyhurst University's Catalog. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.
The story on the pottery explains the abduction of Persephone by Hades whom is surrounded by Gods on the pottery. The story explains the myth of the abduction of Persephone which was situated
... those phaeacians who have helped Odysseus to return home. And for Calypso, she tried to offer Odysseus the immortal life and promising him to be his eternal wife, but Odysseus’s love for his wife Penelope pushes him to fight for his return
In a society in which social position was vital for having a successful family, the Greek and Roman families internally struggled with one another. This constant conflict stems from the father’s desire for control and the society’s high placement of power. In the Greek myth Demeter and Persephone, Zeus’s interest for his selfish gains prompts him to “ ( give ) Persephone to the Lord of Dead to become his queen “ ( Rosenberg Demeter 96). Zeus does not ask Persephone nor Demeter, his beloved wife, presenting that he does not show any opinions on their feelings. Although Zeus in reality just wanted to have a powerful family with the addition of Hades, his love for power overrode his love for his family and created a tension between the other members and him. In another Greek myth, Jason and the Golden Fleece, shows man’s love for supremacy through ...
Clash Of The Titans is a 2010 British and American fantasy adventure film that is loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. As it happens the movie does an excellent job of engaging several mythical themes. The story is basically about a Princess by the name of Andromeda who happens to be the daughter of King Cepheus. The King has gained a victory against the gods. In response, Hades, a god of the underworld demands that the princess be offered as sacrifice or hell will be unleashed on the King and his people. The King than finds a demi-god and tasks him with defeating the god of the underworld. Despite the fact that this film attempts to engage multiple themes of mythology, it is made abundantly clear after watching the film that the movie has taken numerous liberties with the myth of Perseus.
In Ovid Metamorphoses, the Roman literature described the ruthless act of Pluto of rape, to seize and carry away Proserpine without the consent of Ceres and in parallel in the Homeric Hymns of Demeter; Persephone was seized and carried away by Hades without the consent of Demeter. The invariant theme that was identified in both the Greek and Roman literature was the loss of innocence of Persephone/Proserpine. Despite the various differences the story was presented, it reinforced the innocence that was stolen from the god of the underworld, Hades or also known as Pluto. Throughout this paper, it will discuss the similar characteristics of the two myths such as the motive that led and encouraged the god of the underworld to kidnap Persephone/Proserpine, and the aftermath caused by the grief of the mother of the abducted Persephone/Proserpine. The paper will also discuss the differences between the two literatures, such as the involvement of other gods and goddesses.