Demeter

Goddess

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: Δημήτηρ Dēmḗtēr [dɛːmɛ́ːtɛːr]; Doric: Δαμάτηρ Dāmā́tēr) is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although Demeter is mostly known as a grain goddess, she also appeared as a goddess of health, birth, and marriage, and had connections to the Underworld.

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Mentions
4
Connected characters
7
Books
4
Demeter. Statue of Demeter-Musei Capitolini
Statue of Demeter-Musei Capitolini · Yair HaklaiImage source CC BY-SA 4.0

Mentions in the Iliad

A. T. Murray, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1924 · Homer, Iliad with an English Translation · CC BY-SA 3.0 US

“of men that are winnowing, when fair-haired Demeter amid the driving blasts of wind separates the grain from the chaff, and the heaps of chaff grow white; even so now did the Achaeans grow white over head and shoulders beneath the cloud of dust that through the midst of the warriors the hooves of their horses beat up to the brazen heaven,”
Il. 5.500–504
“cast a blazing brand upon the swift ships. But to no man would great Telamonian Aias yield, to any man that is mortal, and eateth the grain of Demeter, and may be cloven with the bronze or crushed with great stones. Nay, not even to Achilles, breaker of the ranks of men,”
Il. 13.320–324
“and Semele bare Dionysus, the joy of mortals; nor of Demeter, the fair-tressed queen; nor of glorious Leto; nay, nor yet of thine own self, as now I love thee, and sweet desire layeth hold of me. Then with crafty mind the queenly Hera spake unto him:”
Il. 14.325–329
“nurtured of Zeus, am I even as a sacred suppliant, for at thy table first did I eat of the grain of Demeter on the day when thou didst take me captive in the well-ordered orchard, and didst lead me afar from father and from friends, and sell me into sacred Lemnos; and I fetched thee the price of an hundred oxen.”
Il. 21.75–79

Connections

Beloved · Sources
Beloved · Sources

Деметра — возлюбленная Зевса: прямо подтверждено словами Зевса в Илиаде; связь не обозначена как супружество.

Homer, Iliad 14, trans. A. T. Murray (Theoi Classical Texts Library) · Iliad 14.326–327
and Semele bare Dionysus, the joy of mortals; nor of Demeter, the fair-tressed queen; nor of glorious Leto; nay, nor yet of thine own self, as now I love thee, and sweet desire layeth hold of me. Then with crafty mind the queenly Hera spake unto him:
Il. 14.326–327

Il. 14.326–327

Brother · Sources
Brother · Sources

Братство или сестринство выведено из общего родителя: Рея, Кронос. Матери и отцы, не указанные в источнике, не предполагаются. Квалификация братства/сестринства: Полнота родства и линия общего родителя не установлены.

Hesiod, Theogony (H. G. Evelyn-White) · Hesiod, Theogony 453–458
one king, to whom the son of crooked-counselling Cronos hath vouchsafed the sceptre and judgments, that he may take counsel for his people. Thus masterfully did he range through the host, and they hasted back to the place of gathering from their ships and huts with noise, as when a wave of the loud-resounding sea
Il. 2.205–206
and the mother fluttered around them, wailing for her dear little ones; howbeit he coiled himself and caught her by the wing as she screamed about him. But when he had devoured the sparrow's little ones and the mother with them, the god, who had brought him to the light, made him to be unseen; for the son of crooked-counselling Cronos turned him to stone;
Il. 2.319
Even in such wise as the son of crooked-counselling Cronos sendeth a star to be a portent for seamen or for a wide host of warriors, a gleaming star, and therefrom the sparks fly thick; even so darted Pallas Athene to earth, and down she leapt into the midst; and amazement came upon all that beheld,
Il. 4.75

Il. 2.205–206 · Il. 2.319 · Il. 4.75 · Il. 9.37 · Il. 9.171 · Il. 9.236 · Il. 9.419 · Il. 9.502 · Il. 9.686 · Il. 10.71 · Il. 15.187 · Il. 16.431 · Il. 18.293

Sister through mother · Sources
Sister through mother · Sources

Братство или сестринство выведено из общего родителя: Рея, Кронос. Матери и отцы, не указанные в источнике, не предполагаются. Квалификация братства/сестринства: Отдельный внешний источник: Общая мать подтверждена; сведения об отцах неполны. Различие отцов не установлено. Общие родители: Рея.

Hesiod, Theogony (H. G. Evelyn-White) · Hesiod, Theogony 453–458
For even though I grudge thee, and am fain to thwart their overthrow, I avail naught by my grudging, for truly thou art far the mightier. Still it beseemeth that my labour too be not made of none effect; for I also am a god, and my birth is from the stock whence is thine own, and crooked-counselling Cronos begat me as the most honoured of his daughters
Il. 4.59
Then Hera, the queenly goddess, daughter of great Cronos, went to and fro harnessing the horses of golden frontlets. and Hebe quickly put to the car on either side the curved wheels of bronze, eight-spoked, about the iron axle-tree. Of these the felloe verily is of gold imperishable,
Il. 5.721
with his fat and flesh, when he is fallen at the ships of the Achaeans. So spake she, and the goddess, white-armed Hera, failed not to hearken. She then went to and fro harnessing the horses of golden frontlets, even Hera, the queenly goddess, daughter of great Cronos; but Athene, daughter of Zeus that beareth the aegis,
Il. 8.383

Il. 4.59 · Il. 5.721 · Il. 8.383 · Il. 14.194 · Il. 14.243

Brother · Sources
Brother · Sources

Братство или сестринство выведено из общего родителя: Рея, Кронос. Матери и отцы, не указанные в источнике, не предполагаются. Квалификация братства/сестринства: Полнота родства и линия общего родителя не установлены.

Hesiod, Theogony (H. G. Evelyn-White) · Hesiod, Theogony 453–458
Out upon it, verily strong though he be he hath spoken overweeningly, if in sooth by force and in mine own despite he will restrain me that am of like honour with himself. For three brethren are we, begotten of Cronos, and born of Rhea,—Zeus, and myself, and the third is Hades, that is lord of the dead below. And in three-fold wise are all things divided, and unto each hath been apportioned his own domain.I verily, when the lots were shaken, won for my portion the grey sea to be my habitation for ever, and Hades won the murky darkness, while Zeus won the broad heaven amid the air and the clouds; but the earth and high Olympus remain yet common to us all. Wherefore will I not in any wise walk after the will of Zeus; nay in quiet
Il. 15.185–192

Il. 15.185–192

Brother · Sources
Brother · Sources

Братство или сестринство выведено из общего родителя: Рея, Кронос. Матери и отцы, не указанные в источнике, не предполагаются. Квалификация братства/сестринства: Полнота родства и линия общего родителя не установлены.

Hesiod, Theogony (H. G. Evelyn-White) · Hesiod, Theogony 453–458
Out upon it, verily strong though he be he hath spoken overweeningly, if in sooth by force and in mine own despite he will restrain me that am of like honour with himself. For three brethren are we, begotten of Cronos, and born of Rhea,—Zeus, and myself, and the third is Hades, that is lord of the dead below. And in three-fold wise are all things divided, and unto each hath been apportioned his own domain.
Il. 15.187

Il. 15.187

In art

Evelyn De Morgan. Demeter Mourning for Persephone. De Morgan Centre. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124211964

Joseph-François Ducq. Portrait of Charles-Louis Baron de Keverberg de Kessel. Groeningemuseum. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22246515

Sandro Botticelli. Весна. Uffizi Gallery. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q549847

Frederic Leighton. The Return of Persephone. Leeds Art Gallery. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5826402

Bartholomeus Spranger. Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus. Kunsthistorisches Museum. Public domain. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27980525

Projethomere. Γενεαλογικό δένδρο της θεάς Δήμητρας. собрание не указано. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A%CE%93%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B5%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C_%CE%B4%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B4%CF%81%CE%BF_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%AC%CF%82_%CE%94%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%B7%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%82.jpg

Photograph / reproduction: Projethomere

Photograph / reproduction date: 2018-09-27 07:07:21

Tilemahos Efthimiadis from Athens, Greece. Mirrors. About 450-425 BC. (3472035344). собрание не указано. CC BY 2.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMirrors._About_450-425_BC._%283472035344%29.jpg

Photograph / reproduction: Tilemahos Efthimiadis from Athens, Greece

Photograph / reproduction date: 2009-03-15 13:11

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Sources and verification

The character is matched to the catalogue.

Wikidata Q40730

Reference material remains distinct from the poem’s assertions. Characters who share a name retain separate pages.