The best-known myth involving Demeter is the story she shares with her daughter Persephone. As you recall from Chapter 8, Hades abducted Persephone and carried her off to the Underworld. Persephone's screams reached her mother's ears, and Demeter immediately rushed to help her daughter. When she arrived at the site of Persephone's abduction, however, she couldn't find her daughter anywhere. Embarking on a frantic search, Demeter wandered the entire earth for nine days and nine nights, carrying a great torch. As she searched, she did not eat, drink, bathe, or sleep.

On the tenth day, she came across Hecate (a minor goddess) who'd heard about the abduction but did not know who had taken Persephone. Hecate led Demeter to Helios, the sun god. As he crossed the sky each day, Helios saw everything that happened in the world below, and he had witnessed Persephone's kidnapping. Helios told Demeter what had happened and tried to reassure her that Hades would take good care of her daughter.

Demeter could not be consoled; she was beside herself with fury, pain, and grief. She abandoned Mount Olympus and her duties as a goddess. Without Demeter's attention, the world was plagued by drought and famine. Plants withered and died, and no new crops would grow.

Demeter's Travels

In her grief, Demeter wandered the countryside. Sometimes she encountered hospitality; other times she met with ridicule. For example, a woman named Misme received Demeter in her home and offered her a drink, as was the custom of hospitality. Thirsty, Demeter consumed her drink quickly, and the son of Misme made fun of her, saying she should drink from a tub, not a cup. Angry with his rudeness, Demeter threw the dregs of her drink on the boy, turning him into a lizard.

In Eleusis, Demeter transformed herself into an old woman and stopped to rest beside a well. A daughter of King Celeus invited her to take refreshment in her father's house. Demeter, pleased with the girl's kindness, agreed and followed her home.

At the king's house, Demeter was met with great hospitality from the king's daughter and the queen. Although Demeter sat in silence and would not taste food or drink for a long time, eventually a servant, Iambe, made her laugh with her jokes.

Demeter became a servant in the house of Celeus along with Iambe. The queen trusted Demeter and asked her to nurse her infant son Demophon. In caring for this baby, Demeter found comfort only a child could give her and decided to give the boy the gift of immortality. To do this, Demeter fed him ambrosia during the day and, at night, placed him in the fire to burn away his mortality. But the queen saw the child in the fire and screamed in horror and alarm. Angry at the interruption, Demeter snatched the child from the flames and threw him on the floor.

Demeter changed back into her true form and explained that she would have made the boy immortal, but now he'd be subject to death like other humans. Then, she ordered the royal house to build her a temple and taught them the proper religious rites to perform in her honor. These rites became known as the Eleusinian Mysteries.

A Necessary Compromise

When Demeter had neglected her duties for nearly an entire year, Zeus realized that he'd have to intervene or the human race would starve. So Zeus went looking for his sister.

When he found her, however, she would not listen to reason. Instead, she demanded that her daughter be restored to her. Demeter refused to relent, and Zeus knew that his only choice was to appease his sister. He ordered Hades to return Persephone. Hades agreed, but he tried to keep Persephone in the Underworld by tricking her into eating some pomegranate seeds.

The gods reached a compromise: Persephone would spend part of the year with her mother on Earth and part of the year with Hades in the Underworld. Her time in each place corresponded with the seasons. While Persephone was in the Underworld, Earth underwent autumn and winter: Crops withered, it grew cold, and nothing would grow. While Persephone was with her mother, however, Demeter's happiness caused plants to grow and ripen.