Persephone, Latin Proserpina or
The story of Persephone, the sweet daughter of goddess Demeter who was kidnapped by Hades and later became the Queen of the Underworld, is known all over the world.
After Cronus was overthrown by his sons, his kingdom was divided among them, and the underworld fell by lot to Hades. There he ruled with his queen, Persephone, over the infernal powers and over the dead in what was often called “the house of Hades,” or simply Hades. He was aided by the dog Cerberus.
Who was Persephone? Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, was the wife of Hades and the Queen of the Underworld. She was a dual deity, since, in addition to presiding over the dead with intriguing autonomy, as the daughter of Demeter, she was also a goddess of fertility.
In Ancient Greek and Roman texts it is clear that Hades kidnapped Persephone against her will, and forcibly made her his wife. We can therefore assume she did not love Hades at this stage, and probably even hated him for destroying her innocence and taking her away from her family.
As time went on, Persephone fell in love with Hades and they built an empire which they ruled together as equals.
The story of the abduction and subsequent rape of Persephone, the young and beautiful goddess of spring, at the hands of Hades, the king of the Underworld, is a famous and heart-wrenching tale.
Additional facts about Persephone
Persephone and Hades had two children; one daughter, Melinoë,and one son, Zagreus. Melinoë became the goddess of nightmares and madness. Zagreus was a minor Greek god.
Hades: The Most Loyal Greek God
The Greek god Hades is comparatively a better husband than his peer gods. Whilst Zeus and Poseidon – Hades' brothers – are widely known for their affairs, Hades remained loyal to Persephone. However, there are two cases in which Hades' loyalty is questioned: Minthe and Leuce.
According to mythology, Hades, god of the Underworld, fell in love with beautiful Persephone when he saw her picking flowers one day in a meadow. The god then carried her off in his chariot to live with him in the dark Underworld.
Hades, according to various Christian denominations, is "the place or state of departed spirits", borrowing the name of Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. It is often associated with the Jewish concept of Sheol.
Persephone's abduction by Hades is mentioned briefly in Hesiod's Theogony, and is told in considerable detail in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Zeus, it is said, permitted Hades, who was in love with the beautiful Persephone, to abduct her as her mother Demeter was not likely to allow her daughter to go down to Hades.
Hades is Athena's uncle. She appears to be very fond of him, as she greets him with an enthusiastic hug when she sees him after a presumably long time. Unlike the rest of her siblings, Athena seems to have been unaware of the relationship between Hades and Persephone until much later.
Hades apparently loves to cook and is a good one at that. He is revealed to be infertile. As such, he is incapable of having children. Although he is unsure, he believes he may have lost his ability to have children after consuming the pomegranate fruit to become King of the Underworld.
There was also a moment of intimacy on the present day, where Zelena and Hades met by the clock tower. It is when he revealed that he still loves her after all these years, that he was trying to get her baby for her, and when he told her, he made her own Storybrooke.
Persephone's Children
Melione, also called Melaina, was the goddess of ghosts and spirits. She was said to bring nightmares to whomever she visits. Most ancient sources stated that she was conceived by Persephone and Hades.
Some Greeks feared her even more than Hades, reportedly using her name to curse enemies. She was in no way weak and was one of the few who personified duality by being able to hold the roles Queen of the Underworld and a Spring Goddess. Part of that was due to Hades supporting her in both roles.
Zagreus, in Orphic myth, a divine child who was the son of Zeus (as a snake) and his daughter Persephone. Zeus intended to make Zagreus his heir and bestow on him unlimited power, but Hera out of jealousy urged the Titans to attack the child while she beguiled him with toys.
Aphrodite makes Hades fall in love with Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, goddess of the crops. He snatches her while she is picking flowers in a meadow with a nymph and takes her down to the Underworld.
But what's interesting is that at least on Latin - not Greek - account does mention motivation, specifically, that Erycina (Aphrodite) had Cupido (Eros) make Hades fall in love so they could "conquer" the underwold with love.
The Olympians attempted to retrieve Persephone and calm their sister Demeter, but it was only Hermes, the messenger and a trickster, who succeeded. Though freed, Persephone had eaten seeds from the pomegranate, which meant she would always have a piece of the Underworld with her and remain connected to Hades.
In the myth of Persephone and Adonis, Persephone and Aphrodite had both fallen in love with the mortal man Adonis. Zeus ordered Adonis to split his time between Aphrodite and Persephone. Adonis would spend time on the earth with Aphrodite, and then he would go to the underworld to spend time with Persephone.
Hades became the ruler of the Underworld. Hades was married to his niece, Persephone, whom he abducted [See Demeter].
Hades' Characteristics
Hades's strengths include his wealth of the earth, especially precious metals; persistence; and determinedness. His weaknesses include his passion for Persephone (also known as Kore), the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, and his own niece.