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Persephone's Fall
Legend has it the Greek goddess of springtime and rebirth, Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was one day napped by Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, after sighting her for the first time and immediately falling in love with her, as she painted flowers by a body of water, accompanied by the Oceanids, and Artemis and Athena, her sisters.
There is little agreement as to where ‘The Rape of Proserpina’ (as she became known in Ancient Rome, inspiring multiple works of art across Europe for centuries) actually took place, though one of the possibilities lies at Pergusa Lake, located in the Sicilian island of present-day Italy. That is where this story is retold, in the remnants of Magna Graecia.
Generating an insurmountable fault in the lake’s ground, Hades drove his golden chariot to the surface and took Persephone by the wrist and waist, immediately submerging toward Tartarus, domain of the dead, leaving the landscape behind them intact, as if nothing had happened.
Demeter took it to her hands to find her daughter, searching for an entire nine days. When the desperate mother became aware of what had happened to Persephone, she demanded Zeus’s intervention, who ordered Hades to return the lost divinity to her mother. However, and according to the Fates, those who ingest pomegranate seeds in the Underworld are bound to lay there, one month per seed. Thus began the four seasons, granted Fall and Winter were the time when Persephone had to join Hades against her will, but only in the very beginning. What happens next is the rebirth of truth.
There is little agreement as to where ‘The Rape of Proserpina’ (as she became known in Ancient Rome, inspiring multiple works of art across Europe for centuries) actually took place, though one of the possibilities lies at Pergusa Lake, located in the Sicilian island of present-day Italy. That is where this story is retold, in the remnants of Magna Graecia.
Generating an insurmountable fault in the lake’s ground, Hades drove his golden chariot to the surface and took Persephone by the wrist and waist, immediately submerging toward Tartarus, domain of the dead, leaving the landscape behind them intact, as if nothing had happened.
Demeter took it to her hands to find her daughter, searching for an entire nine days. When the desperate mother became aware of what had happened to Persephone, she demanded Zeus’s intervention, who ordered Hades to return the lost divinity to her mother. However, and according to the Fates, those who ingest pomegranate seeds in the Underworld are bound to lay there, one month per seed. Thus began the four seasons, granted Fall and Winter were the time when Persephone had to join Hades against her will, but only in the very beginning. What happens next is the rebirth of truth.
- GenresMythology
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2018
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About the author
Tiago Lameiras
11 books9 followersTiago Lameiras was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1990.
He holds both a PhD 'Cum Laude' in Communications, Culture, and Arts, awarded by the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of the Algarve, Faro, Portugal, and a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Theater Acting from the Higher School of Theater and Film of the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon.
He is currently a Researcher at the Center for Theater Studies of the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon and the Arts and Communications Research Center of the University of the Algarve.
He holds both a PhD 'Cum Laude' in Communications, Culture, and Arts, awarded by the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of the Algarve, Faro, Portugal, and a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Theater Acting from the Higher School of Theater and Film of the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon.
He is currently a Researcher at the Center for Theater Studies of the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon and the Arts and Communications Research Center of the University of the Algarve.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 1, 2018
This book was an amazing resource to learn about the tale of Persephone & Hades. I loved reading about Persephone’s trials, growing up (becoming an adult goddess) and her thoughts & emotions. As you read this book, you also learn about another amazing couple: Orpheus & Eurydice. Couldn’t put it down and was curious about what was going to happen next. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Tiago Lameiras.
December 17, 2018
An excellent resource for learning many famous myths woven into this beautiful epic tale in poetry form.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews