View source for Demeter

{{Infobox deity
| type             = Greek
| name             = Demeter
| other_names      = Sito, Thesmophoros
| god_of           = Goddess of agriculture, harvest, fertility and sacred law.
| member_of        =
| image            = Demeter Altemps Inv8546.jpg
| caption          = A marble statue of Demeter, [[National Roman Museum]]
| abode            = [[Mount Olympus]]
| symbol           = [[Cornucopia]], [[wheat]], [[torch]], [[bread]]
| consort          = [[Iasion]], [[Zeus]], [[Carmanor (deity)|Carmanor]], [[Poseidon]]
| parents          = [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]]
| siblings         = [[Hestia]], [[Hera]], [[Hades]], [[Poseidon]], [[Zeus]], [[Chiron]]
| children         = [[Persephone]], [[Despoina]], [[Arion (mythology)|Arion]], [[Plutus]], [[Philomelus]], [[Eubuleus]], [[Chrysothemis]]
| mount            =
| festivals        = [[Thesmophoria]], [[Eleusinian Mysteries]]
| Roman_equivalent = [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]]
}} 
'''Demeter''' ([[Ancient Greek|Attic Greek]]: Δημήτηρ, ''Dēmḗtēr''; [[Ancient Greek|Doric]]: Δαμάτηρ, ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the goddess of the harvest and [[agriculture]] in [[Greek mythology|ancient Greek religion]] and [[myth]], one of the [[Twelve Olympians]]. The elder sister of [[Zeus]], Demeter presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. She served as the patron goddess of farmers, and was believed to have taught men how to reap and cultivate the harvest. By Zeus, she is the mother of [[Persephone]], the wife of [[Hades]] and queen of the underworld. Both she and Persephone were central figures of the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]], a series of festivals held in honor of the two goddesses in the region of [[Attica]]. Her symbols were the [[scythe]], cornucopia, [[wheat]], bread and harvest grains, and the [[pig]] and snake were her sacred animals. Her Roman equivalent is [[Ceres]].

In Greek Mythology, Demeter's daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, and made her bride. Demeter grieved the loss of her daughter, bringing on a long famine. Eventually an accord was met by which Persephone would spend part of the year underground, and the rest above ground with her mother. This cycle is the Mythological explanation for the seasons. <br /> 
== Related pages ==
{{Commons category|Demeter}}
* [[Ceres]] - [[Roman mythology|Roman]] version of Demeter
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{{Twelve Olympians}}


{{multistub|religion|Europe}}

[[Category:Twelve Olympians]]