Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter was the goddess of agriculture. She was the
daughter of Cronos and Rhea
and was the mother of Persephone.
When Persephone was abducted by Hades,
ruler of the dead, Demeter in her grief neglected the Earth's crops. Starvation
threatened the world until Zeus urged a
compromise whereby Persephone spent 6 months with Hades (winter) and 6
months with her mother (summer). Demeter's joy at Persephone's return caused
the barren earth to blossom each year. The cult of Demeter featured the
Eleusinian Mysteries, in which the drama of life, death, and resurrection
was enacted. In Roman mythology, Demeter was identified with Ceres.