Aubrey Hinely
*The Romans conquered many lands and adopted many things from the cultures they liked. For example, when the Romans met the Greeks, they loved all their myths and gods. So they took them and used them for their own as well. That is why many Roman myths are also Greek myths.
Ceres and Proserpina and the Reason for the Seasons
The king of all Roman gods was Jupiter. Jupiter had three sisters and one of them was a young woman named Ceres. Ceres turned out to be in charge of the harvest. She carried the cornucopia. Ceres was the Earth goddess and goddess of the corn. According to myth, if Ceres was upset, the crops could die. Everyone including gods and mortals would try to keep Ceres happy as long as possible. What made her happiest…show more content… People would die without the crops and then no one would be left to worship him and he would be kicked out of power. He had to do something and he had to do it fast. Ceres would turn upset forever and there would be no more crops. Especially considering the thing that made her the happiest would be banished forever. Jupiter came up with a plan. It was something he always did. He sent Mercury, his youngest son, to crack a deal with Pluto. Mercury was a messenger so it worked out well. Even as an infant, Mercury was exquisite at making deals. Everyone knew about it. But it turned out that this deal might’ve been the challenge of his life. Pluto, who was also his uncle, was really in love. That’s something not very easy to overcome. When Mercury heard that Proserpina had eaten six pomegranate seeds, he had to think fast. He struck a deal with Pluto that if Proserpina lived as queen of the underworld for six months out of the year, she would be able to return in the spring to live on Earth for six months of the year. Pluto and Jupiter both agreed. Then Proserpina agreed. And finally, Ceres agreed. ["Ceres and Proserpine."…show more content… Then when the time comes for her to return, Ceres cries and all the crops die starting in the fall and lasting all winter. Then in the spring, the cycle will repeat all over again. According to the ancients, this myth is the reason for the seasons. ["CeresGreek Name: Demeter."]
Bibliography
1) "The Kidnapping – Ceres and Proserpina."Folktalesandstorytelling -. Web. 23 Dec. 2014. <https://folktalesandstorytelling.wikispaces.com/The Kidnapping – Ceres and Proserpina>.
2) "CeresGreek Name: Demeter." Ceres and Her Daughter. Web. 23 Dec. 2014. <http://rome.mrdonn.org/romangods/ceres.html
3) "Ceres and Proserpine." Ceres and Proserpine. Web. 23 Dec. 2014.