. Greek mythology systematized . ship of humanbirths, but she rejoiced in men as subjects rather than aschildren; Demeter wrought wondrous things for manwith a power that was divine, but with a love that washuman. It is not strange that a people who could conceivesuch a goddess should place in a relation so subtle andso tender that we know not whether to call it divinelyhuman or humanly divine, the daughter Persephone(Table B, 14). Surely, the fascinating myth of Demeterand Persephone, of their sorrow and their rejoicing, musthave grander meaning than the life, decay, and new-com-ing of plant
. Greek mythology systematized . ship of humanbirths, but she rejoiced in men as subjects rather than aschildren; Demeter wrought wondrous things for manwith a power that was divine, but with a love that washuman. It is not strange that a people who could conceivesuch a goddess should place in a relation so subtle andso tender that we know not whether to call it divinelyhuman or humanly divine, the daughter Persephone(Table B, 14). Surely, the fascinating myth of Demeterand Persephone, of their sorrow and their rejoicing, musthave grander meaning than the life, decay, and new-com-ing of plant and grain. Though the living, changinghieroglyph of seed-time and harvest may symbolize, itcan only symbolize, that vaster mystery—life that is humanin its conditions, but heavenly in its instincts and destiny. Persephone, like Demeter, seemed glad to use her DEMETER. lo; powers in the service of man; so, hand in hand, walkedmother and daughter, and wherever human Hfe-wayswended, thither passed the celestial pair, working mir-. Demeter, or Ceres. acles of growth and color, bloom and fruitage, untilflower and fruit grew fragrant with life-giving mysteries of growth ceased and miracles of colorpaled and vanished, because Persephones music-waking I06 GREEK MYTHOLOGY. Step was heard no more. Surely she had not desertedher loving worshippers—surely some strong arm heldher from them. It could not be that of her father Zeus,for were it so, they well knew that from celestial heightsshe would pour upon them largesses of blessings inhitherto unknown richness. No, from the sunless, star-less depths of the lower world had come the mightyHades, and not in defiance, but by permission, of Zeushe bore away Persephone. RAPE OF PERSEPHONE. The legend says that Persephone was playing with thedaughters of Oceanus and Tethys on the Nysian Plainin Asia (later, Enna, Sicily). They were gathering flow-ers, when Persephone saw a large rich plant coveredwith blossoms that were strange and
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