How would ancient Greeks have understood the myth of Persephone?

by TheWaylandCycle

I've often seen people online claiming that the myth of Persephone has been misinterpreted by modern audiences as a non-consensual abduction, and that the "original" myth portrayed a more loving relationship that did not involve abduction or deception (I've seen some people suggesting that her abduction should be interpreted as part of a courtship/marriage ritual?), or otherwise was not in line with this modern perception.

However, from glancing at these sections of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, which pretty explicitly describe Persephone as being reluctant or unwilling to go with Hades, I'm curious as to which interpretation of the source material is more convincing, and if there are other accounts of the myth which offer a different story to the Homeric Hymn. So hopefully someone here will be able to give me a better sense of where these modern interpretations stand in relation to how the ancient Greeks would likely have understood the story of Persephone.

Spencer_A_McDaniel

The claim that the ancient Greeks did not believe that Hades abducted Persephone and instead believed that she went with him willingly is absolutely, utterly false. I wrote an entire post on my blog specifically debunking this claim back in February 2020.

Every surviving ancient Greek or Roman literary description or artistic depiction that portrays the story of Hades and Persephone unambiguously portrays him as forcibly abducting her without her consent and most either explicitly state or heavily imply that he raped her as well. Some examples include:

  • the Greek poet Hesiodos in his long narrative poem Theogonia, lines 912–914 (most likely composed in around the early seventh century BCE or thereabouts, making it probably the earliest surviving source for the myth of Persephone's abduction)
  • the “Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter” (which most likely became fixed in something resembling its extant form in around the second half of the seventh century BCE or thereabouts, making it the oldest surviving source that retells the myth of Persephone's abduction at length)
  • a Greek pinax dating to between c. 460 and c. 450 BCE from the sanctuary of Persephone at the site of Lokroi Epizephyroi in Magna Graecia
  • a Makedonian fresco in Small Tomb A from the Grand Tumulus at Aigai dating to the late fourth century BCE
  • a Makedonian mosaic from the third chamber of the Amphipolis Tomb, also dating to the late fourth century BCE
  • numerous ancient Greek vase paintings, mostly dating to the fourth century BCE
  • the Roman poet Ovid in his long narrative poem Metamorphoses, Book Five, completed in around 8 CE
  • the Bibliotheke of Pseudo-Apollodoros, a Greek mythographic work dating to the second century CE or thereabouts
  • the Fabulae of Pseudo-Hyginus, a Latin mythographic work dating to the second century CE or thereabouts
  • the late Roman poet Claudius Claudianus (lived c. 370 – c. 404 CE) in his epic poem De Raptu Proserpinae (On the Rape of Proserpina), Book Two

And probably some other ancient sources that I have missed.

There is no question in the ancient Greek and Roman sources that Hades abducted Persephone against her will and there is no ancient source that says she went with him willingly. Modern writers who claim that this was the original story have absolutely no ground to stand on other than pure wishful thinking.

Marriage rituals consisting of a ritualized "pretend" abduction did exist in ancient Greece. Notably, the Greek biographer and Middle Platonist philosopher Ploutarchos of Chaironeia (lived c. 46 – after c. 119 CE) records in his Life of Lykourgos 15.3–5 that this was the custom in Sparta. There is, however, no evidence to suggest that this kind of "pretend" abduction is what any of the sources for the myth of Hades abducting Persephone are describing. On the contrary, the ancient sources go out of their way to emphasize how traumatic the abduction experience is for Persephone.

There is somewhat more ambiguity when it comes to the question of whether the ancient Greeks and Romans thought Hades was justified in abducting Persephone. On the one hand, the sources are generally unanimous in portraying Hades as having gotten permission to abduct Persephone and force her to marry him from Zeus, her father. In the ancient Greek world, the consent of the father of the bride was all that mattered for legal purposes; neither the bride herself nor the mother of the bride were required to consent to the marriage.

On the other hand, the ancient Greek and Roman literary accounts and artistic depictions give extremely vivid portrayals of both Persephone's anguish as Hades abducts her and Demeter's anguish at discovering that her daughter has been taken. For instance, here is the description of the abduction in “Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter,” lines 1–46, as translated by Diane J. Rayor:

“I sing of the revered goddess, rich-haired Demeter,
and her long-legged daughter whom Hades snatched
(loud-rumbling, thundering Zeus gave her away)
while she played with the virgin daughters of Ocean,
far from Golden Grain Demeter, who bears shining fruit.
She picked lush meadow flowers: roses, crocuses,
lovely violets, irises, hyacinths-and a narcissus
Gaia grew as a lure for the blossoming girl,
following Zeus’s bidding, to please Lord Hades.
Everyone marvelled at the bewitching sight,
immortal gods and mortal folk alike:
from its root blossomed a hundred sweetly
scented heads, and all wide heaven above,
all earth, and the salty swell of the sea laughed.
Amazed, she stretched out both hands to pick
the charming bloom-and a chasm opened
in the Nyssian Plain. Out sprang Lord Hades,
god of many names, on his immortal horses.
Snatching the unwilling girl, he carried her off
in his golden chariot, as she cried and screamed aloud
calling to her father, son of Kronos, highest and best.”
“None of the immortal gods or mortal folk
heard her cry, nor the Olive shining with fruit—
except the daughter of Perses, tender-hearted
Hekate, veiled in light, heard from her cave
and Lord Helios Hyperion’s shining son
heard the girl calling to her father, son of Kronos.
Zeus sat far away from the gods, in his temple echoing
with prayers, accepting rich offerings from mortals.
But her father’s brother, Kronos’ son of many names,
Lord of the Dead, stole the unwilling girl
away on his immortal horses, with a nod from Zeus.
While the goddess could still gaze at earth
and starry heaven, strong rush of the fish abundant sea
and sun’s rays, she still hoped to see her dear mother
and the race of gods who live forever:
hope yet charmed her strong mind though she grieved.
But the mountain peaks and the sea depths echoed
with her eternal cry, and her goddess mother heard her.
Sharp grief seized her heart; with both hands
she tore the veil from her ambrosial hair,
threw a black cloak across her shoulders
and sped like a bird over the nourishing land and sea,
searching: but none of the immortal gods
or mortal folk would tell her the truth,
nor did omen birds come bearing messages.”

A person reading this account definitely receives the impression that Zeus and Hades have made a rather grievous error in arranging for Hades to abduct Persephone without her own consent or the consent of her mother Demeter.