What Were Persephone’s Powers?
Persephone, Goddess of the Underworld, had the power to bring about the seasons. Though she spent time in the Underworld, she returned to the living to renew life each year.
Persephone, originally named Kore, was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Zeus’ brother Hades, wanted to make Kore his wife and he devised a plan in order to kidnap her and take her back to his home. After taking her back with him to the underworld, he changed her name to Persephone, as he believed Kore was too childish for a soon-to-be queen. The goddess, though unhappy with her new life, began to develop a love for Hades and started adjusting to her new life with him.
In her absence, the crops had begun to dwindle and the world faced a horrible famine as her mother, Demeter mourned. Demeter, the Goddess of the Harvest, stop caring about the crops and the growth of new life. This prompted Zeus to help return his daughter from the underworld.
After Persephone’s mother learned what became of her missing daughter, she sent a messenger to the underworld to locate her. She did locate her and an agreement was made between the gods that Persephone would return to the world of the living each spring to renew life.
