Goddess Of Summertime: Uncertainty In Ancient Greek Religion

The uncertainty in nature that the Greek had caused them to seek explanations. Such as why do the crops become bare, and the land cold during certain times? Because of this uncertainty, humans looked to the gods actions for explanations. This is why Demeter is not always called the "happy goddess of summertime" or Dionysus a"joy-god". Demeter, goddess of the harvest, provides and protects the crops, while Dionysus, god of wine, would rule the vine and production of wine. The two are considered a natural pairing as they both bring Earth's pleasant gifts. But there is a negative to both being involved with the harvest or crops of the earth. They regularly suffer when the troublesome cold overpowers them every time winter rolls around. As told by the myths, when Hades wanted a queen he took Demeter's only daughter, Persephone, which …show more content…
During the time Persephone is taken away from her mother, Demeter regularly falls into a scene of despair, joy returning to her only at the start of Spring, causing the springtime blossoming. Dionysus is the only main god who has a mortal for as one of his parents, the other parent being Zeus. In Hera's rage, the mortal mother's death was set, and Zeus snatched the baby to be raised in secrecy. Very much like Demeter, Dionysus also longed for his mother, although they had never met. He grew to become an overall good man but being the god of wine, he does experience times of insanity and madness. This could be due to all the time he spent alone, longing for his mother. When he longed for her so greatly, he decided to seek her in the underworld, going as far to defy "the power of Death to keep her from him". Like Demeter’s, his story is one of tragedy and death. They also share two very human qualities because of their stories, such as depression and