Ceres: Roman Goddess of Wheat, Fertility, and Grain

Ceres is the Roman version of the goddess Demeter. The myths surrounding each are exactly the same, only the names change. Here, we will be using the Roman names. 

Commonly associated with the harvest, Ceres (aka Demeter) is usually depicted holding a sheaf of wheat and/or wearing a crown of wheat. She is usually a motherly, older woman. Fertility and agriculture go hand in hand across many different cultures, and Ceres is no exception. 

Ceres is also the sister of Jupiter (aka Zeus), god of thunder and lightning. Their daughter, Proserpina (aka Persephone), is known as the goddess of the underworld, but wasn’t always. 

Proserpina was abducted by Pluto (aka Hades) god of the underworld, who wanted to marry her. In response, Ceres, distraught, delayed the harvest - pledging that nothing would grow on earth, and she would not return to Mount Olympus until Proserpina was released.

An angry Jupiter got involved too, sending Mercury (aka Hermes) to the underworld to try to secure Proserpina’s release. Pluto, begrudgingly, agreed, but offered Proserpina pomegranate seeds to eat before her departure. Not knowing that once someone eats something in the underworld, they have to stay there forever, Proserpina ate the seeds.

Following this, Jupiter negotiated with Pluto, and they came to an agreement that Proserpina would spend six months of the year in the underworld with Pluto, and six month of the year with her mother, Ceres. 

The myth was used to explain the seasons - the Spring and Summer are when Proserpina is on earth with her mother, Ceres, a time of birth and rebirth, when everything grows. Then in Fall and Winter, when Proserpina has to go back to the underworld, Ceres withholds fertility, and everything dies.