The Two Great Gods of Earth

1. The Two Great Gods of Earth By: Kyle Paulson, Michael Smith, Trey Ellis, Tony Pagan, Andie Passi, Sahra Khan, Bianca Olivas

2. The Story of Demeter • Demeter is goddess of corn (the harvest), which is considered one of the gifts of the Earth. • She has a daughter named Persephone, who was stolen away by Hades, lord of the underworld. • Demeter searched but couldn’t find her, so she disguised herself as an old woman and sat by a well. • Has a temple built for her by the people of Eleusis in order to gain her favor. • She was still very sad about her daughter, so she stopped allowing crops to grow and be planted.

3. Demeter, cont’d • Zeus sends Hermes to retrieve Persephone from the underworld, so Demeter will be happy and crops will resume growth. • Before Persephone leaves, Hades makes her eat a pomegranate seed, which requires her to return to him for a third of every year. • When Demeter is with her daughter, she is happy, causing spring and crop growth. • But when Persephone returns to the underworld, Demeter is sad, and for 1/3 of the year, there is winter and very little crop growth.

4. Dionysus • Dionysus, or Bacchus was the god of wine and the son of Zeus and Semele. • Semele was dying while pregnant with Dionysus, so Zeus pulled Dionysus out of her before she died. • Zeus puts Dionysus in his side and took him to the nymphs of Nysa where he was cared for until his birth. • He was born by fire and nursed by rain. The fire ripens the grapes for the wine, and the water keeps the plant alive. • As he grew to be an adult, he taught men everywhere how to tend grapes.

5. Dionysus, cont’d. • Dionysus was the god of wine, which is both good and bad. Wine creates happiness, but also makes people drunk. This is why Dionysus is known as “man’s benefactor, as well as man’s destroyer.” (Hamilton 71) The Greeks held him in great honor because they valued greater the benefits that wine brings, which are happiness and joy, than the detriments that it brings. • Dionysus, being the god of wine, brought joy and sadness which is similar to comedy and tragedy in Greek theater. It was also thought that all of those who took part in the plays of the Greek theater were considered servants of Dionysus. • Dionysus, like Persephone, dies with the arrival of winter and is said to be torn to pieces by, according to some versions, the titans, or by, according to other versions, the orders of Hera (Zeus’ wife). However, he is always brought back to life, and always rises from the dead.

6. Comparison to Other Greek Gods • Dionysus and Demeter, along with their symbols, the harvest and the vine, dwell on earth. • Dionysus and Demeter were the only two gods in Greek mythology that experienced mortal pain, sorrow, and grief.