Demeter’s Search for Persephone. Learning of Persephone’s disappearance, Demeter (Ceres) vainly searched for her daughter over all the world for nine days and nights. In her frustration, the goddess took vengeance on the earth by destroying its fertility and all the oxen and plows that tilled the soil.

In her wanderings. Demeter came to the city of Eleusis, where she was received first by Phytalus, on whom she bestowed the secret of cultivating the fig tree in gratitude for his kindness. In the guise of an old woman she was then employed by King Celeus and Queen Metaneira to nurse their infant son De-mophoon (or his brother, Triptolemus). After she was discovered trying to make the child immortal by holding him in fire, the goddess revealed her divinity and decreed that the Eleusinian mysteries be held in her honor. It was at Eleusis that Persephone was finally restored to her.

According to Ovid, Demeter paused in her search to rest at the cottage of an old woman, who gave the weary traveler a drink. As the goddess drank, a boy mocked her and called her greedy, whereupon she changed him into a newt (Latin, stellio) or a lizard. In some versions of the tale, the unfortunate boy is identified as Abas, a son of Celeus.

Listings are arranged under the following headings:
General List (Persephone)
Demeter's Search for Persephone (PersephoneSearch)
Return of Persephone(PersephoneReturn)

See also in OGCMA entries under TRIPTOLEMUS.