Eventually a deal was agreed – Persephone would spend six months of the year on earth with Demeter, and the other six months in the underworld with Hades. Or perhaps Persephone knew what she was doing all along, and secretly did want to stay by his side (some stories suggest she is not as innocent as might first appear). Perhaps Hades thought she would eventually grow to love him. He gifted her a pomegranate and she ate several of its seeds, not knowing that anyone who ate from the depths of hell would be forced to stay there forever. When faced with the wrath of the Gods, Hades tricked Persephone so she could never leave. Hades tried to trick Persephone into loving him Lord Frederick Leighton, The Return of Persephone, 1890-91, Met Museum, New York This strong reaction suggests that Persephone didn’t want to be there, and was not in love with her captor, although we don’t hear her account of the story. The God Hermes joined in the search and eventually found Persephone in the underworld with Hades, demanding she be set free. She searched day and night looking for her beloved daughter, neglecting the world’s plants and leaving them to wither and die. Persephone’s mother, Demeter, goddess of agriculture and harvest, was devastated when she realised her daughter was missing. Hermes and Demeter didn’t think that Persephone loved Hades Simeon Soloman, Mercury and Proserpina, 19th century, Christie’s We can therefore assume she did not love Hades at this stage, and probably even hated him for destroying her innocence and taking her away from her family. In Ancient Greek and Roman texts it is clear that Hades kidnapped Persephone against her will, and forcibly made her his wife. Hades then snatched Persephone from the earth and dragged her into the underworld with him. While visiting the upper world Hades spotted the young and beautiful Persephone picking flowers in a meadow and was immediately entranced by her. Hades was deeply lonely in his vast underworld castle, and longed for a life partner to keep him company. Persephone and Hades met under unlikely circumstances. Persephone didn’t love Hades when they first met Jean Francois de Troy, The Abduction of Proserpine, 18th century, Christie’s
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