Demeter and Persephone


Book Description

The classical Greek myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone as told in Homer's Hymn to Demeter has been used most often to explain the cycle of the seasons. However, a closer examination will reveal insights on living and dying, loss and reconciliation, and suffering and healing. This work demostrates the continued importance and relevance of the myth of Demeter and Persephone to today's society. The first three chapters provide a summary of the Homeric story and examine the myth from the perspectives of the mother and daughter. The following chapters discuss the symbolism of critical objects, the role of female mentoring, the role of Hades and the meaning of the underworld, the subject of rape, and the masculinist perspective presented by Zeus and Helios, and derive lessons useful for healing and knowledge. The Hymn to Demeter as translated by Helene Foley is included as an appendix in order to provide a basis for the discussion in the text. Notes and a bibliography also follow the text.




Life's Daughter/death's Bride


Book Description

An in-depth exploration of the profound relevance for contemporary women of the ancient Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone. Richly illustrated with dreams, insights, and relational dynamics drawn from clients in psychotherapy, this book will appeal to both layperson and professional. 25 photos.




Persephone


Book Description

The Daughters of Zeus, Book One "Persephone is a fun, imaginative, smart retelling of my favorite myth, fusing modern culture with a rich world of magic." Amazon Top Reviewer, Molly Ringle, Author of Persephone's Orchard. One day Persephone is an ordinary high school junior working at her mom's flower shop in Athens, Georgia. The next she's fighting off Boreas, the brutal god of Winter, and learning that she's a bonafide goddess--a rare daughter of the now-dead Zeus. Her goddess mom whisks her off to the Underworld to hide until Spring. There she finds herself under the protection of handsome Hades, the god of the dead, and she's automatically married to him. It's the only way he can keep her safe. Older, wiser, and far more powerful than she, Hades isn't interested in becoming her lover, at least not anytime soon. But every time he rescues her from another of Boreas' schemes, they fall in love a little more. Will Hades ever admit his feelings for her? Can she escape the grasp of the god of Winter's minions? The Underworld is a very nice place, but is it worth giving up her life in the realm of the living? Her goddess powers are developing some serious, kick-butt potential. She's going to fight back. "I enjoyed Hades and Persephone's sweet romantic relationship. Persephone has her flaws, but she is likable and learns along the way. The author's writing is descriptive and entertaining. I am looking forward to the next book." Rebecca Foote @ Paranormal Muse "Everyone needs to check this book out, I can't rave enough about it, Bevis is definitely a new talent to keep an eye out for. I give this 5/5." Sarah Brown @ Head Stuck in a Book "I found this book to be a fun and fast-paced adventure through Greek mythology with a modern twist." Stephanie Ward @ A Dream Within a Dream "From the first paragraph, I was enthralled with this story. I read it all in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. What a great spin on a Greek myth! Move over Rick Riordan!" Amazon Top Reviewer, Rita Webb, Author of Daughter of the Goddess "This story will completely suck you in . . . This book is the first of a trilogy, and I can't wait to see what's in store for these amazing characters." Amazon Top Reviewer, Melissa Groeling, Author of Beauty Marks Kaitlin Bevis spent her childhood curled up with a book and a pen. If the ending didn't agree with her, she rewrote it. Because she's always wanted to be a writer, she spent high school and college learning everything she could to achieve that goal. After graduating college with a BFA and Masters in English, Kaitlin went on to write The Daughters of Zeus series. kaitlinbevis.com




In the Shadow of Demeter


Book Description

The daughter of King Zeus of Olympus lived a small life. The least of his sons and daughters, hers was not the moon, or love, or battle...so low that she should have more rightly been numbered among his demigod children. Kore lingered at the edge of the feast hall, watching the great gods and goddesses revel. Too useless to sprout the grain with the nymphs, she followed her mother, Demeter, through the fields and made the flowers bloom, and she wasn't even too good at that. But what she liked best was when she was allowed to wander the woodlands and towns of the mortal world alone. It was there she found her destiny, one that would shake the world from the top of Olympus to the depths of Hades. Kore does not belong in the shadows, and she is not the Goddess of Flowers, spring or otherwise. But things never start out that way. It started, as many stories do, with a boy and a girl in a meadow. This is not the story passed down from Demeter's priests and priestesses. It is not the song sung for Demeter by her nymphs as her tears make the seasons turn. But it was never Demeter's story to tell at all. Grab your copy today to hear Persephone's side of the tale!




Captive in the Underworld


Book Description

A dark lesbian romance retelling of the Hades/Persephone abduction story, set in mythological ancient Greece. In the land of the dead, Queen Hades’ word is law. Hades gets what she wants—always—and what she wants is a certain goddess of the springtime. Innocent Persephone chafes beneath her mother’s hawkish gaze and mercurial temper. Demeter has rebuffed all her daughter’s suitors, but she is not yet satisfied; she strives to crush Persephone’s spirit. Still, when Hades pulls her into the dark realm of the underworld, Persephone longs for the world above, even if it means an eternity under her mother’s thumb. With her tears and pleas for freedom ignored by pitiless Hades, Persephone must learn to satisfy her keeper in all ways, lest she suffer the consequences. And though she cannot deny that something blooms within her, something forbidden, Persephone despairs of ever feeling the sun upon her skin once more. No matter the cost, Hades intends to keep her. Forever. * * * Captive in the Underworld is a standalone dark lesbian romance novel set in mythological ancient Greece. It is rooted in the misogyny and cruelties of the Hades/Persephone myth and contains sensitive material. Due to mature content and dark themes, this book is intended for adult readers only. It contains scenes depicting non-consensual sex, death, abuse, kidnapping, assault, and other intimate partner violence. It is not recommended for readers sensitive to such content. PRAISE FOR CAPTIVE IN THE UNDERWORLD “A dark sapphic romance based on the myth of Persephone and Hades... entertaining, captivating, and exceptionally enjoyable... I read it twice in a row without stopping… if you like my work, I bet you’ll like this a whole lot!” ―Rae D. Magdon, author of Lucky 7 “I adored this brutally ruthless Hades... She was everything I wanted her to be... frightening and passionate all at once... a beautiful example of classic dark romance... Gorgeous novel, highly recommend.” ―Roses and Thorns Book Reviews “[The] best Hades/Persephone story I've ever read… such a gripping read I literally devoured it whole in one sitting like I was Kronos eating his kids… the world and the characters are so lush and compelling I'm tempted not to finish this review and just start rereading the book instead.”―Katarina, Goodreads reviewer




Lost Goddesses of Early Greece


Book Description

For thousands of years before the classical myths were recorded by Hesiod and Homer, the Goddess was the focus of religion and culture. In Lost Goddesses of Early Greece, Charlene Spretnak recreates, the original, goddess-centered myths and illuminates the contemporary emergence of a spirituality based on our embeddedness in nature.




Expurgating the Classics


Book Description

In the first collection to be devoted to this subject, a distinguished cast of contributors explores expurgation in both Greek and Latin authors in ancient and modern times. The major focus is on the period from the seventeenth to the twentieth century, with chapters ranging from early Greek lyric and Aristophanes through Lucretius, Horace, Martial and Catullus to the expurgation of schoolboy texts, the Loeb Classical Library and the Penguin Classics. The contributors draw on evidence from the papers of editors, and on material in publishing archives. The introduction discusses both the different types of expurgation, and how it differs from related phenomena such as censorship.




Classical Mythology


Book Description

Classical Mythology, Sixth Edition, continues to build on its best-selling tradition of focusing on the literary tradition of Greek and Roman mythology through extensive translations of original mythological sources. Its coverage of comparative and interpretative approaches as well as evidencefrom art and archeology is expanded in this edition. Morford and Lenardon's insightful and accessible discussion of classical myths in their historical and cultural settings, as well as their survival in literature, art, music, and film, remains unparalleled: This comprehensive introduction toclassical mythology features new translations, expanded critical coverage, an expanded art program, and a new web site.




The Myth of Persephone in Girls' Fantasy Literature


Book Description

This book explores the myth of Persephone and Demeter as it informs the development of a long discourse about civilization, the development of children, child psychology, and fantasy literature. The pattern in the myth of girls who descend into underworlds and negotiate a partial return to the earth is a marked feature of girls’ literature, and the cycle also reflects the change of seasons and fertility/death. Tracing the parallel between the myth and girls’ literature enables an understanding of how female development is mourned but deemed necessary for the reproduction of culture. Blackford looks at the function of toys in children’s literature as a representation of the myth’s narcissus, combining this approach with classic interpretations of the myth as expressive of female psychology, mother-daughter object-relations, hieros gamos (fertility coupling) rituals, transition from matriarchal to patriarchal order, and excursions into the creative/artistic unconscious. The story of Persephone’s separation from her mother and abduction into the underworld is explored as an expression of ambivalence about female development in works such as Hoffmann’s Nutcracker and Mouse King, Alcott’s Little Women, Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, Burnett’s The Secret Garden, White’s Charlotte’s Web, Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Meyer’s Twilight, and Gaiman’s Coraline. With this book, Blackford offers a consideration of how literature for the young squares with broader canons, how classics flexibly and uniquely speak through novels that enjoy broad appeal, and how female traditions are embedded in novels by both men and women.




Yale Classics (Vol. 1)


Book Description

Yale Classics (Vol. 1) marks an unprecedented assemblage of the luminaries of Ancient Greek literature, philosophy, and historiography, presenting a rich tapestry of the intellectual and creative brilliance that has shaped not only Western literature but also the very foundation of Western thought. This collection spans a breathtaking range of genresfrom the philosophical dialogues of Plato and Aristotle to the epic poetry of Homer, the tragic dramas of Sophocles and Euripides, and the historical narratives of Herodotus and Thucydides. Each work is a testament to the diversity and depth of ancient Greek literary and philosophical tradition, offering readers a glimpse into the myriad ways the ancients grappled with themes of power, morality, fate, and virtue. Noteworthy are the poetic fragments of Sappho and Anacreon, which provide a rare insight into the lyrical expressions of personal emotion, influencing countless generations thereafter. The contributing authors and editors, revered not only for their foundational roles in literature and philosophy but also for their profound impact on the development of Western cultural and intellectual history, emerge from varied backgrounds but share a common heritage of profound insight into the complexity of the human condition and the world. Their collective works represent the confluence of literary genius and philosophical inquiry that defines the Classical era, engaging with themes of heroism, governance, ethics, and aesthetics. This anthology aligns with and celebrates significant historical and cultural movements, encapsulating the essence of the Classical period in a way that no single author could. Culminating in an invitation to modern readers, Yale Classics (Vol. 1) offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the seminal works that have not only laid the groundwork for Western thought but continue to challenge and inspire. It beckons to those eager to explore the roots of contemporary culture, ethics, and politics through the lens of ancient wisdom. As such, this volume is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and anyone with an interest in the endurance of classical themes in modern times, providing a unique dialogue between epochs and glittering testimony to the enduring legacy of Ancient Greek civilization.