The Pomegranate

For my final college project I chose the text of The rape of Proserpina from Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Book V. Translating to the abduction of Persephone, this tale is set in the Ancient Greek period of Olympic Gods and surrounds the basis for the changing of the seasons.

The infamous God of the Underworld, Hades, has been struck by cupids arrow and in his trance abducts the Goddess of Spring, Persephone.

An everlasting winter befalls on earth resulting in the deterioration of crops and humans struggling to survive.

In the midst of Persephone’s demanded return, Hades proposes a peace offering of a pomegranate to a starving Persephone. Any food eaten from the underworld, traps their soul forever.

In Persephone’s desperation, she eats six seeds. The pact of the pomegranate is made, for every seed eaten, Persephone must spend a month in the Underworld with Hades and so the changing of the seasons was created.