Greek Mythology: The Hymn To Demeter

Hello Gerasimos,

This narrative/story has always been my favorite in Greek Mythology. It is beautifully written and structured, as well as its balance of sociological components. Therefore, reading your interpretation was a pleasure. I like how you were able to highlight the significant parts of the story, while still providing a cultural insight. As you thoughtfully put in words, The Hymn to Demeter explains seasonal changes from Ancient Greek’s perspective. They mainly believed that Demeter’s grief and mood swings altered her proper goddess functioning, and influenced the fertility of the land. I like how you pointed out the fact that Demeter refused to drink ambrosia when grieving because ambrosia was not just a drink. Drinking ambrosia

extends gods/goddesses lifespan, and it grants them a beauty that mortals cannot possess. Being said that, Demeter refusing to drink ambrosia means that she gave up on having her goddess privileges: her suffering was too deep and too bitter. I found her maternal side to be very impressive because most mythological characters –especially in Greek Universe- fall flat and one dimensional. On the contrary, Demeter demonstrates very humanlike behaviors with a goddess like nobleness, which makes her multidimensional and convincing as a mother.
Furthermore, I always thought that Zeus’ insusceptible behavior was the product of his dishonest personality. Though, this might be a harsh comment to a mythological character, I must admit that I dislike Zeus substantially. Yet, when you concluded his behavior to an arranged marriage, it made a lot of sense. I am coming from a country where arranged marriages were acceptable to the norm. Therefore, I understand how his behavior can relate to reality. I also wanted to propose another idea. Many myth universes, as we read in the male divine section, considered fathers to be passive, and irrelevant after the sexual act. In other words, many gods do not stay in affiliated with their offspring after the breeding is done. This could be another reason why Zeus did not respond to her daughter’s suffering.