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The Rape of Persephone

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First off, I want to clarify something that bothers me a lot. In this context rape=theft. I am using the scholarly, archaic meaning of rape which just means stealing. A lot of people think of the myth's title as the current meaning of rape. That is not so, Hades just nabbed her. No hanky-panky.

Excerpt from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter:
"Away from her mother of the golden sword and the splendid fruit
she played with the full-bosomed daughters of Okeanos,
gathering flowers, roses, crocuses, and beautiful violets
all over a soft meadow; irises too, and hyacinths she picked,
and narcissus which Gaia, pleasing the All-receiver,
made blossom there, by the will of Zeus, for a girl with a flower's beauty.
A lure it was, wondrous and radiant, and a marvel to be seen
by immortal gods and mortal men. A hundred stems of sweet-smelling blossoms
grew from its roots. The wide sky above
and the whole earth and the briny swell of the sea laughed.
She was dazzled and reached out with both hands at once
to take the lovely delight; Earth with its wide roads gaped
and then over the Nysian field the lord and All-receiver,
the many-named son of Kronos, sprang out upon her with his immortal
horses."

I may do a series of these with the other Greek gods.
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Comments28
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Chaosfive-55's avatar
I partly agree with your definition in the classical context, but rape here refers specifically to stealing a woman out of erotic desire; Hades did not abduct the poor girl simply to invite her to tea!
 The infamous mass-rape of the Sabine women by the early Roman settlers in order to find wives is another example; so I think that even the archaic concept of rape should be frowned upon in polite society.

That being said, this is a cool and accurate portrayal of Hades' dark deed; the terror in Persephone's face is poignant in the extreme.