so that the strong house was filled with brightness as with lightning. And so she
 went out from the palace. And straightway Metaneira's knees were loosed and she remained
 speechless for a long while and did not remember to take up her late-born son from the
 ground. But his sisters heard his pitiful wailing and sprang down from their well-spread
 beds: one of them took up the child in her arms and laid him in her bosom, while another
 revived the fire, and a third rushed with soft feet to bring their mother from her fragrant
 chamber. And they gathered about the struggling child and washed him, embracing him lovingly; but he was not comforted, because nurses and handmaids much
 less skilful were holding him now. All night long they
 sought to appease the glorious goddess, quaking with fear. But, as soon as dawn began to
 show, they told powerful Celeus all things without fail, as the lovely-crowned goddess Demeter charged them. So Celeus called the countless
 people to an assembly and bade them make a goodly temple for rich-haired Demeter and an
 altar upon the rising hillock. And they obeyed him right speedily and harkened to his voice, doing as he commanded. As for the child, he grew like an immortal being. Now when
 they had finished building and had drawn back from their toil, they went every man to his
 house. But golden-haired Demeter sat there apart from all the blessed gods and stayed,
 wasting with yearning for her deep-bosomed daughter. Then she caused a most dreadful and cruel year for mankind over the all-nourishing
 earth: the ground would not make the seed sprout, for rich-crowned Demeter kept it hid. In
 the fields the oxen drew many a curved plough in vain, and much white barley was cast upon
 the land without avail. So she would have destroyed the whole race of man with cruel famine and have robbed
 them who dwell on Olympus of their glorious right
 of gifts and sacrifices, had not Zeus perceived and marked this in his heart. First he sent
 golden-winged Iris to call rich-haired Demeter, lovely in form. So he commanded. And she obeyed the
 dark-clouded Son of Cronos, and sped with swift feet across the space between. She came to
 the stronghold of fragrant Eleusis , and there
 finding dark-cloaked Demeter in her temple, spake to her and uttered winged words: “Demeter, father Zeus, whose wisdom is
 everlasting, calls you to come join the tribes of the eternal gods: come therefore, and let
 not the message I bring from Zeus pass unobeyed.” Thus said Iris imploring her. But
 Demeter's heart was not moved. Then again the father sent forth all the blessed and eternal gods besides: and they
 came, one after the other, and kept calling her and offering many very beautiful gifts and
 whatever rights she might be pleased to choose among the deathless gods. Yet no one was able
 to persuade her mind and will, so wroth was she in her heart; but she stubbornly rejected all their words: for she
 vowed that she would never set foot on fragrant Olympus nor let fruit spring out of the ground, until she beheld with her
 eyes her own fair-faced daughter. Now when all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer heard this, he sent the Slayer of Argus whose wand is of gold to Erebus, so that having won
 over Hades with soft words, he might lead forth chaste Persephone to the light from the
 misty gloom to join the gods, and that her mother might see her with her eyes and cease from
 her anger. And Hermes obeyed, and leaving the house of Olympus , straightway sprang down with speed to the hidden places of the
 earth. And he found the lord Hades in his house seated upon a couch, and his shy mate with
 him, much reluctant, because she yearned for her mother. But she was afar off, brooding on her fell design because of the deeds of the blessed gods. And the
 strong Slayer of Argus drew near and said: 
 “Dark-haired Hades, ruler
 over the departed, father Zeus bids me bring noble Persephone forth from Erebus unto the gods, that her mother may see her with her eyes and cease from her dread anger with the
 immortals; for now she plans an awful deed, to destroy the weakly tribes of earth-born men
 by keeping seed hidden beneath the earth, and so she makes an end of the honors of the
 undying gods. For she keeps fearful anger and does not consort with the gods, but sits aloof in her fragrant temple, dwelling in the rocky hold of Eleusis .” 
 So he said. And Aidoneus, ruler over the dead, smiled grimly and
 obeyed the behest of Zeus the king. For he straightway urged wise Persephone, saying: “Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart
 towards me: be not so exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for you
 among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among
 the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings,
 reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore.” When he said this, wise Persephone was filled with joy and hastily sprang up for
 gladness. But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care
 for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter. Then
 Aidoneus the Ruler of Many openly got ready his deathless horses beneath the golden chariot. And she mounted on the chariot, and the strong
 Slayer of Argus took reins and whip in his dear hands and drove forth from the hall, the
 horses speeding readily. Swiftly they traversed their long course, and neither the sea nor river-waters nor
 grassy glens nor mountain-peaks checked the career of the immortal horses, but they clave
 the deep air above them as they went. And Hermes brought them to the place where
 rich-crowned Demeter was staying and checked them before her fragrant temple. And when Demeter saw them, she rushed forth as does a
 Maenad down some thick-wooded mountain, while Persephone on the other side, when she saw her
 mother's sweet eyes, left the chariot and horses, and leaped down to run to her, and falling
 upon her neck, embraced her. But while Demeter was still holding her dear child in her arms, her heart suddenly
 misgave her for some snare, so that she feared greatly and ceased fondling her daughter and
 asked of her at once: “My child, tell me, surely you have not tasted any food while you were
 below? Speak out and hide nothing, but let us both know. For if you have not, you shall come back from loathly Hades and live with me and
 your father, the dark-clouded Son of Cronos and be honored by all the deathless gods;
 but if you have tasted food, you must go back again
 beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of the seasons every
 year: yet for the two parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods. But when
 the earth shall bloom with the fragrant flowers of spring in every kind, then from the realm
 of darkness and gloom thou shalt come up once more to be a wonder for gods and mortal men. And now tell me how he rapt you away to the realm of darkness and gloom, and by
 what trick did the strong Host of Many beguile you?” Then beautiful Persephone answered her thus: “Mother, I will tell you all without
 error. When luck-bringing Hermes came, swift messenger from my father the Son of Cronos and
 the other Sons of Heaven, bidding me come back from Erebus that you might see me with your
 eyes and so cease from your anger and fearful wrath against the gods, I sprang up at
 once for joy; but he secretly put in my mouth sweet food, a pomegranate seed, and forced me
 to taste against my will. Also I will tell how he rapt me away by the deep plan of my father the Son of Cronos and carried me off beneath the depths of the earth,
 and will relate the whole matter as you ask. All we were playing in a lovely meadow,
 Leucippe The list of names is taken —with five additions
 —from Hesiod, Theogony 349 ff. : for their
 general significance see note on that passage. and Phaeno and Electra and Ianthe,
 Melita also and Iache with Rhodea and Callirhoe and Melobosis and Tyche and Ocyrhoe, fair as a flower, Chryseis, Ianeira, Acaste
 and Admete and Rhodope and Pluto and charming
 Calypso; Styx too was there and Urania and lovely Galaxaura with Pallas who rouses battles
 and Artemis delighting in arrows: