Demeter (Ceres to the Romans) is the Greek goddess of agriculture, grain, and bread. The story of her daughter Persephone's kidnapping is the most widely known myth of the goddess. It seems like everybody can sympathize with this poor lady as she searches all over the earth for her lost daughter.

Persephone's abduction into the underworld and return to her mother was the basis of most of the cults that worshiped Demeter. The most famous rituals celebrating the agricultural goddess were the Eleusinian Mysteries, which promised participants everlasting life. (See "Context" for more on the Eleusinian Mysteries.)