Who is the Greek goddess of harvest and agriculture?

In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and presides over grains and the fertility of the earth. Although she was most often referred to as the goddess of the harvest, she was also goddess of sacred law and the cycle of life and death. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.

Demeter was the daughter of Cronos and Rhea. She had one daughter named Persephone, Zeus was Persephone’s father.

Her virgin daughter Persephone was abducted by the god of the underworld, Hades, and Demeter endlessly searched for her, preoccupied with loss and grief. The seasons halted and living things stopped growing and died. At this point, Zeus had to intervene and send his messenger Hermes to the underworld to bring Persephone back and prevent the extinction of all life on Earth.

Demeter and Persephone were also the central figures to the Eleusinian Mysteries a series of large and secretive concerts held every five years. These mysteries represented the abduction of Persephone by Hades in three phases. The “descent” (loss), the “search” and the “ascent”. The main theme is the “ascent” of Persephone and the reunion with her mother.