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In the Assyrian collection of magical rituals used by men to attract and seduce women, Ištar is invoked as the goddess “who loves apples and pomegranates.” In the Greek myths Aphrodite likewise suggests to use apples to obtain a bride, e.g. in the Atalanta myth Aphrodite gave the golden apple to Hippomenes. The mention of pomegranates as an alternate fruit in the Assyrian text elucidates an obscure detail in the Greek myth of Persephone. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter which preserves the oldest version of the myth, Hades gave the kidnapped Persephone a pomegranate seed to eat, and thereafter she had to remain with him as his wife. The poet describes the events after Hades agrees to let Persephone return to her mother Demeter: “Thus he (= Hades) spoke, and wise Persephone rejoiced and quickly leaped up in happiness. But he on his part gave her a honey-sweet pomegranate seed to eat, having secretly consecrated it in order that she might not remain continually at the side of grave Demeter of the dark robe (peplos)” (lines 371-374). Later in the poem, the same incident is described differently by Persephone, when she is closely interrogated by her mother: “Immediately I leaped up with joy, but he secretly threw me a pomegranate seed, sweet food, and forced me to taste it against my will” (lines 411-413). Pomegranate here has a special erotic character, inducing the close relationship of Hades and Persephone.
Sources (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Homeric Hymn 2.371-374 (to Demeter)
Homeric Hymn 2.411-413 (to Demeter)
KAR 61.8-10
Bibliography
| Faraone 1999, 75-76 | Faraone, Christopher A. Ancient Greek Love Magic. Cambridge MA, London: Harvard University Press 1999. |
Amar Annus
URL for this entry: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/database/gen_html/a0000881.php
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