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Message:: [QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3060072, member: 75937"]Ceres, the Roman goddess of of agricultural fertility (especially of grain crops) and motherly relationships, was so important to Roman society that she was included among the Dii Consentes, Rome's equivalent to the Twelve Olympians of Greek mythology. Her name is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱer-, meaning "to grow," and is related to other Latin words associated with growth, such as crēare ("to create") and crēscere ("to grow"). The cognate adjective, cereālis, literally means "of or associated with Ceres." As such, this Latin adjective also means "of wheat." It isn't too difficult to see that the English word cereal stems from Ceres and cereālis. In her role as agricultural goddess, she receives the epithet, Ceres Frugifera, "Fruit-bearing Ceres." In this role, she appears on Roman coins seated or standing, bearing ears of grain and the scepter of divine authority: [ATTACH=full]767374[/ATTACH]CERERI FRVGIF(ERAE), "to Fruit-bearing Ceres" (dative case). Denarius of Julia Domna, RIC 546. [ATTACH=full]767375[/ATTACH]Ceres standing right, veiled, with scepter and grain ears. Denarius of Faustina I, RIC 358. Ceres is essentially the Roman equivalent of the Greek Demeter, from whom her mythology is indistinguishable. Ceres' virgin daughter Proserpina was abducted by Pluto to be his wife in the underworld. [ATTACH=full]767376[/ATTACH]Roman provincial AE 21 of Julia Soaemias from Sebaste in Samaria,Rosenberger 34 (BMC 18). The reverse depicts Pluto/Hades in galloping quadriga right abducting Proserpina/Persephone, Amor/Eros above. Unfortunately, the flans for this issue are typically too small for the reverse design and Pluto and Proserpina are off the flan. Ceres, upon learning of what happened, began to search for her endlessly, lighting her way through the underworld with torches. Depicted with a lighted torch in each hand so as to search for her daughter, she is known as Ceres Taedifera, “Ceres the torch-bearer.” [ATTACH=full]767379[/ATTACH]Ceres Taedifera standing left, veiled, bearing two torches. Sestertius of Faustina I, RIC 1120. While Ceres searched, preoccupied with grief for the loss of her daughter, she was not on earth to ensure the growth of agricultural produce and all the crops withered and died, and the land became desolate. Faced with the extinction of all life on earth, Jupiter sent his messenger Mercury to the underworld to bring Proserpina back. However, because Proserpina had eaten while in the underworld, Pluto had a claim on her. Jupiter, effecting a compromise between the claims of Ceres and Pluto, decreed that Proserpina must spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Ceres grieves for her daughter's absence, withdrawing her support of crops from the world, creating winter. Proserpina's return after her four-month stay in the underworld brings joy once again to Ceres, who then allows crops to grow again in the spring. More typically, however, Ceres appears in both aspects, as the goddess of agricultural fertility and as grieving mother searching the underworld for her daughter. As such, she is portrayed with both grain-ears and a torch: [ATTACH=full]767380[/ATTACH]Ceres seated on cista, veiled, holding grain-ears and short torch. Denarius of Faustina II, RIC 669. [ATTACH=full]767381[/ATTACH]Ceres standing left, holding grain-ears and long torch. As/dupondius of Faustina I, RIC 1169. Let's see your Ceres/Demeter coins![/QUOTE]

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