Demeter | Δημήτρα | Ceres

Demeter is a major fertility goddess. She watches over planting and harvest, and her daugher Persephone often represents spring. Demeter is a vital goddess to farmers and thus to everyone in society.

12.  Dimitir (Demeter; Gr. Δημήτηρ, ΔΗΜHΤΗΡ) [Roman: Ceres]

When enunciating the name Dimitir, the D (delta) is pronounced like the soft th in this, not like the hard th in theory: thee-MEE'-teer, with the accent on the second syllable.  Her name in the classical period was spelled Dimitra (Demetra) (Gr. Δήμητρα, ΔHΜΗΤΡΑ), pronounced THEE'-mee-trah, with the accent on the first syllable.

The daughter of Kronos (Cronus; Gr. Κρόνος) and Ræa (Rhea; Gr. Ῥέα) and one of the Twelve Olympian Gods, Dimitir is one of the most important deities of Hellenismos and is strongly connected with the foremost of the Mystery Cults.  The Goddess is associated with agriculture and human sustenance.
Dimitir has a daughter by Zefs (Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς): the Goddess Pærsæphoni (Persephone; Gr. Περσεφόνη).  The story of Pærsæphoni's abduction by Ploutohn, (Plouton; Gr. Πλούτων) called variously Aithis (Hades; Gr. Ἅιδης) or Aithohnefs (Aidoneus; Gr. Ἀϊδωνεύς), is the principle mythology of Dimitir.  Zefs had secretly promised Pærsæphoni to Ploutohn in marriage and allowed her to be kidnapped by him. Dimitir, who had heard the echo of her daughter's voice as Pærsæphoni descended into Ploutohn's realm, began her despondent search.  On the tenth day, she met Ækati (Hekate; Gr. Ἑκάτη), who had also heard Pærsæphoni's cries.  They inquired of Ilios (Helios; Gr. Ἥλιος) the Sun, who had seen all and now revealed this to Dimitir.  The angry Goddess caused famine by not allowing the earth to produce fruit.  She refused to ascend to Olympos (Olympus; Gr. Ὄλυμπος) but rather took up residence on earth, particularly at Ælefsis (Eleusis; Gr. Ἐλευσίς).  Zefs became afraid for the future of earth, so he retrieved Pærsæphoni, but Ploutohn gave Pærsæphoni part of a pomegranate before she left his kingdom, a trick requiring her to return.  Zefs agreed to allow Pærsæphoni to stay with her mother for most of the year, but in winter she must return to Ploutohn.  Dimitir agreed to this, returned fruitfulness back to the earth, and prepared to depart back to Olympos.  Before she left, Dimitir instructed Triptolæmos (Triptolemus; Gr. Τριπτόλεμος), King Kælæos (Celeus; Gr. Κελεός) of  Ælefsis, Efmolpos (Eumolpus; Gr. Εύμολπος), and Dioklis (Diocles; Gr. Διοκλῆς) in her Mysteries, the great Ælefsinian (Eleusinian) Mysteries.

Dimitir in Iconography
In iconography, Dimitir is depicted as beautiful but mature, wearing long robes and usually crowned and enthroned.  She will frequently be holding sheaths of wheat and a great torch. "The name Rhea they gave to the power of rocky and mountainous land, and Demeter to that of level and productive land. Demeter in other respects is the same as Rhea, but differs in the fact that she gives birth to Kore by Zeus, that is, she produces the shoot from the seeds of plants. And on this account her statue is crowned with ears of corn, and poppies are set round her as a symbol of productiveness." (Porphyry On Images, Fragment 6, excerpt, translated by Edwin Hamilton Gifford)


Dioh and Dios and the meaning of the name Dimitir

There is confusion between the words Dio and Dios, but the confusion is not so great when you see the actual Greek words.  Dioh is spelled Δηώ and is a name of Dimitir.  The dælta (Δ) at the beginning of Dimitir in later times became a gamma (Γ), hence Γῆ, and the original meaning of Dimitir is Earth Mother, mitir (Gr. μήτηρ) meaning mother, Γῆ + μήτηρ.  Dios, on the other hand, is spelled Διός and is the genitive of Zefs (Zeus); it means "of Zefs" and it is the name used to designate the dividing power of the God where the name Zefs is used to designate the uniting power of the God.



Dimitir from Proklos: [1]

"That according to Orpheus (ed. Orphefs) Ceres [2] (ed. Dimitir) is the same with Rhea (ed. Ræa).  For he says that subsisting on high in unproceeding union with Saturn (ed. Kronos), she is Rhea, but that by emitting and generating Jupiter (ed. Zefs), she is Ceres.  For thus he speaks,

Ρειην το πριν εουσαν, επιε Διος επλετο Μητηρ
Γεγονε Δημητηρ

i.e. The Goddess who was Rhea (ed. Ræa), when she bore Jove (ed. Zefs) became Ceres (ed. Dimitir).

But Hesiod (Isiothos; Gr. Ἡσίοδος) says that Ceres (ed. Dimitir) is the daughter of Rhea (ed. Rhæa).  It is however evident, that these theologists harmonize; for whether this Goddess proceeds from union with Saturn (ed. Kronos) to a secondary order, or whether she is first progeny of Rhea (ed. Ræa), she is still the same.  Ceres therefore, thus subsisting, and receiving the most ancient and ruling order from the whole vivific Rhea, (της ολης ζωογονου Ρεας) and comprehending the middle centres of whole vivification, (της ολης ζωογονιας) she fills all supermundane natures with the rivers of all-perfect life, pouring upon all things vitally, indivisibly, and uniformly.

Prior however to all this, she unfolds to us the demiurgic intellect (Jupiter. ed. Zefs), and imparts to him the power of vivifying wholes. For as Saturn (ed. Kronos) supplies her from on high with the cause of being; so Ceres (ed. Dimitir) from on high, and from her own prolific bosoms, pours forth vivification to the Demiurgus (ed. Dimiourgos; Gr. Δημιουργός).  But possessing herself the middle of all vivific deity, she governs the whole fountains which she contains, and comprehends the one bond of the first and last powers of life.  She stably convolves too, and contains all secondary fountains.  But she leads forth the uniform causes of prior natures to the generation of others.  This Goddess too comprehends Vesta (ed. Æstia = Hestia; Gr.  Ἑστία) and Juno (ed. Ira = Hera; Gr. Ἥρη): in her right hand parts Juno, who pours forth the whole order of souls; but in her left hand parts Vesta, who leads forth all the light of virtue.  Hence, Ceres (ed. Dimitir) is with great propriety called by Platohn (Plato; Gr. Πλάτων), [37] mother, and, at the same time the supplier of aliment (ed. = sustenance, nutriment, food).  For, so far as she comprehends in herself the cause of Juno (ed. Ira), she is a mother; but as containing  Vesta (ed. Æstia) in her essence, she is the supplier of aliment.  But the paradigm of this Goddess is Night (ed. Nyx; Gr. Νύξ): for immortal Night is called the nurse of the Gods.  Night however is the cause of aliment intelligibly: [38] for that which is intelligible is, according to the oracle, [39] the aliment of the intellectual orders of Gods.  But Ceres (ed. Dimitir) first of all separates the two kinds of aliment in the Gods, as Orpheus (ed. Orphefs) says:

Μησατο γαρ προπολους, και αμϕιπολους, και οπαδους
Μησατο δ' αμβροσιην, και ερυθρου νεκταρος αρθρον·
Μησατο δ' αγλαα εργα μελισσαων εριβομβων [40]

i.e. She cares for pow'rs ministrant, whether they
Or Gods precede or follow, or surround:
Ambrosia, and tenacious nectar red
Are too the objects of her bounteous care.
Last to the bee her providence extends,
Who gathers honey with resounding hum.

Ceres (ed. Dimitir) therefore, our sovereign mistress (Δεσποινα; ed. Dæspina) not only generates life, but that which gives perfection to life; and this from supernal natures to such as are last: for virtue is the perfection of souls.  Hence mothers who are connected with the circulations of time, bring forth their offspring in imitation of this twofold and eternal generation of Ceres (ed. Dimitir).  For, at the same time that they send forth their young into the light, they extend to them milk naturally produced as their food.

That the conjunction of the demiurgic intellect with the vivific causes is triple: for it is conjoined with the fountains prior to itself; is present with its kindred co-ordinate natures; and co-energizes with the orders posterior to itself.  For it is present with the mother prior to itself, convertively; (επιστρεπτικως; ed. æpistræptikohs) with Proserpine (ed. Pærsæphoni; Gr. Περσεφόνη) posterior to itself, providentially; (προνοητικως; ed. prono-itikohs) and with Juno (ed. Ira) co-ordinate to itself with an amatory energy (ερασμιως; ed. ærasmiohs).  Hence Jupiter (ed. Zefs) is said to be enamoured of Juno,

ως σεο νυν εραμαι
As now I love thee, [41]

And this love indeed is legal, but the other two appear to be illegal.  This Goddess therefore produces from herself in conjunction with the Demiurgus (ed. Dimiourgos) and father all the genera of souls, the supermundane and the mundane, the celestial and sublunary, the divine, angelic, dæmoniacal, and partial.  After a certain manner too, she is divided from the Demiurgus, but in a certain respect she is united to him: for Jupiter (ed. Zefs) is said, in the Philebus (Philivos; Gr. Φίληβος), to contain a royal intellect and a royal soul.  For he contains uniformly the paternal and maternal cause of the world; and the fountain of souls is said to be in Jupiter (ed. Zefs); just as again, the intelligence of Jupiter is said to be first participated by Juno (ed. Ira).  "For no other divinity," says Jupiter in Homer (ed. Omiros; Gr. Ὅμηρος), "knows my mind prior to Juno."  Through this ineffable union therefore of these divinities, the world participates of intellectual souls.  They also give subsistence to intellects who are carried in souls, and who together with them give completion to the whole fabrication of things."


Epithets of Dimitir

Antaia, Mother - (Gr. Άνταία, ΑΝΤΑΙΑ) "The epithet Άνταία, 'besought with prayers,' elsewhere applied to other divinities, here refers to Demeter." (Athanassakis OH p.126)

Dioh - (pronounced: thee-OH, with the accent on the second syllable; Dio Gr. Δηώ, ΔΗΩ) , όος, contr. οῦς, ἡ, = Δημήτηρ, Demeter, first in h. Cer.47,al.; Ἐλευσινίας Δηοῦς ἐν κόλποις S.Ant.1121 (lyr.); Δηοῦς ἐσχάραι, καρπός, E.Supp.290, Ar.Pl.515; dat.Δηοῖ Call.Ap.110, IG3.900.3:— Adj. Δηῷος, α, ον, sacred to Demeter, ib.14.1389 ii 5:—Δηωΐνη, ἡ, daughter of Demeter, Persephone, Call.Fr.48. (L&S p.388, right column)

Efkarpos - (Eucarpus; Gr. Εὔκαρπος, ΕΥΚΑΡΠΟΣ) fruitful, of women, h.Hom.30.5; of trees, corn, land, Pi.P.1.30, N.1.14, Pae.2.26, etc.; of sheep, Palaeph.18; φυτά, ζῷα, Ocell.4.9; [χώρη] -οτάτηHp.Aër.12; εὔ. θέρος S.Aj.671: metaph., -οτάτη ἀρετή Ph.1.647. II. Act., fruitful, fertilizing, ἀήρ Thphr.CP2.3.3; epith. of Aphrodite, S.Fr.847; of Dionysus, AP6.31; of Demeter, ib.7.394 (Phil.).  (L&S p.717; right column, within the definitions beginning with the word εὐκάρπἑια)
- "Orphik Hymn, 50.4; ed. Lysios Lenaios) Fruitful.  Also of Demeter.  Applied to both divinities (ed. Dionysos and Demetra) as representatives of the earth, bringing forth fruit in due season. (Cf. Pherkarpos (Orphik Hymn, 50.10), Fruit-yielding; Chloökarpos (Ibid. 53.8; ed. Amphietus-God of the Annual Feasts), Green-fruit-yielding; inf. Karpios.)"  (GDM2 p.13)

Eucarpus - See Efkarpos.
Thæsmophoros - (Thesmophorus; Gr. Θεσμοφόρος, ΘΕΣΜΟΦΟΡΟΣ) Dimitir the law-giver.

- law-giving, epith. of Demeter, Hdt.6.91, 134, IPE2.13 (Panticapaeum, iv B.C.), Call. Aet.Oxy. 2079.10, D.S. 1.14, etc.; σεμνὴ Θ. AP5.149 (Asclep.), cf. Luc.Tim.17 (L&S p.795, sub-heading under θεσμο-φόρια)


Dimitir rules the twelfth Orphic House, the month of Wheat-Ear (= Stakhys = Parthenos = Spica = Virgo), from August 21 through September 20, and her dominion is the Natural Law of Energy in the Divine World.  The Divine Consort of the Goddess is Poseithohn (Poseidon).  The Orphic Hymns recommend an offering of storax (use benzoin) to Dimitir.

NOTES:

[1] Extract from the Manuscript Scolia of Proclus On the Kratylus of Plato, found in The Theology of Plato/Proclus, trans. Thomas Taylor, Prometheus Trust, Vol. VIII of The Thomas Taylor Series, p. 687-689.

[2] Thomas Taylor, who lived from 1758 to 1835, wrote according to the scholastic convention of his time: he used the Latin names for the deities rather than the Greek.
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