Is This Maiden the Goddess Ceres?

  As promised, in this article you'll learn about the Roman goddess Ceres, and her Greek counterpart Demeter. Last time, I described the mystery surrounding this beautiful antique brooch. Her form appears to depict a goddess of abundance, plenty, or harvest. This leaves us to wonder whether she is the goddess Fortuna/Tyche, or the goddess Ceres/Demeter. We would love your help to unravel this mystery. Read on, and then weigh in with your thoughts!   The Goddess Ceres  

The Roman Goddess Ceres

Ceres is the Roman goddess of grain, agriculture, and motherly love. She is Jupiter's sister, daughter to Saturn and Ops. Her benevolence and concern for mankind led her to teach humans how to cultivate the land to grow and preserve grain and corn. Her kindness resulted in abundant harvests and plentiful food stores for winter. (source) Her close association to nourishment and abundance gave her special status among farmers and everyday people. These people counted on her to supply them with knowledge and hope of a good harvest. Depictions show her as a maiden of child-bearing age. She wears traditional Roman robes and carries a staff, demonstrating her authority. Sometimes she carries a torch, signifying both enlightenment and her vigilant search for her daughter Porsepina, who was stolen by the god of the underworld. Sometimes she pulls a plow and carries a sheaf of grains or wheat. (source)   The Goddess Demeter  

The Greek Goddess Demeter

The Greek goddess Demeter, like Ceres, taught men how to cultivate and utilize corn. She protected fields of grain and the threshing floor, and both were treated as temples she could inhabit at any time. (source) Her father Cronus ruled the Titans, along with her mother, Rhea. As one of the original 12 Olympians, Demeter ruled over agriculture and grain. Her followers relied on her to bestow fertility upon the earth, resulting in an abundant harvest. (source) She often appears as a matronly woman, seated on a throne. Sometimes she stands, extending her hand. Considered the Great Mother, she presided over the affairs of women, as well. She was considered the goddess of cycles and seasons, as well as the bringer of law. (source) She often carries wheat stalks, ears of corn, or a cornucopia. She also holds a torch, representing the search for her daughter Persephone. Like Ceres's daughter, Persephone was stolen by the lord of the underworld. Her mother managed to retrieve her, but only for a few months of the year. Thus, the advent of the seasons. As you can see, the mystery of our brooch is a tough one. She could be any one of these four remarkable goddesses. Which goddess do you think she is? ~Angela Magnotti Andrews