The ancient Greeks, like many ancient cultures, believed in multiple gods. The gods had supernatural powers and strengths. The myths about these gods helped explain things about Greek life. These myths were important because they explained why the Greeks did things a certain way and what was important to them. The article Greek Mythology explains that some "...myths arose when men tried to understand the natural world around them." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The myth of Persephone and Hades was culturally important because it helped explain the cycle of changing seasons as well as the importance of one of their religious rituals. . Persephone was the beautiful goddess of spring who became queen of the underworld. She was the daughter of Zeus, ruler of the sky and the Olympian gods, and the only daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest, summer and agriculture. Demeter loved Persephone very much. Hades, brother of Demeter and Zeus, was the god of the underworld and king of the dead. When he saw Persephone, he fell madly in love with her and wanted her as his wife. Hades proposed to Zeus and Zeus agreed, but Hades knew that Demeter would never agree to let her beloved daughter be taken to the Underworld, so one day, while Persephone was picking flowers, Hades kidnapped her. Demeter looked for Persephone but could not find her and was overcome with grief. As she cried, the earth became frozen and nothing grew. Eventually, Zeus feared that humans would all die without Demeter's "gifts" and sent for Persephone to be returned to Demeter. When Persephone returns to Olympus, she reveals that she ate six pomegranate seeds. Pomegranates were the fruit of the Underworld and the symbol of “life and death, rebirth and eternal life, fertility and marriage and abundance” (Hamburger). This meant that Persephone was bound to Hades in the Underworld and could not return to her mother. The Gods reached a compromise that, since Persephone had only eaten six seeds, she would stay in the Underworld with Hades for six months of the year and could then return to her Mother for the other six months of the year. . In the half year she ruled the Underworld as Queen of the Underworld, Demeter wept and the world grew cold, autumn and winter, and upon her return she brought spring then summer (Cartwright; Hamilton 57-64). The main reason the character of Persephone was important to Greek culture was because she helped explain part of the natural world, before scientific knowledge existed. According to the Encyclopedia of Ancient History, "The story of Demeter and Persephone was perhaps symbolic of the changing of the seasons and the perpetual change from life to death, to life once more, or to in other words, the changes from summer to winter and the return of life. in the spring as we see in agriculture (Cartwright). The myth of Persephone was not just a story, it was important because it helped the Greek people make sense of the world around them. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get Custom Essay Another reason why the myth of Persephone was important to Greek culture is that it helped explain certain Greek customs and rituals. According to Ohio State's archaeological excavations in Greece, "myths have arisen to explain how and where the Greeks.