supposed to be derived from *φέρων* ἀθάνατος, to cause death, and is probably corrupted from the Greek, which is variously written Persephone, Persephassa, Persephassa, Persephatta, Persephatta, Pererphassa, Pherephatta, Pherephonera, and Persephonera. She was the daughter of Jupiter and Ceres, who was carried off by Pluto as she was gathering flowers with her companions. Ceres, disconsolate for the loss of her daughter, after having long sought her, heard where she was, and entreated Jupiter to permit her to return from hell. This request Jupiter granted, on condition that she had not tasted anything in Pluto's dominions. Ceres therefore went to fetch her; but when her daughter was preparing to return, Ascalaphus gave information that he had seen Proserpine eat some grains of a pomegranate she had gathered in Pluto's garden, on which she was sentenced to continue in Tartarus in quality of Pluto's spouse and the queen of those gloomy regions; but, to mitigate the grief of Ceres for her disappointment, Jupiter granted that her daughter should only spend six months in hell together with her husband, and the other six on earth with her mother. Some mythologists imagine that the latter part of the fable alludes to vegetation, which must remain hidden all the winter in order to sprout forth in the spring.