Ceres Searching for Proserpina

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In most versions of the story, Ceres forbids the earth to produce, neglecting the earth and in the depth of despair causes nothing to grow. Zeus, pressed by the cries of hungry people and other deities, forced Hades to return Proserpina. Hades indeed complied with the request, but first he tricked her, giving her some pomegranate seeds to eat. Because she had tasted food of the underworld, she was obliged to spend a third of each year there, hence why we have winter months.