Mythology and religion - Greek mythology - Seasonal myths
Why did Persephone have to spend part of each year in the underworld after returning to Demeter?
Correct!
In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hades secretly gave Persephone a pomegranate seed to eat. Because she had tasted it, she could not remain with her mother Demeter permanently and had to spend part of each year in the underworld. The hymn thus explains the recurring link between Demeter's grief, Persephone's absence, and the change between fertile and barren seasons.
