Persephone

Persephone is the goddess of springtime and the queen of the Underworld. She is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, and the wife of Hades.

Appearance
In 'The Demigod Files' she was decribed as a young woman with pale skin and black hair wearing a white dress, and although she was beautiful, it seemed like she would be more so during Spring. Her eyes were said to be multicolored, but washed out, as if the underworld had sapped her life force.

History
Unlike Zeus' other children, Persephone has no stable position at Olympus. Persephone used to live far away from the other deities, a goddess within Nature herself before the days of planting seeds and nurturing plants. When Persephone reached marriageable age, the gods Hermes, Ares, Apollo, and Hephaestus had all wooed Persephone; but Demeter rejected all their gifts and hid her daughter away from the company of the Olympian deities. Thus, Persephone lived a peaceful life before she became the goddess of the underworld, which did not occur until Hades abducted her and brought her into it.

Persephone's uncle, Hades was lonely, and wanted a wife. He spied Persephone in the fields one day, and entranced by her purity and beauty fell in love with her at first sight.

Persephone was innocently picking flowers with some nymphs in a field in Enna when Hades came to abduct her, bursting through a cleft in the earth. Later, the nymphs were changed by Demeter into the Sirens for not having interfered. Life came to a standstill as the devastated Demeter, goddess of the Earth, searched everywhere for her lost daughter. Helios, the sun, who sees everything, eventually told Demeter what had happened. She then stopped caring for the Earth, and the land didn't flourish and people began to starve and die.

In some stories it is said that Eros, the god of love shot a golden arrow into Hades' heart while he was riding in his black chariot. When Hades rode across the field and saw Persephone, thus he fell in love with her.

Most versions agree Hades first obtained the permission of Zeus to kidnap her.

Hades was determined to make Persephone love him, and tried in many ways. She hated him at first, for snatching her away from her mother, but she soon reveled that her mother wasn't around, as she had never been away from her before. He very much wanted her love and tried to buy it with many gifts at first, but then took to spending all of his day with her, trying to make her happy. Hecate, the Goddess of Magic, came down to the Underworld and befriended Persephone, and Hades was very appreciative towards her, because Persephone was not depressed or unhappy when her friend was around.

Finally, Zeus, pressed by the cries of the hungry people and by the other deities who also heard their anguish, forced Hades to return Persephone. However, it was a rule of the Fates that whoever consumed food or drink in the Underworld was doomed to spend eternity there. Before Persephone was released to Hermes, who had been sent to retrieve her, Hades tricked Persephone into eating four pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return to the underworld for a season each year. In another version she ate the pomegranate off of a tree not knowing the results, but a servant of Hades testified against her forcing her to return.

When Demeter and her daughter were united, the Earth flourished with vegetation and color, but for some months each year, when Persephone returned to the Underworld, the earth once again became a barren realm.

Relationship with Demeter
During her early life, Persephone only knew her father, her mother, and the nymphs that accompanied them. She grew up very close to her mother (she rarely saw her father Zeus) and her mother in turn became dependent upon her. When Hades kidnapped her, she did not want to stay with him, and wanted to be rescued, but over time, she fell in love with him and was relieved to be free from her mother's bossiness, nagging, and smothering for a time. She was tricked into eating the four pomegranate seeds, wanting to stay with her mother, but came to value the time away from her mother. Demeter's relationship with her daughter is slightly unhealthy, as Demeter is only happy when she is with her daughter, but they both love each other dearly, despite the problems between them.

Relationship with Hades
When Hades kidnapped her, she did not want to stay with him and wanted to be rescued. He was very kind, and he didn't ever nag, boss, or smother her. He very much wanted her love and tried to buy it with many gifts at first, but then took to spending all of his day with her, trying to make her happy. He tricked her into eating the pomegranate seeds forcing her to stay with him part of the year. At first she despised Hades, but in time she grew to respect him and value her position as queen of the dead. It gave her a chance to get away from her mother.

The Demigod Files
In 'The Sword of Hades' Percy, Thalia and Nico was sent to the underworld, Persephone appeared above them and told them that the newly created sword (forged from one of Hades' keys) was stolen. She gave them a flower, which would point them in the direction of the thief, and stated that it's petals will fall, and when all has fallen, then the thief would have escaped. Later when they had recovered the sword, Percy realized that the sword was ordered to be made by Persephone against Hades' intent.

The Last Olympian
When Percy was tricked by Nico to Hades' palace, while Hades was debating what to do with Percy, Persephone appeared bickering with her mother, Demeter. She asked Hades if he could not kill Percy, because it's a shame to kill a hero, they were so brave. Hades decided to lock Percy up, Persephone appeared for a moment to argue but then let it go and continued arguing with her mother and disappeared. She later appeared with Hades and Demeter on a chariot riding as reinforcements against Kronos outside the Empire State Building.

Children
Hades - Macaria, In some traditions also Plutus, Zagreus and Melinoe

Zeus - Melinoe

Film
In the movie The Lightning Thief, Persephone is played by Rosario Dawson. This is a contrast to the books where she makes her appearance in the last book. This is also contrast to the myth where she is supposed to be with her mother, Demeter, since it is not winter which the amount of time she spent in the Underworld. She has been seen in the trailers for the new film a few times now. When she was first mentioned by Luke it is said that during her time in the Underworld she is constantly having "Secret visitors" and that they use the pearls to get out of the underworld. The first time she was seen sitting by a fire in the throne room before turning around to smile at the camera. The second time she is seen standing in front of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover outside of the throne room in the Underworld telling the trio that she and her husband have been expecting them (Percy in particular). She is also seen standing on the sidelines while her husband, Hades, is telling Percy that he'll give him his mother if he (Percy) will give him the Master Bolt. She then attacks Hades with the lightning bolt before Hades can take it because if there is a war, Persephone can never return to Olympus. Persephone's personality is very much in contrast with the book series, where in the film she seems to very much dislike Hades and is constantly insulting him and talking back to him. Furthermore, she is extremely unfaithful to him, to the point that she is constantly taking other lovers and makes obvious attempts at seducing Grover.

Trivia

 * Nico is holding a grudge against her, because they once had a family spat and she turned him into a dandelion, though she is trying to be nice.