Demeter is the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, the harvest, fertility, and the cycle of life, known for her deep grief when her daughter Persephone was abducted, causing winter, and her joy when Persephone returned, bringing spring. A major Olympian, daughter of Cronus and Rhea, her Roman equivalent is Ceres, and she is often depicted with wheat, a cornucopia, and a torch, representing sustenance, abundance, and the Eleusinian Mysteries.