Liber ab Clementia (Book of Humanity)^379
the argument, Zeus appointed Paris of Troy
as arbitrator. Each tried to bribe Paris. Athena
offered of victory at war. Hera offered him
wealth. Aphrodite offered him the prettiest
woman on Earth. Being a simple man, he de-
cided love was more important than either vic-
tory or wealth. In that decision, Aphrodite did
honor her bribe. She gave him the prettiest
woman on Earth. That woman was Helen who
was, unfortunately for many, married at the
time to Menelaus (King of Sparta). Menelaus,
not being fond of having his wife kidnapped,
took his wife back and declared war on Troy.
In that war, Paris sided with Troy and Achilles
sided with Sparta. The result was that Achilles
fell when Paris struck him in the heal with an
arrow, and later Paris died himself. If you are
considering a large wedding and you are not
sure everyone in attendance will play nice, the
moral here is to elope!Penates—Male/Female—Mediterranean
(Also known as Di Penates)
‘The Inner Ones’—Roman guardians of
storage rooms and the pantry who later be-
came the personal guardians of the home. They
are praised and made sacrifice to by offering
them a bit of each meal by throwing a portion
of food into the fireplace.Perse—Female—Mediterranean
(Also known as Persa, Perseis)
Lover: Helios
Greek sea nymph (one of the Oceanids)
and mother of Perses and Aeetes by Helios.Perses—Male—Mediterranean
Father: Helios
Mother: Perse
Wife: Asteria
Greek father of Hecate by his wife Asteria.Persephone—Female—Mediterranean
(Also known as Kore)
Father: Zeus
Mother: Demeter
Lover: HadesAnimal associations: Bat, Boar, Ground Hog,
Snake
Plant associations: Dittany of Crete, Ivy, Lily,
Narcissus, Parsley, Pomegranate, Willow
Greek goddess of the Underworld. When
she was young, all the eligible and a few ineli-
gible men wanted her hand (as well as every-
thing attached to it). So lustful was Hades of
her that he broke open the Earth and kid-
napped her, forcing her to be his queen in the
Underworld. So heartbroken was her mother,
Demeter, that she wandered the Earth until
finally Zeus told her what had happened. So
full of remorse was Demeter that she withdrew
from the Earth and hid in seclusion. As she
was the goddess of fertility, all growth stopped
and the Earth became barren. Realizing the
Earth and its inhabitants would die without
Demeter, Zeus sent Hermes to recover
Persephone. The story changes somewhat in
its different incarnations. In one a deal was
struck with Hades. In another, Persephone had
eaten food from the Underworld so was
trapped there and could only return to the sur-
face for half of the year, or she would die.
Whichever version one chooses, the result is
the same. Persephone returns to the Under-
world every Fall and then back to the Earth in
the Spring. During her stay in the Underworld,
her mother withdraws all fertility from the
Earth, thus yielding Winter. See Minth for lore
that supports the idea that Persephone had in
fact fallen in love with Hades.Perseus—Male—Mediterranean
Father: Zeus
Mother: Danae
Wife: Andromeda
Greek folk hero who rescued Andromeda
from a sea monster and later married her. He
is most noted for the killing of Medusa and
then for the creation of Atlas Mountains when
he showed Medusa’s head to Atlas, thus turn-
ing Atlas into stone.z WB Chap 17.p65 379 7/11/2003, 6:05 PM