The student of Greek mythology is often struck by the fact that some gods and goddesses have extensive roles in the mythical narratives, and others have very limited parts to play. The goddess Demeter is an interesting case of this. As an Olympian goddess and fertility figure, she is very important in ancient Greek religion and life, but she has a rather small role in its literature and mythology.
She is mentioned a little bit in Homeric epic, especially the “Iliad,” but has no actual part to play in either the “Iliad” or the “Odyssey.” Nor does she feature at all as a character in extant Greek drama.
