After a reminder of the methodological principles of the study of Greek gods, between traditions and narratives and cultic practices, the name of the goddess Demeter is questioned. Indeed, the word mētēr, " mother ", enters into the composition of the theonym, while the prefix dē remains unexplained to this day. Demeter's name therefore lies midway between the transparency of theonyms immediately meaningful to a Greek ear, such as Dikè, " Justice ", or Peitho, " Persuasion ", and the opacity of other divine names, including those of Olympians such as Aphrodite, Hera, Hermes or Artemis. If her name makes Demeter a mother, the opacity of the prefix makes it impossible to know to which type of mother the theonym refers. The Ancients were already asking this question, and a number of more or less erudite speculations associated dē with gē, and therefore with the earth. But the all-encompassing figure - and often considered as " originelle " - of a " Terre-mère " or a " Déesse-mère ", likely to emerge from these ancient reflections, remains vague. This is of little help in understanding the relationships forged within the world of gods in the historical period, as other goddesses are " mothers " or are related to the earth. We therefore need to refine our analytical tools. To this end, an initial approach to the figure of Demeter explores her manifestations in Homeric epic. In the interstices of the intrigues of theIliad andOdyssey, of which she is no more a notable protagonist than Dionysus, Demeter emerges as the goddess of cultivated land, the land of ploughing. We can see the close relationship between the goddess' action, the work performed by men throughout the seasons and the specific food they obtain from it, namely the grain that makes them bread eaters.
11:00 - 12:00
