L'Inno omerico a Demetra, i Misteri eleusini e l'epos al femminile = The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the Eleusinian Mysteries and female epic poetry

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter offers several possible readings, as it is, on the one hand, the foundation text for the Eleusinian Mysteries, on the other, an extraordinary example of female epic poetry. Its protagonist, in fact, is a goddess, who acts and dominates her own actions like the Homeric heroes. Hereby, we examine the references in the text to the Eleusinian cult and its connections with female poetry, which make Persephone (a young bride, deprived of her mother), a ritualized model for the acceptance and elaboration of wedding as an institution