Proserpine
/ˈprɒsərpaɪn/noun
The Roman goddess of the underworld and wife of Pluto, also known as Proserpina.
Did you know?Proserpine’s myth became Rome’s version of the Persephone story: her yearly return from the underworld was used to explain seasonal rebirth, while pomegranate seeds bound her to the realm of the dead.
Etymological Timeline
Archaic Greek
Greek
Περσεφόνη (Persephónē)
“The name of the Greek underworld goddess later identified with Proserpine; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
Etruscan Period
Etruscan
Phersipnai
“An Etruscan form of the goddess’s name, probably connected with the Greek Persephone tradition.”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Latin
Proserpina
“Roman goddess of the underworld, counterpart of Greek Persephone.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Proserpina
“A classical and literary name for the queen of the underworld.”
14th–15th Century
English
Proserpine
“An English poetic form of the Roman goddess’s name.”
Modern English
English
Proserpine
“A literary or mythological name for Proserpina, the underworld goddess.”
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