half the year. Virgil asserts that Proserpina agrees to this, and is reluctant to ascend from the underworld and re-unite with her mother. When Ceres greets her daughter's return to the world of the living, the crops grow, flowers blossom, and in summer all growing crops flourish, to be harvested in Autumn. During the time that Proserpina resides with Pluto, the world goes through winter, when the earth gives no crops. The earth can only be fertile when she is above. Orpheus and Eurydice The most extensive myth of Proserpina in Latin is Claudian's (4th century AD). It is closely connected with that of Orpheus and Eurydice. In Virgil's Georgics, Orpheus' beloved wife, Eurydice, died from a snake-bite; Proserpina allowed Orpheus into Hades without losing his life; charmed by his music, she allowed him to lead his wife back to the land of the living, as long as he did not look back during the journey. But Orpheus could not resist a backward glance, so Eurydice was forever lost to him. In artwork Proserpina's figure inspired many artistic compositions, eminently in sculpture (Bernini, see The Rape of Proserpina (Bernini) ) in painting (D.G.Rossetti, a fresco by Pomarancio, J. Heintz, Rubens, A. Dürer, Dell'Abbate, Parrish) and in literature (Goethe's Proserpina and Swinburne's Hymn to Proserpine and The Garden of Proserpine) The statue of the Rape of Prosepina by Pluto that stands in the Great Garden of Dresden, Germany is also referred to as "Time Ravages Beauty". Kate McGarrigle's song about the legend was one of the last things she wrote prior to her death, and received its only performance at her last concert at Royal Albert Hall in December 2009. References Further reading Miles, Gary B. (1980), Virgil's Georgics: A New Interpretation, University of California Press, . Google books. External links Claudian, De raptu Proserpinae ("The Rape of Proserpine"), three books in Latin and English, Bill Thayer's edition of the Loeb Classical Library text at LacusCurtius "Proserpina" on the Mythology GuideProserpina, Proserpina.net. Accessed 27 January 2012Il Ratto di Proserpina'' Death goddesses Life-death-rebirth goddesses Roman goddesses Roman underworld Spring (season) Underworld goddesses Harvest goddesses Agricultural goddesses Fertility goddesses Food goddesses Food deities