Ceres, ceretis, The hter of Saturnus, and Ops, called also s, was wife of Osyris king of Aegypt, who (as the Greekrs suppose) did sust inuent the sowing of wheate and barley, which before did growe wilde among other hcrbes. Also that she did first make lawes, whereby iustice shonlde be equally ministred to all men, violence and wrong being by feare taken away. Herodorus wryteth, that the Aegyptians affirme Ceres and Bacthus to beare the chiefe rule in hell. This Ceres as Poets faine, had a daughter by Iupiter named Proserpina, whom Pluto God of hell carried away by stealth as she was walking. Wherefore Ceres in great sorrow lighting corches at the Mount Aetna, tranayled ouer all the world almost to seeke hir daughter. At the length she was tolde by Arethusa % Nymph, that hit daughter was in Hell, and stollen away by Pluto: She therefore going to Inpiter complayned of the vninst dealing of hys brother Pluto, and at the length obtained that hir daughter should returne againe on this condition, that while she was in hell she tasted of no fruite. In the ende when Ceres hoped wel to recouer hir daughter, one Ascalaphus bewrayed that while Proserpiua walked in Plutos Orchard, she plucked a Pomgranate, and tasted one graine of it, vpoit whiche vetection it could not bee that Proserpina shoulde returne. Wherefore Ceres in reuengement of his blabbish tong, turned Ascalaphus into an Owle. But Iupiter to quiet hys sisters minde, graunted that hir daughter halfe the yeares space should be in heanen with the Goddes, the other halfe yeare in hel with his husbaud.
Cero, ceras, cerâre. Col. To dresse or couer with waxe.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
Cĕrēs (cf. Verg. G. 1, 96; Ov. F. 4, 615; Mart. 3, 58, 6), ĕris (gen. CERERVS, Inscr. Fabr. p. 626, 225; cf. Inscr. Orell. 1364), f. [Sabini Cererem panem appellant, Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 7; prop. the goddess of creation (cf. Serv. l. l.), from the stem cer, Sanscr. kri, to make], the daughter of Saturn and Ops, Ov. F. 6, 285, sister of Jupiter and Pluto, mother of Proserpine, goddess of agriculture, esp. of the cultivation of corn, and of the growth of fruits in gen. (cf. Cerealis); represented as upon a chariot drawn by dragons, with a torch in her hand, and crowned with poppies or ears of corn, Ov. F. 4, 497; 4, 561; 3, 786; 4, 616; id. Am. 3, 10, 3; Tib. 1, 1, 15; 2, 1, 4; Verg. G. 1, 96; Hor. C. S. 30; cf. O. Müll. Archaeol. 357 sq.: templum Desertae Cereris, deserted (because the temple was in a solitary, secluded place), Verg. A. 2, 714: Cereri nuptias facere, i. e.
without wine
, Plaut. Aul. 2, 6, 5; cf. Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 343.—From the names of places where she was worshipped, called Ceres Hennensis, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 49, 107; Lact. 2, 4, 28: Catinensis, id. l. l.: Eleusina, id. 1, 21, 24: Milesia, id. 2, 7, 19; cf. Val. Max. 1, 1, ext. 5.—B. Ceres profunda or inferna, i. e. Proserpina, Stat. Th. 4, 460; 5, 156; cf.: sacerdos Cererum, Inscr. Orell. 6082.—II.Meton., food, bread, fruit, corn, grain, etc., Fest. s. v. cocus, p. 45; cf.: fruges Cererem appellamus, vinum autem Liberum, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 60; Verg. G. 1, 297; id. A. 1, 177; 1, 701; Hor. C. 3, 24, 13; id. Epod. 16, 43; Ov. M. 3, 437; 8, 292; 11, 112 al.—Prov.: sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus, Ter. Eun. 4, 5, 6; cf. Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 60.
