SADLY, WE KNOW VERY LITTLE OF "DESPOINA." MANY DID NOT EVEN KNOW THAT SHE EXISTED. WE DO KNOW THAT SHE WAS A FERTILITY GODDESS AND AN UNDERWORLD DEITY WHOSE CHARACTER RESEMBLED "PERSEPHONE". SHE WAS WORSHIPPED ALONGSIDE HER MOTHER IN AN AKKADIAN MYSTERY CULT AS EVIDENCED BY THE ALTARS OF BOTH OF THE GODDESSES--"DESPOINA AND DEMETER"-- PLACED IN THE FRONT OF THE DORIAN TEMPLE OF "DESPOINA"; IN THE PORTICO, THERE WAS A TABLET WITH THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE MYSTERIES. THERE WAS ALSO AN ALTAR OF "POSEIDON". IN HER SANCTUARY SHE RECEIVED MANY GIFTS FOR EVERYONE BROUGHT TO HER WHATEVER THEY HAD. BETWEEN THE OFFERINGS THE FRUITS OF ALL THE TREE--EXCEPT THE GRANATE APPLE--APPEARED AND ANIMALS WERE SACRIFICED TO HER HONOR.
THE TRUE NAME OF "DESPOINA" IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ONLY KNOWN TO THOSE INITIATED INTO HER WORSHIP AT THE TEMPLE DEDICATED TO HER AT LYCOSURA IN ARCADIA, AND NONE OF THE INITIATES WERE ALLOWED TO PASS ON THAT KNOWLEDGE. HENCE, HER TRUE NAME HAS NOW BEEN LOST FOR ALL TIME. IT IS AMAZING TO CONSIDER JUST HOW MUCH OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY HAS BEEN LOST TO THE MODERN WORLD, AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY HUNDREDS OF STORIES, THE EARLIEST TALES WERE PASSED DOWN IN THE ORAL TRADITION. THUS STORIES HAVE BEEN LOST AND EVEN THE NAMES OF THESE GREAT GODDESSES ARE NOW UNKNOWN, JUST LIKE THE TRUE NAME OF "DESPOINA."
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