[Greek heroic] According to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (anonymous text of the 7th century BCE) Triptolemos was one of the men who had great power and honor in Eleusis and was one of the chiefs among the people, protecting the city by their wisdom and true judgements. The Hymn also gives us the information that Triptolemos together with Diocles, Eumolpos, Keleus and Polyxeinus learned the mysteries and rites of the goddess Demeter. The later tradition, spread out by the Athenians, connected Triptolemos with the first civilization in Eleusis, cultivating the grain, a gift of Demeter. Triptolemos is described as a son of Keleus, the Eleusinian king and his wife Metaneira, who welcomed in their palace the goddess Demeter, when she was mourning for her daughter Kore. Demeter equited for their kindness, so she gave to Triptolemos the ears of a corn and she taught him to cultivate the fields. Triptolemos became a teacher of agriculture over the whole world. He was bringing this knowledge on his w...
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