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The ancient Greeks used the Gods and their myths to explain the world around them. The explanation given for the changing of the seasons was the story of Persephone and Hades. 

Persephone was known for being a strikingly beautiful girl. When the God of the underworld Hades saw her, he instantly fell in love. Immediately, Hades went to his brother Zeus, the God of the sky and the King of all the other gods, and told him of his love for Persephone. Zeus did not disapprove of Hades marrying his daughter Persephone yet he did not warn him that her mother, Dementer, would never approve of the marriage between them. 

One day, when Persephone was outside in a field full of flowers, Hades came charging by in a four-horse chariot and grabbed Persephone by force. The ground split into two and Hades disappeared deep underground with Persephone and the ground sealed into one after them. 

When Demeter tried to find her daughter, she could not and therefore she became increasingly worried. After an unsuccessful attempt to find her daughter, Demeter made he effort to travel to the farthest corners of the earth for nine complete days and nights. During her journey Demeter did not take the time to eat, drink, bathe or sleep. She destroyed lands, crops, and livestock as a retaliation of her daughters disappearance. If Demeter never found her daughter again, she would have  destroyed the entire human population. 

On the tenth day, Demeter was informed by Hectate of Persephone’s kidnapping except she did not know by who. The two then went to the God of the sun, Helius, to ask him for more information as Helius sees everything that happens on earth. When telling her, Helius tried to convince Demeter that Hades was not an unfit husband for her daughter, considering he was the brother of Zeus and ruled a third of the universe. However, Demeter did not accept this. Demeter boycotted Mount Olympus and prohibited all the trees to bear fruit and prohibited the soil from growing vegetables. 

As a result of a family, Zeus begged Demeter to come back and eventually, promised to give Persephone back to her if only she ended the famine. When Hades was approached by Zeus to bring back Persephone, Hades nonchalantly let her go. Persephone had not eaten once during her time in the underworld and so, Hades encouraged her to eat even just a single pomegranate seed. What seems like a kind plea was actually a trick for whoever eats the food of Hades becomes chained to the underworld. 

After a long time, Persephone could not bare the hunger anymore and ended up eating six small pomegranate seeds. She was spotted by gardener who informed Hades. As a result, the mother of Zeus, Demeter and Hades stated as a compromise to both Hades and Demeter, Persephone must stay with Hades in the underworld for 6 months a year and be the Queen of the underworld. 

Therefore, when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter plagues the earth with trees that don’t bare fruit and soil that doesn’t nurture vegetables which becomes the autumn and winter but when Persephone is out, the trees bear the ripest fruits and the soil gives vegetables, and that is when it is spring and summer.