Which Roman goddess was the queen of the underworld, equivalent to Greek Persephone? Proserpina.
Proserpina was the Roman goddess identified with the queen of the underworld and the daughter of Ceres, the grain goddess. Her Greek counterpart was Persephone, and Roman poets adapted the same central myth: the underworld ruler seized Proserpina, while her mother searched for her and mourned the loss of life and fertility on earth.
The story explains the seasonal cycle. Proserpina eventually returned to the world above, but because she had eaten pomegranate seeds in the underworld, she could not remain there permanently. In many versions she spent part of the year below and part with Ceres, allowing the myth to connect winter’s barrenness with spring and summer growth.
Proserpina was also associated with Libera, an older Roman goddess whose cult was linked with Ceres and Liber on the Aventine Hill. Her name probably entered Latin through an adaptation of Persephone’s Greek name. Do not confuse her with Diana, Juno, or Venus: those goddesses have different domains, while Proserpina’s defining role is her double identity as a fertility figure and underworld queen.