Editing Demeter (section)

===Demeter and Erysichthon===
[[File:Plate 80- Ceres' Nymph Telling Famine to Strike Erysichthon (Insatiabili fame Erisichtonem torquet Fames), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' MET DP866521.jpg|thumb|''Demeter orders Famine to strike Erysichthon'', Elisha Whittelsey Collection]]

Another myth involving Demeter's rage resulting in famine is that of [[Erysichthon of Thessaly|Erysichthon]], king of [[Thessaly]].<ref name=oxford_companion/> The myth tells of Erysichthon ordering all of the trees in one of Demeter's sacred groves to be cut down, as he wanted to build an extension of his palace and hold feasts there. One tree, a huge oak, was covered with votive wreaths, symbols of the prayers Demeter had granted, so Erysichthon's men refused to cut it down. The king used an axe to cut it down, killing a [[dryad nymph]] in the process. The nymph's dying words were a curse on Erysichthon. Demeter punished the king by calling upon [[Limos (mythology)|Limos]], the spirit of unrelenting and insatiable hunger, to enter his stomach. The more the king ate, the hungrier he became. Erysichthon sold all his possessions to buy food but was still hungry. Finally, he sold his daughter, [[Mestra]], into slavery. Mestra was freed from slavery by her former lover, [[Poseidon]], who gave her the gift of shape-shifting into any creature to escape her bonds. Erysichthon used her shape-shifting ability to sell her numerous times to make more money to feed himself, but no amount of food was enough. Eventually, Erysichthon [[Autocannibalism|ate himself]].<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0028%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D728 8.738–878]; [[Callimachus]], ''Hymn VI to Demeter'' [https://archive.org/details/callimachuslycop00calluoft/page/126/mode/2up?view=theater 34 ff.].</ref>

In a variation, Erysichthon tore down a temple of Demeter, wishing to build a roof for his house; she punished him the same way, and near the end of his life, she sent a snake to plague him. Afterwards, Demeter put him among the stars (the constellation [[Ophiuchus]]), as she did the snake, to continue to inflict its punishment on Erysichthon.<ref>Hyginus, ''De astronomia'' [https://topostext.org/work/207#2.14.4 2.14.4]</ref>

In the [[Pergamon Altar]], which depicts the battle of the gods against the Giants ([[Giants (Greek mythology)|Gigantomachy]]), survive remains of what seems to have been Demeter fighting a Giant labelled "Erysichthon."<ref>McKay, [https://books.google.com/books?id=SsEeAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA93 p. 93]</ref> Demeter is also depicted fighting against the Giants next to Hermes in the [[Gigantomachy by the Suessula Painter|Suessula Gigantomachy vase]], now housed in the [[Louvre]] Museum.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifact?name=Louvre+S+1677&object=Vase | publisher = [[Tufts University]] | website = www.perseus.tufts.edu | title = Louvre S 1677 (Vase) | access-date = February 22, 2023}}</ref> Usually, ancient depictions of the Gigantomachy tend to exclude Demeter due to her non-martial nature.{{sfn|Smith|Plantzos|2018|page = [https://books.google.com/books?id=Z1FVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA409 409]}}