Most scholars say no, but some ancient sources credit her with 1-3 children, by either Zeus or Hades.
Zagreus is the best known. The Orphic cult said that Zeus raped his daughter in the form of a serpent, and she bore a son named Zagreus. Zeus intended to make the boy his heir, but Hera manipulated the Titans into destroying him. Zeus managed to save Zagreus' heart, put it in a drink, and give it to his lover Semele, thus impregnating her with Dionysus. Some sources name him as Hades' son, rather than Zeus'; some myths also say that Zeus took Hades' form to sleep with Persephone, rather than a serpent's.
Melinoe is said to be his twin; like the Norse goddess Hel/Hela, her body is half black (representing Persephone's chthonian nature) and half white (representing Zeus as king of the gods). Like Zagreus, some say that she is Hades' daughter rather than Zeus'.
Macaria, when she is mentioned at all, is always said to be Hades' daughter; she was the goddess of the blessed dead, presumably the lady of the Elysian Fields.
(Note: I've always felt a very strong affinity for Persephone; if I had lived in Ancient Greece, I suspect I would have worshipped her the most fervently. Stories like these are the reason I don't like Zeus.)
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.