Demeter's Kore

Philomelus or Philomenus was a minor Greek demi-god, the son of Demeter and Iasion , and the brother of plutus . Plutus was very wealthy, but gave none of his riches to his brother. Out of necessity Philomenus bought two oxen, invented the wagon or plough, and supported himself by ploughing his fields and cultivating crops. His mother, admiring him for this, put him in the heavens as the constellation Bootes , his wagon or plough being the constellation Ursa major .

Ploutus , usually Romanized as Plutus , was the god of wealth in ancient Greek religion and myth . He was the son of Demeter [ 1 ] and the demigod Iasion , with whom she lay in a thrice-ploughed field. In the theology of the Eleusinian Mysteries he was regarded as the Divine Child. His relation to the classical ruler of the underworld Plouton (Latin Pluto ), with whom he is often conflated , is complex, as Pluto was also a god of riches. [ citation needed ] In the philosophized mythology of the later Classical period, Plutus is envisaged by Aristophanes [ 2 ] as blinded by Zeus , so that he would be able to dispense his gifts without prejudice; he is also lame, as he takes his time arriving, and winged, so he leaves faster than he came. When the god's sight is restored, in Aristophanes' comedy , he is then able to determine who is deserving of wealth, creating havoc. Among the Eleusinian figures painted on Greek ceramics, Plutus, whether a boy child or a youthful epheb