Final answer:
Option (c) 'to explain why the gods detest mortals' is NOT one of the aetiological purposes of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. The hymn is focused on explaining agricultural seasons, the Eleusinian mysteries, and life-death-rebirth symbolism through agricultural metaphors, not on divine contempt for humanity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which of the following is NOT one of the aetiological purposes of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. From the provided text and the original purposes of the hymn, we can deduce that option (c) ‘to explain why the gods detest mortals’ is NOT one of the hymn's aetiological purposes. The Homeric Hymn primarily serves as a mythological explanation for: (a) the nature of the seasons in agriculture, depicting how Persephone’s abduction by Hades and Demeter’s grief over her daughter's loss lead to the cycle of the seasons; (b) the origin of the Eleusinian mysteries, which are linked to the narrative of Demeter and Persephone and encapsulate themes of fertility and the agricultural cycle; and (d) the symbolism of resurrection and life through planting seeds, representing Demeter's sorrow and Persephone’s return symbolically mirroring the yearly planting and harvesting cycles.
The Homeric Hymn does not suggest a disdain from the gods towards mortals, but rather encompasses themes of reverence for the divine through secretive mystery rites, and focuses on the understanding of agricultural fertility as a metaphor for life cycles, both of which are represented in the Eleusinian mysteries.
Complete question:
Which of the following is NOT one of the Aetiological purposes of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter?
a. to explain the nature of the season in agriculture
b. to explain the origin of the Eleusinian mysteries
c. to explain why the gods detest mortals
d. to explain how ideas of resurrection and life in the underworld arise from planting seeds