TRIPTOLEMUS, an agricultural hero of Eleusis, first priest of Demeter, and founder of the Eleusinian mysteries. His name is of doubtful meaning ("he who ploughs or toils thrice"; i.e., dili gently?) ; in some legends he is the inventor of the plough. In the best known legend (Apollodorus, i.) Triptolemus was the son of Celeus, king of Eleusis, and Metaneira. Demeter, during her search for her daughter Persephone, arrived at Eleusis in the form of an old woman. Here she was hospitably received by Celeus, and out of gratitude would have made his son Demophon im mortal by anointing him with ambrosia and destroying his mortal parts by fire ; but Metaneira, happening to see what was going on, screamed out and disturbed the goddess. Demophon was burnt to death, and Demeter, to console his parents, took upon herself the care of Triptolemus, instructed him in everything con nected with agriculture, and presented him with a wonderful chariot, drawn by dragons, in which he travelled all over the world, spreading the knowledge of her gifts. In another account
(Hyginus, Fab. 147) Triptolemus is the son of Eleusinus, and takes the place of Demophon in the above narrative, but does not die. In the Homeric hymn to Demeter, Triptolemus is simply one of the nobles of Eleusis, who was instructed by the goddess in her rites and ceremonies. The Attic legend represented him as one of the judges of the underworld. He is often represented in art, and formed the subject of a play (now lost) of Sophocles. His altar and threshing-floor were shown on the Rarian plain near Eleusis ; hence he is sometimes called the son of Rarus.