Adonis is a Greek hunter who caught the eye of Aphrodite. One day, he was out hunting and wounded a boar. The animal was in so much pain, it killed Adonis. Adonis died, but was allowed to leave the Underworld for part of the year to see Aphrodite. The annual return of Adonis to Aphrodite symbolized the return of fertility.
Why would Hades allow Adonis to leave the Underworld?
https://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Minor_Gods/Adonis/adonis.html
...However, Persephone later refused to give Adonis back to Aphrodite; this led to a dispute that was solved by Zeus. As a result, Adonis would spend a third of a year with each goddess, and one third with whoever he wanted; he chose to spend two thirds with Aphrodite.
Adonis died when he was attacked by a wild boar that was sent by Artemis, who was jealous of his hunting skills. A different version of the myth has it that the boar was sent by Ares, as he was the lover of Aphrodite. When he died, Aphrodite poured nectar over his blood, and the flower anemone emerged.
Zeus decreed the living Adonis could visit Persephone and leave the Underworld. I wasn't aware of any account where Adonis left the Underworld after he died (presuming he went to the Underworld when he died?).
However, found this on Quora:
https://www.quora.com/How-did-Adonis-become-a-Greek-god
Q: How did Adonis become a Greek god?
A: Note: If you already know the myth, you can skip to the bottom for the "easy answer", which is in bold.
Here's the way I understand it:
It all started when Adonis's mother, Myrrha, was turned into a Myrrh tree by Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Adonis, already conceived in his mother's womb, was born from the tree after the incident. Aphrodite, perhaps feeling guilty, sent the poor kid to live with her friend Persephone, goddess of seasons.
Persephone lived with her husband, Hades, lord of the dead, so Adonis grew up surrounded by the spirits of deceased mortals rather than an actual living family. He eventually grew up to be a fit young man, despite his unusual childhood. Both Aphrodite and Persephone fell in love with him, and eventually their dispute was brought before Zeus, king of the gods.
It was Zeus's decision that Adonis would spend one third of the year with Aphrodite, one third of the year with Persephone, and one third of the year doing whatever he wanted.
Aphrodite, being a love goddess, was able to convince Adonis to spend his free time during the year with her as well. This whole scandal led to a lot of tension with a lot of gods, namely:
Artemis: As a sworn virgin, Artemis was disgusted by Aphrodite and Persephone's little spat.
Ares: As Aphrodite's only consistent sweetheart, Ares, was of course, jealous of Adonis.
Apollo: Aphrodite blinded his son, Erymanthus, when he came upon Aphrodite making love to Adonis in the forest.
According to which version of the story you're going by, one of the gods sent a boar in order to kill Adonis.
The boar succeeded, and Aphrodite came too late to be of any help. Where Adonis died, the Anemone flower sprang up, becoming his eternal symbol.
So, according to Greek mythology, Adonis is not a god.
Later poets, writers, and some cults, however, mistranslated portions of the text, perhaps believing that every time he went down to the Underworld to be with Aphrodite, he was actually dying, only to be "reborn" four months later.
According to these cults, Adonis was, as usual, reborn after having been killed by the boar, and continued to live on for eternity, as a god of fertility and desire.
So, to answer this question:
**1. Technically, going by the original Greek myth, Adonis was just a mortal and died.
- According to later poets, writers, and cults, however, Adonis was at some point made immortal, and became the god of rebirth, fertility, and desire.**
In the end, I think it's a matter of choice, depending on whether or not you think a myth is defined by the original story, or changes as different versions of it pop up.
Your decision.
