"person:
early 13c., from O.Fr. persone "human being" (12c., Fr. personne),
from L. persona "human being," originally "character in a drama, mask," possibly borrowed from Etruscan phersu "mask." This may be related to Gk. Persephone. The use of -person to replace -man in compounds and avoid alleged sexist connotations is first recorded 1971 (in chairperson). In person "by bodily presence" is from 1560s. Person-to-person first recorded 1919, originally of telephone calls."
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=person
The part in red was startling for me.
Standing on something is and always has been "proof of ownership". Now, look at this image.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:3,s:0
Do you know where and who that Statue re-presents? It is Persephone, the Queen of the dead and here is her standing:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:7,s:0