"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.
Do you know where and who that Statue re-presents? It is Persephone, the Queen of the dead and here is her standing: