Studied by 2 peopleWhere was Eleusis located?
Approximately 15 miles West of Athens, on the coast overlooking the bay and the island of Salamis.
What were the criteria to join the mystes?
Anyone could join — even women, slaves, the elderly, and foreigners, given that:
They spoke Greek
They hadn’t committed any crime
They pay a contribution of some kind
They promised not to speak of the epopteia
Translate “epopteia”
The relevation of the secret
Translate “mystes”.
People wishing to be initiated.
Translate “mystagogues”.
People already initiated.
Translate “archon basileus”.
The highest official responsible for all religious matters in Athens.
Translate “hierophant”.
The special priests of the Mysteries who led all ritualistic activity.
Translate “kykeon”.
A brew made from barley and pennyroyal, which is said to have psychotropic effects.
Who is Iacchus?
The leader-god of the initiates.
Ninnion Tablet: Date & Location
Circa. 400-300 BCE
Current Location: National Archeological Museum (NAM), Athens
Ninnion Tablet: How useful is it? (4 v 2)
Depiction of male figure with two torches identified as Iacchus – as depicted in Aristophanes’ Frogs
Shows the corporeal epiphany of Demeter and Kore (Persephone) to the mystes
Shows other features of the procession e.g. myrtle leaf crowns, plemochoe on the heads of two women, and the carrying of torches to re-enact the myth
Shows the range of initiates e.g. both men and women are present and a smaller figure on the top row seemingly presents a young male initiate
Doesn’t represent kykeon, which was supposedly vital to the experience
Doesn’t allude to any sacrifice or fasting which occurred as part of the procession
EXTRA CREDIT
The Dionysian Mysteries — sources (2) & info.
Villa of The Mysteries at Pompeii in a fresco:
Shows mystic transition — first stage, woman being flagellated by a winged figure — represents fear of death. Next to her is a dancing Maenad — second phase of joy and knowledge.
Euripides’ Bacchae 5th Century BCE:
Chorus immediately establishes the enlightenment of those exposed to the mysteries.
“Happy is he who joins his soul to the thiasos”
Pentheus experiences a range of bizarre events eg seeing double and mistaking a light for Dionysus. Links to Plutarch’s account of what its like being initiated.
Transition from individual isolation to shared commonality.
Penthius never makes it to the mystagogue.
Who is Alcibiades?
He was an Athenian leader accused of mocking the Mysteries before some friends and uninitiates. He is an example of someone sentenced to death for the crime of profanation.
Why was profanation considered a crime?
Seen as impiety & mocking deities: Alcibiades refutes claims that he has spoken of the mystery by saying he has “committed no act of impiety”. He also comments on “past offenders who have made mock of the Two Goddesses.”
What 3 sources do we have on the afterlife with versus without the revelation of the mysteries?
Homeric Hymn to Demeter: those uninitiated will go “down in the darkness and gloom” upon death.
Sophocles: initiates are “three times fortunate”, and in the underworld “they alone have life there, while others have every kind of misery”.
Plutarch: “He who has fulfilled initiation wanders free, and … joins in the divine communion, and consorts with pure and holy men.” This may allude to the Eleusinian fields.
How does Plutarch describe the near-death experience before revelation?
He alludes to the use of psychedelics: “Terrors before the final initiation, shuddering, trembling, sweating, amazement”.
What do we learn about the mysteries from Aristophanes’ Frogs? (6)
This is a humorous play that provides a lot of insight into the ritual & practices of the cult:
Song & Dance
The Chorus sings together with flute playing in the background – which is accurate to the ritual procession to Eleusis
Sacrifice
Xanthias (Dionysus’ slave) smells a “jolly whiff of pork” – this relates to the ritual sacrifice of piglets; they were cooked/burned on a pyre for gods to smell the fumes and be nourished.
Re-enacting the myth
Allusions to “fiery” and “flashing” torches, which links to the myth of Demeter searching for Persephone which was reenacted during the ritual.
Age & Gender
Old initiates – “aged knees curvet for gladness” – were present, as well as female initates – “a sweet pretty girl…her robe had been torn in the scuffle”.
Afterlife
The Chorus sing “Lead the way before us…to the marshy flowery plain”; this might allude to the Eleusinian fields.
Humour
The chorus march on with “jest and jeer”, and describe having “bantered and laughed our best”.
Describe the events of the Eleusinia.
On the first day, around 3,000 people – both mysts and mystagogues – assembled in the Athenian agora and were instructed by the archon basileus. |
The next day, the whole group + the sacrificial animals (likely piglets) marched to the seaside to bathe, as part of a purification ritual. |
Three-day period of rest. More sacrifice and meditation may have occured. |
Everyone again assembled in the agora, forming a procession led by the priests & priestesses who carried the sacred objects on their 15-mile long journey to Eleusis. This procession would have involved sacred dances, libations, sacrifices, and the singing of hymns and playing of flutes, as well as the worship of deities such as Aphrodite and Iacchus (a statue of whom was also carried as part of the procession). Also involved was a reversal of roles in which young initiates mocked the old, who were not allowed to react. The procession would have paused at the Rheitoi lake, at which saffron ribbons would be tied to the right wrist and left ankle. They would have continued with torches, once it turned dark. In the evening, upon arrival, the hierophants would have led all following ritualistic activity – which is not known exactly. It seems that the initiation took place in two grades.
These ceremonies ended with the epopteia in the Telesterion at Eleusis – however, this only takes place a year later for new mysts (perhaps to test commitment?) |
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