Modern Scholarship: Personal Experience of the Divine

What does Seaford say about the mysteries being both personal and communal?

"Mysteries were of communal importance, not just a matter of individual choice"

What does Burket say about the mysteries being a separate religion?

"Mysteries do not contribute a separate religion outside the public one"

What does Gibbon say about the emphasis of the Eleusinian rites?

"The emphasis of the Eleusinian rites was on individual participation and salvation"

What does Hornblower say about Asclepius?

Appealed to individuals in a world where their concerns became more and more removed from polis religion

How does Ekroth define a hero?

A hero can be defined as a person who has lived or died, either in myth or in real life, can be the main distinction between a god and a hero

What does Bonnechere say about the trustworthiness of Dodona?

Some oracles were more trustworthy than others and the older they were, the more reliable, thus making Dodona and Delphi infallible

What does Eldinow say about consultations about marriage?

The number of consultations regarding marriage suggests that marriage was a decision best guided by the gods

What does Garland say about Epidaurus and Asclepius?

Gave people the gift of being able to hope against hope, the gift of life

What does Karoglou say about the tensions in the Eleusinian Mysteries?

The tension between the public and private, the conspicuous and secret was inherent in the double nature of the cult