Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Mysteries of Eleusis

The Eleusinian Mysteries was the cult of Demeter and Persephone which was based at Eleusis in Ancient Greece. The cult revolved around the myth of Persephone being returned to her mother from te underworld every spring. It was a major festival during the Hellenic Era for the Greeks (the festival even spread to Rome).

The Return of Persephone (1891)
Frederic Leighton

The rites, ceremonies, and rituals were kept a secret and the only persons allowed were:

  1. Priests, priestesses, and Hierophants
  2. Initiates, undergoing the ceremony for the first time
  3. Those who have already been initiated, and were eligible for 
  4. Those who had obtained ἐποπτεία (épopteia or "contemplation"), who had learned the secrets of the greatest mysteries of Demeter
Demeter

While the exact actions of the cult of Demeter and Persephone where not known to modern scholars and were not written down, from the art made of the Eleusinian Mysteries it is thought that they had three revelations during the initiation. The first of Persephone, then of Persephone giving birth in fire to a divine child named Aeon, and then of a ear of wheat, to represent the coming of a new year. 

Demeter (2012)

These ceremonies were thought to hold the human races together, and were observed for 2,000 years and only came to an end with the sacking of Eleusis by the Goths in 396 BCE.
Votive plaque depicting elements of the Eleusinian Mysteries. National Archaeological Museum, Athens


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Greek Temples - The Earthly Home of the Gods

Many civilizations through history have temples for payer or various activities of religious life. The ancient Greeks had temples for their various gods and each temple was dedicated to one god specifically. 


View from Philopappos Hill in Athens (Attica, Greece) — Acropolis of Athens

Model of the Temple of Zeus

Originally the temples were made out wood, but that was soon abandoned for better building materials like stone or marble. The Temples were brightly painted and would often have a large statue of their god inside. The painting would often depict the exploits of the gods or heros. 


Reconstruction of original painted state on a scaffolding covering the Temple of Concordia, Akragas.

Part of the Parthenon frieze (cast), in situ on W side of naos

The ancient greek temple was often the site of each deity's cult. Where rituals were preformed and offerings to the gods were made. Temples were also site were the common people would come to pray to the specific god for help or luck.


Illustration of Doric (first three), Ionic (next three) and Corinthian (final two) columns.

Features of a Doric temple, Greece