Eleusina-Keramikos

It is time to take a journey into the underworld in order to understand the type of religious experience represented by this cult. We must turn to the myth of the rape of Demeter’s daughter by Hades, the journey of Demeter in search for her daughter, the rise of Persephone from the world of the dead and her reunion with her mother. During the journey, Demeter was hosted by King Celeus in Elefsina. Wishing to thank him for his hospitality, the revealed the secret rites and blessed art of cultivating the fields, while urging the people to build a sanctuary in her honor within its area, people celebrated the Eleusinian Mysteries participating secret rites, no one dared talk about. All initiates swore a … of secrecy. They were enacted twice a year and corresponded with the sowing and reaping of the agricultural annual cycle.

Elefsina was founded in 2.000 B.C and along with Athens, Olympia, Delos and Delphi was one of the five sacred cities of ancient Greece. The city hosted one of the biggest festivals in honour of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. Thousands of people made the journey to be initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. The pilgrimage symbolized the journey of Demeter to Eleusis. It was also a symbol of the journey to the Underworld that everyone took at the end of their life.

During the time of the Athenian …… and lawmaker Solon(630-560B.C), the Mysteries were part of an Athenian festival. During the Classical and Roman periods, the city’s glory fed to the development of impressive buildings. Over time, as Christianity emerged, the city’s sanctuary was gradually abandoned.