Eleusinian Mysteries

E19366

The Eleusinian Mysteries were secretive initiation rites held annually at Eleusis in honor of Demeter and Persephone, promising participants spiritual renewal and a blessed afterlife.

All labels observed (14)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (64)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek religious mystery cult
initiation rite
religious festival
admission open to Greek-speaking free persons
approximateEndYear 392 CE
approximateStartCentury 7th century BCE
associatedMyth abduction of Persephone by Hades
myth of Demeter and Persephone
calendar Attic calendar
linked to: Metonic cycle
coreTheme afterlife
agricultural fertility
death and rebirth
country Ancient Greece
linked to: Greek Antiquity
endCause Christianization of the Roman Empire
famousInitiate Cicero
Hadrian
Marcus Aurelius
Plato
floruitPeriod Classical Greece
Hellenistic period
Roman Imperial period
linked to: Roman Antiquity
genderPolicy open to both men and women
greaterMysteriesLocation Eleusis
greaterMysteriesSeason autumn
hadGreaterMysteries true
hadInnerSanctum Telesterion
hadLesserMysteries true
heldAnnually true
highPriestTitle Hierophant
honoredDeity Demeter
Persephone
influenced Greek philosophical ideas about the soul
later mystery religions
lesserMysteriesLocation Agrae near Athens
lesserMysteriesSeason spring
location Eleusis
mainFestivalMonth Boedromion
mainSanctuary Sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis
modernSiteStatus archaeological site at Elefsina, Greece
near Athens
oathOfSecrecy true
offeredBenefit hope of better fate after death
promise of a blessed afterlife
spiritual renewal
penaltyForRevealingSecrets death
politicalControl city-state of Athens
possibleEarlierOrigins Mycenaean period
priestlyFamily Eumolpidae
Kerykes
processionRoute Sacred Way between Athens and Eleusis
religion ancient Greek religion
requiredCondition ability to understand Greek
no ritual pollution such as homicide
ritualType drinking of kykeon
fasting
initiation
procession
revelation of sacred objects
sacred drama
sacrifice
season autumn
socialScope included slaves in some periods
sourceType partly reconstructed from literary and archaeological evidence
suppressedBy Roman emperor Theodosius I
linked to: Theodosius I

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (52)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ancient Greek religion hasMysteryCult Eleusinian Mysteries
Dionysus associatedWith Eleusinian Mysteries
Orphic Mysteries relatedTo Eleusinian Mysteries
Demeter associatedMyth Eleusinian Mysteries
Demeter festival Eleusinian Mysteries
Dionysian Mysteries relatedTo Eleusinian Mysteries
Eleusis knownFor Eleusinian Mysteries
Eleusis festival Eleusinian Mysteries
Persephone associatedCult Eleusinian Mysteries
Hellenistic religion includesCult Eleusinian Mysteries
Telesterion at Eleusis usedFor Eleusinian Mysteries
Telesterion at Eleusis associatedRitual Greater Eleusinian Mysteries
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Telesterion at Eleusis associatedRitual Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Sacred Court associatedWith Eleusinian Mysteries
Sacred Court relatedTo initiation ceremonies at Eleusis
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Sacred Court relatedTo procession of the Eleusinian Mysteries
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Kallichoron Well associatedWith Eleusinian Mysteries
Lesser Mysteries partOf Eleusinian Mysteries
Hospitality of King Keleos partOf Eleusinian cycle
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Hospitality of King Keleos associatedWithCult Eleusinian Mysteries
Hospitality of King Keleos explainsOriginOf Eleusinian Mysteries
Hospitality of King Keleos relatedMyth Institution of the Eleusinian Mysteries
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Archaeological Museum of Eleusis dedicatedTo Eleusinian Mysteries
Greater Mysteries partOf Eleusinian Mysteries
Greater Mysteries cultTitleOfDemeter Demeter Eleusinia
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
abduction of Persephone associatedWithCult Eleusinian Mysteries
Boedromion containsFestival Eleusinian Mysteries
Sacred Way between Athens and Eleusis usedFor Eleusinian Mysteries
Sacred Way between Athens and Eleusis ceremony Greater Eleusinian Mysteries
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Sacred Way between Athens and Eleusis ceremony Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Sacred Way between Athens and Eleusis category Eleusinian Mysteries
Agrae near Athens associatedWithCult Eleusinian Mysteries
Eumolpidae sacredTradition Eleusinian Mysteries
Hierophant religion Eleusinian Mysteries
Hierophant associatedWith Eleusinian Mysteries
Sixth Syrian War significantEvent Day of Eleusis
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Ploutos associatedWith Eleusinian Mysteries
Proerosia relatedTo Eleusinian cult of Demeter
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Haloa linkedCult Eleusinian Mysteries
Kerykes associatedWith Eleusinian Mysteries
Kerykes notableRite Eleusinian initiation ceremonies
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Despoina cultLinkedTo Eleusinian Mysteries
Hymn to Demeter associatedWith Eleusinian Mysteries
archon basileus performedRitualFor Eleusinian Mysteries
Orphism relatedTo Greek mystery religions
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Bay of Eleusis associatedWithReligion Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Elefsina knownFor Eleusinian Mysteries
Elefsina religiousCult Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone
linked to: Eleusinian Mysteries
Kore majorFestival Eleusinian Mysteries
Samothracian Mysteries relatedTo Eleusinian Mysteries