Personal: Eleusinian Festival And Procession

Question 1

When were the lesser mysteries celebrated ?

Answer 1

In the spring
- seen to be preparatory event for participants in the ‘Great mysteries’

Question 2

When is the great mysteries ?

Answer 2

In the autumn
- celebrated over a period of nine days

Question 3

What happened on the first day of the great mysteries ?

Answer 3

• 3,000 people both initiates (mysts ) and initiated (mystagogue) assembled in the Athenian Agora
• instructed by the Archon basileus

Question 4

What happened on the second day of the great mysteries ?

Answer 4

• whole group including sacrificial animals marched to the seaside to bathe together as a purification ritual
• each person went to the Piraues, port of Athens, with a small pig and bathed themselves and the pig in the sea. Pig then sacrificed
• followed by a three day period of rest

Question 5

What happened on the fourth day ?

Answer 5

• group assembled in the agora and formed a procession led by the priests and priestesses who carried the sacred objects on their 15 mile journey to Eleusis
• this took most of the day as it was interrupted by sacred dances, libation, sacrifices, hymns and play of flutes
• the young mocked the old as part of the ritual
• Evening: arrived at Eleusis where the special priests of the mysteries the hierophants led all ritualistic activity

Question 7

What happened over the next two days ?

Answer 7

• unknown
• initiation in two grades that being lower and higher
• part of the preparation included drinking a special brew Kykeon- maybe making individuals more susceptible to revelatory experience

Question 8

What was given emphasis during the initiation itself ?

Answer 8

Re living the myth including Demeters suffering at the loss of her daughter and as Mitropoulus argues, the search in the dark with the toed h perhaps simulated that event

Question 9

What has been suggested about the experience of the individual ?

Answer 9

Re-enacted or experienced death preparing for what good they had to encounter with a finale blinding light at the Telesetrion

Question 10

What did the ceremony end with?

Answer 10

• the imitation into the higher grade and the revelation of the mystery the epopteia in the Telesterion of Eleusis