Personal: Eleusinian Historical And Mythical Context

Question 1

Where is eleusis ?

Answer 1

15 miles west of Athens overlooking the bay and island of Salamis

Question 2

What is the site famous for ?

Answer 2

Hosting the mysteries of Demeter and Persephone

Question 3

What is the Homeric Hymn to Demeter ?

Answer 3

• Persephone was abducted by Hades who brought her to the underworld and married her
• Demeter fails to find her and rested at Eleusis
• in disguise as an old women she stayed at the Palace of Keleus and Metaneira
• she neglected her duties of fertility and the gods sought her out after a year otherwise humans would die out as they starved
• Demeter finds out Persephone was in the underworld and Zeus compromises, Persephone 2/3 year above and 1/3 below

Question 4

What did Demeter order Meraneria and Keleus to build her and why ?

Answer 4

• A temple in her honour at Eleusis as she was discovered to be Demeter
• She taught them the rites and initiatory rituals which should be performed but kept secret from all initiates ( Homeric hymn to Demeter)

Question 5

What does Demeter say about members ?

Answer 5

‘Blessed is the person who sees this as they shall have a happy lot in the next world’- Homeric Hymn to Demeter

Question 6

What does the Homeric hymn to Demeter say about the mysteries and their secrecy ?

Answer 6

• ‘no one can transgress or utter’
• the imperative element of the mysteries is to an extent their secrecy

Question 7

How do we know that the secrecy of the mysteries was improtant ?

Answer 7

• Athens imposed the death penalty for anyone who divulged the secret