THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES.
,4
was afterwards applied especially to the ceremonies observed in the worship of Dionyin general.*
sius, and at a still later period to mysteries
The Eleusinian were probably a part of the old Pelasgian religion, and also those of the
All nations of antiquity appear to have been
in Thrace.
celebrated more
but
it
especially
Cabiri,
^
some parts of their religious worship from the multitude, in order to
to veil its
render them the more venerated, and in the present case an additional motive was,
were adopted
celebration from the gaze of their Hellenic conquerors, as the Walpurgis Nights
desirous of concealing
Germany in order to hide their pagan ceremonies from their
and the East.
Subsequently new elements were introduced from Egypt
by the Saxons
masters.
in
and throughout every particular of those forms
the evidences that they were the
mysteries were concealed, may be discerned
The Eleusinian were the
in
which
emblems,
and
its
Christian
holiest in Greece,
system— a system at once mystical, philosophical,
have been founded by Demeter, Eumolpus, Musseus, or
The story of
is said to have brought them from Egypt.
or rather the machinery, of a great
ethical.
They were supposed
named of whom
Erectheus, the last
to
Tliis version
by Diodorus Siculus, and is also referred to by Isocrates.
All accounts, however,
was the one generally accepted by the ancients.
of their foundation
concur in stating that they originated when Athens was beginning to make progress in
Demeter
related
is
When
agriculture.
Eleusis was conquered by Athens, the inhabitants of the former district
surrendered everything but the privilege of conducting the IMysteries.
The lesser Eleusinia were a prior step to the greater Mysteries of the same name, and were
month of Anthesterion (according to some accounts) in honour of
Persephone alone. Those who were initiated in them bore the name of Mystaj (/iiVrat), and
had to wait at least another year before they could be admitted to the great Mysteries. The
held every year in the
the ]\IystaMystse had also to take an oath of secrecy, which was administered to them by
of preparatory instruction,
gogue, also called Upo4>dvTip or Trpoi^Tr]s ; they received some kind
understand the mysteries which were revealed to tliem in
the great Eleusinia; they were not admitted into the sanctuary of Demeter, but remained
which enabled them afterwards
to
during the solemnities in the vestibule.
The
"
commonly termed The Mysteries," simply, occupied nine days in
they commenced on the loth of Boedroniion or September, and terminated on the
greater mystei-ies,
celebration
:
23d inclusively.
On the evening of the sixth day the mystoB who liad served the probationary period of
Those who were neither
twelve months were initiated into the last mysteries [liroimiay
Before the ceremonies were permitted to
epoptfe nor mystffi were dismissed by a herald.
was entered upon by the officers appointed for that duty.
advance within the holier precincts who were properly qualified,
and in the case of the mystaj, having twelve months 2rreviously, assisted at the Lesser Mysteries
begin, the labour of selection
Those alone were allowed
to
This important
performed at Agraj, a village situated on the borders of the Illissus.
examination of the credentials of the difi'erent applicants appears to have been conducted by
four curators or Epimeletai, presided over by one of the nine Archons, royally entitled
Basileus.
them out
together.
^
C.
The
mj'staj
of a sacred
now
repeated the oath of secrecy, and holy mysteries were read to
book called })ctr6ma, because
Tlien the priest
who
A. Lcbcck, Aglaopliamus, tome
i.,
initiated
p. 305.
them
it
consisted of two stones closely joined
(hierophant), 2^>'02M^^' certain questions to
'
Porphyry de Abst.,
lib. v., c. 5.