Ancient Eleusina, Greece


Eleusis was founded around 2000 B.C. , 20 km outside of Athens. Because of its advantageous location, Eleusis quickly developed into a very powerful and fortified city.
Eleusis was one of the 5 sacred cities of Ancient Greece and is most known of being a worship place of the Greek goddess Demeter, the goddess of vegetation. The "Eleusinian mysteries" in honor of Demeter were performed for over two thousand years.
(taken from http://www.greek-gods.info/ancient-greece/eleusis/ )












The myth
Persephone, daughter of Demeter, was playing and picking flowers one day in the fields with the daughters of Oceanus. Unknown to her, but sanctioned by Zeus, Hades was setting a trap for her. She came upon a narcissus, the flower of the underworld, which was blooming so beautifully that she could not resist reaching out to pluck it. Immediately, the ground split open to allow Hades in his chariot to emerge into the field and abduct the girl. No one heard her cries except for Hecate and Helius.

Demeter, aware that something had gone wrong, began to search for her daughter, but no one was willing to to tell her what had befallen Persephone. After wandering ten days without nourishment, she met Hecate, who told her that she had heard Persephone's cry but had not seen what had transpired. So, the two of them decided to seek out Helius, the watchman of the gods. Helius, pitying Demeter, told her the truth: Zeus had allowed Hades to kidnap her daughter.

At this news, Demeter fell into deep sadness and removed herself from Olympus, bitter at Zeus. While she was resting at the Well of the Maidens in the town of Eleusis, she encountered the grand-daughters of Eleusis himself, who did not recognize the goddess because she was disguised. Demeter told them that she was from Crete and had been carried here by pirates and was now looking for employment. In due course, Demeter was hired as the household nurse for the girls' family and was given the care of girls' youngest sibling, a boy. Secretly, Demeter fed the boy ambrosia, nectar of the gods, and placed him into a fire each night, slowly turning him into an immortal. Her plot, however, was uncovered by the mother, who thought Demeter was trying to kill the child. In anger, Demeter informed her that her son could have become immortal, but now would only live to an old age. Then, the goddess demanded that a temple and altar be built to her on a hill, that she might teach the people of Eleusis her mysteries
. ( http://www.calvin.edu/academic/clas/pathways/eleusis/ehis.htm )










History of Eleusina
Legend tells that Eleusis was founded by Eleusis, son of Ogygos of Thebes, before the 15th century BC. The town may have begun as a port town during Theban expansion. Regardless, remains from the Middle Helladic II period have been discovered, dating to the 18th-17th century BC.
 

Little is known about when and how the cult of Demeter was brought to Eleusis. The sources Apollodorus and the Parian Chronicle place the establishment of the cult in the 2nd half of the 15th century BC. It is not known from where the cult was imported, though Egypt, Thrace, Thessaly, and Crete have all been suggested. The "official" version of how Eleusis was founded is immortalized by Homer in the Hymn to Demeter. A man named Eumolpos, later killed in the Eleusinian wars against Athens, was reputed to be the first person initiated into the cult.
The exact details of the warfare between Athens and Eleusis are not known, but Athens prevailed in the end. By the time of Solon, Athens had a complete hold on Eleusis. However, the Eleusinians were allowed to retain control of the rites of Demeter. From this time forward, both the cult and sanctuary of Demeter flourished and grew. The cult became Pan-Hellenic and initiation was opened to non-Athenian Greeks.

( http://www.calvin.edu/academic/clas/pathways/eleusis/ehis.htm )





 In this location has taken place the famous Eleusina's sacrament communion over 1000 years. The greek word of communion is ''μυστήριο'' (mystery) which means something like ceremony, but it was secret, private, hidden. The man who partcipated in that was sworn in that he never revealed what he listened, learn. That's why the word ''mystery'' got the meaning of the secret or the strange in greek language today.
(see on map the exact place of the statues)


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