Tag Archives: Eleusinian Mysteries

Written by Mary Naples, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Part 1 of this series can be found here. From the deep recesses of the Archaic era to enlightened Imperial Rome, the list of initiates into the Eleusinian Mysteries, a popular cult honoring the goddesses Demeter and Persephone, reads like a who’s who of the Classical era.

Written by Mary Naples, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Conjuring up mystical images of secret initiation rites held under cover of darkness, the Eleusinian Mysteries were reputedly a dark and dangerous festival. In fact, the rituals were surrounded by such an aura of deadly secrecy that the tragedian Aeschylus was nearly killed on stage just for referencing