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The City Eleusinion was one of
the most important sanctuaries in the religious life of the ancient
Athenians. As the urban “branch” of the sanctuary of Demeter and
Kore at Eleusis, the City Eleusinion played a key role in the initial
stages of the Greater Mysteries held each fall in the month of
Boedromion (corresponding to September in the modern calendar).
This festival commemorated Demeter’s search for and reunification with
her daughter Kore (Persephone), who had been abducted by Hades/Plouton
and taken to the Underworld. Those initiated into the Mysteries were
promised a better condition in the afterlife. Originally open only to
Greek men and women, the Eleusinian Mysteries later included foreigners
who spoke Greek, and eventually became one of the most famous religious
festivals in antiquity. It is likely that City Eleusinion was
also one of multiple locations in Athens used for celebrations of the
Thesmophoria, an ancient festival of Demeter and Kore celebrated
throughout the Greek world but open only to the women of each
community. In contrast to the Eleusinian Mysteries, which centered on a
shared religious experience and hope for a better afterlife, the
festival of the Thesmophoria focused more directly on rituals designed
to guarantee the fertility of both women and crops. Browse the Image Catalogue (click on any thumbnail to view larger image) Select Bibliography:
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