Greater Mysteries
E121813
The Greater Mysteries were the most solemn and secretive annual initiation rites of the Eleusinian cult in ancient Greece, promising participants spiritual renewal and a blessed afterlife.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Greater Mysteries canonical | 2 |
Statements (52)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Eleusinian mystery
ⓘ
ancient Greek religious festival ⓘ religious initiation rite ⓘ |
| associatedDeity |
Demeter
ⓘ
Persephone ⓘ |
| associatedMyth | myth of Demeter and Persephone ⓘ |
| centralSanctuary | Telesterion at Eleusis ⓘ |
| characteristic |
esoteric teachings
ⓘ
restricted to initiates ⓘ secretive rites ⓘ solemn ceremonies ⓘ |
| continuedUntil | late 4th century CE ⓘ |
| cultTitleOfDemeter |
Eleusinian Mysteries
ⓘ
surface form:
Demeter Eleusinia
|
| cultTitleOfPersephone | Kore ⓘ |
| culturalImpact | central role in Athenian religious life ⓘ |
| excluded | those guilty of murder ⓘ |
| flourishedDuring | Classical period of ancient Greece ⓘ |
| frequency | annual ⓘ |
| heldAt |
Athens
ⓘ
Eleusis ⓘ |
| influenced | later mystery religions ⓘ |
| keyOffice |
Dadouchos
ⓘ
Hierophant ⓘ |
| knownFrom |
ancient literary sources
ⓘ
archaeological remains at Eleusis ⓘ |
| languageOfRitual | ancient Greek ⓘ |
| mainCultCenter | Eleusis ⓘ |
| officiatedBy |
Eumolpidae
ⓘ
surface form:
Eumolpidae family
Kerykes family ⓘ |
| openTo |
Greek-speaking initiates
ⓘ
foreigners ⓘ men ⓘ slaves ⓘ women ⓘ |
| partOf | Eleusinian Mysteries ⓘ |
| precededBy | Lesser Mysteries ⓘ |
| promisedBenefit |
better fate after death
ⓘ
blessed afterlife ⓘ spiritual renewal ⓘ |
| religiousTradition | ancient Greek religion ⓘ |
| requiredPrecondition |
prior initiation in the Lesser Mysteries
ⓘ
purification ⓘ |
| ritualElement |
dramatic reenactment of myth
ⓘ
fasting ⓘ initiation in the Telesterion ⓘ procession from Athens to Eleusis ⓘ sacred objects (hiera) ⓘ sacrifices ⓘ |
| supervisedBy |
polis of Athens
ⓘ
surface form:
Athenian state
|
| suppressedBy |
Roman emperors
ⓘ
surface form:
Christian Roman emperors
|
| timeOfYear | month of Boedromion ⓘ |
| vowOfParticipants | secrecy about the rites ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.