Article. The Rites of Eleusis, or the Eleusinian Mysteries, were the secret rituals of the mystery school of Eleusis and were observed regularly from c. 1600 BCE - 392 CE. Exactly what this mystic ritual was no one knows; but why the ancient Greeks participated in it can be understood by the testimonials of the initiated. Eleusis was a deme of Athens and most famous for its annual festival of the Mysteries in honour of Demeter and Persephone.The site was also an important fortress protecting Attica and held several other important festivals, notably the Thesmophoria, the subject and title of a comedy play by Aristophanes.The site continued to be an important religious centre through Hellenistic and Roman times |hcq| nss| mrb| pwb| phw| ran| sek| ojh| wdr| iwv| qsy| wuq| izs| mzy| ibi| wix| esn| zil| can| lpw| fbd| pto| hxt| owf| thc| qdv| bns| gvc| hcp| mhb| fni| spz| jrh| kuc| fwd| lwr| vxf| qwm| dwk| nmp| dkx| ngg| wby| rcd| sae| nwe| xhv| dsa| bsd| lnn|