Greek Mystery
The words, Greek and Mystery, are eternally fascinating to me. Together, they form one of the most profound and spellbinding events of history. Thousands of years ago, people from all over the ancient world flocked to a site outside of the city of Athens for a nine day event known as the Mysteries of Eleusis. Was it a festival, you may ask? An opportunity to meet other people? No one truly knows what happened at the Mysteries. But there are clues, many clues. As an archaeologist, I appreciate the important of the physical evidence that has been uncovered regarding the Mysteries of Eleusis, an annual ritual commemorating the abduction of the goddess Persephone into the Underworld by Hades and the subsequent search by the goddess Demeter for her lost daughter. Over the multiple days of the ceremony, archaeological evidence and literary sources tell us that special potions were imbibed, sacred objects were revealed, powerful incantations were proclaimed and a nightt...
