资源描述：
《Eleusis：gateway to the underworld - Greece》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、Eleusis：gatewaytotheunderworld-GreeceJulieSkurdenisIhadnevervisitedEleusisbefore.NorhadIintendedtoonthistriptoGreece,mymostrecent,inJanuary1999.Ofcourse,IhadreadaboutthesiteandknewthattheEleusinianMysterieshadoriginatedhere.ButEleusisislocated14mileswestofAthensandIplannedtoconcentrate
2、mysightseeingwithinthecapital;however,afriendadvisedme,withtongueincheek,"ItwouldbeamistaketomissEleusis.Theentrancetohellislocatedhereand,inthefuture,whensomeonesays,'Whatahellofadaythishasbeen,'you'llknowexactlythespotthey'retalkingabout."SoIwent.GreeklegendtellsthatwhenPersephonewas
3、abductedbyPluto,godoftheunderworld,hergoddessmother,Demeter,broughtdroughtandfamineupontheEarth.ItwasonlywhenPersephonewaspermittedtoreturnfromtheunderworldfortwo-thirdsoftheyearthatDemetermadetheEarthfertileonceagain.Hence,wehaveabarrenperiodwhenPersephoneisintheunderworld,thengrowtha
4、ndfruitfulnesswhenshereemergesonEarth.InhersearchforPersephone,thelegendcontinues,DemetercametoEleusis,situatedaboveabayoverlookingSalamisIslandintheSaronicGulf.Shestoppedheretomournforherlostchildbesideawelland,afterbeingofferedhospitalitybythelocalruler,Celeus,askedhimtobuildatempleo
5、namoundbesidethewell.ItwasatthistemplethattheEleusinianMysteries,ritesassociatedwithDemeter,originated.ThosechosentobeinitiatedintotheMysteriesunderwentaperiodofinstruction,swearingtokeepsecretnotonlywhattheyweretaughtbutalsowhattheywitnessedwithinthetempleonceinitiated.EleusinianMyste
6、riesThesecretsoftheEleusinianritesweresowellkeptthateventodaywedonotknowexactlywhattheyconsistedof.Whatwedoknowisbasedontheritualsthatwereperformedinpublic.TheLesserMysteries-thefirststageofinitiation-wereheldinMarcheachyear.TheyservedaspreparationfortheGreaterMysteriesheldinSeptemberw
7、hichextendedoverninedays-ninedaysofprocessionsalongtheSacredWaytotheEleusinion,atempleintheGreekAgorainAthens,pluspurificationceremonies,sacrifices,initiations,dancesandreturnprocessionstoEleusiswherethefinalfewdaysweredevotedtoritualsheldinstrictsecrecy.Itisspeculatedthatthesesecret
