There is not much left to see of ancient Eleusis, northwest of Athens. Most of it dates back to Roman times. But one thing is truly impressive: the vast site of the initiation hall, the Telesterion. During the Eleusinian festival, thousands of people stood there or sat in the rows of seats carved into the rock and gazed at the temple in the middle, the Anáktoron. This is probably where the actual initiation took place. As protected and hidden as the initiation was, its position was public; you can still sense this today when you walk across the spacious grounds of the Telesterion. “He who has seen and understood what is shown in the mysteries of Eleusis will not lie in the mud after death,” writes the Greek poet Pindar. Learning to understand the afterlife begins with building a bridge between the self and humanity, because it is only through several lives in different times, places, and bodies that one becomes part of humanity. In Eleusis, the silent stones tell the story: the vast hall for all, an image of humanity, and the temple in the middle for individuals, an image of the self.
Translation Laura Liska
Image Eleusis motif as a relief. Photo: Carole Raddato
