Mysteries of Eleusis Initiation
Eleusis in Greece was the center of the religious rituals known today as the Eleusinian Mysteries. In ancient Greece and later Rome, followers of this and other similar religious practices vowed under pain of heavy punishment not to reveal the beliefs and practices of their religion to non-believers, that is, non-members. Every one who chose to follow a mystery religion had to undergo an initiation process, the rituals of which were also never disclosed. The Eleusinian Mysteries focus on the legends of the goddess of the harvest Demeter, and her daughter Persephone, and the god of wine and merriment Dionysos (later Dionysus and Bacchus to the Romans). As such, the beliefs revolved around the yearly decay and renewal of vegetation. It also affirmed that all initiates would have a happy afterlife. This red-figure ancient Greek vase painting details an initiation ceremony for a new entrant into the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Size: 5400px × 3465px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: ancient, bacchus, ceremony, deities, demeter, dionysos, dionysus, eleusinian, eleusis, figure, gods, greek, initiate, initiation, mysteries, mystery, painting, persephone, practices, red, religion, religions, religious, rituals, vase
