ANCIENT SITE OF ELEUSIS

This sanctuary is that of the Eleusis mysteries. It appeared after a famine that ravaged Greece in 760 BC. Following an oracle from Delphi, the inhabitants of Eleusis decided to dedicate festivals to Demeter, goddess of fertility and cultivated land. It was at this time that Eleusis began to be known throughout Greece. The Eleusis mysteries became an Athenian festival, which was attended via the Sacred Way, which started at the Acropolis and passed through the Ceramic Cemetery. These celebrations came to an end in 379 AD with the Christian decree banning ancient cults.

The small propylaea, which form the entrance to the sanctuary, are made of pentelic marble and allowed pilgrims to enter the inner courtyard. The large propylaea, composed of two rows of columns, face Athens and are a copy of the interior of the large propylaea of the Acropolis. It was on the metopes, on the north side, that the figure of Marcus Aurelius stood.

The telescope. From the propylaea, you can reach it by taking the Sacred Way. The almost square enclosure, 56 m long, that we see today is the last Roman version. The building has six rows of seven columns. It was covered with a roof that let light through a hole in the center. The tiers cut into the rock, visible on the sides, were intended for spectators who came to attend the mysteries. The most important part of the building is theanactoron, located in the middle. It can be recognized by its rectangular shape, measuring 5 m by 15 m. This is where the sacred objects were kept. The portico to the east, on the other side of the hill, is the portico of Philo: it has twelve columns in front. Just to the right at the entrance of the telescope were stored offerings, the treasure.

Triumphal arches east and west. Next to the fountain, on the left as you enter, a Roman triumphal arch, a copy of Hadrian's Gate in Athens, marked the entrance to the road to the port of Eleusis. Opposite it, the western triumphal arch marked the entrance to the road to Megara.

The Kallichoros Well. Just to the left of the propylaea staircase, you can see the well, which predates the propylaea, made of grey-blue Eleusian stone. This is where the women of Eleusis used to sing and dance for Demeter.

The plutoneion. On the right, heading toward the telescope, the plutoneion has a small Mycenaean megaron in the middle. This is probably where priests reenacted the abduction of Persephone before the pilgrims.