Persephone Rising Free
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Kretan Cult and Customs, Especially in the Classical and Hellenistic Periods: a Religious, Social, and Political Study
i Kretan cult and customs, especially in the Classical and Hellenistic periods: a religious, social, and political study Thesis submitted for degree of MPhil Carolyn Schofield University College London ii Declaration I, Carolyn Schofield, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been acknowledged in the thesis. iii Abstract Ancient Krete perceived itself, and was perceived from outside, as rather different from the rest of Greece, particularly with respect to religion, social structure, and laws. The purpose of the thesis is to explore the bases for these perceptions and their accuracy. Krete’s self-perception is examined in the light of the account of Diodoros Siculus (Book 5, 64-80, allegedly based on Kretan sources), backed up by inscriptions and archaeology, while outside perceptions are derived mainly from other literary sources, including, inter alia, Homer, Strabo, Plato and Aristotle, Herodotos and Polybios; in both cases making reference also to the fragments and testimonia of ancient historians of Krete. While the main cult-epithets of Zeus on Krete – Diktaios, associated with pre-Greek inhabitants of eastern Krete, Idatas, associated with Dorian settlers, and Kretagenes, the symbol of the Hellenistic koinon - are almost unique to the island, those of Apollo are not, but there is good reason to believe that both Delphinios and Pythios originated on Krete, and evidence too that the Eleusinian Mysteries and Orphic and Dionysiac rites had much in common with early Kretan practice. The early institutionalization of pederasty, and the abduction of boys described by Ephoros, are unique to Krete, but the latter is distinct from rites of initiation to manhood, which continued later on Krete than elsewhere, and were associated with different gods. -
Greek and Roman Mythology and Heroic Legend
G RE E K AN D ROMAN M YTH O LOGY AN D H E R O I C LE GEN D By E D I N P ROFES SOR H . ST U G Translated from th e German and edited b y A M D i . A D TT . L tt LI ONEL B RN E , , TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE S Y a l TUD of Greek religion needs no po ogy , and should This mus v n need no bush . all t feel who ha e looked upo the ns ns and n creatio of the art it i pired . But to purify stre gthen admiration by the higher light of knowledge is no work o f ea se . No truth is more vital than the seemi ng paradox whi c h - declares that Greek myths are not nature myths . The ape - is not further removed from the man than is the nature myth from the religious fancy of the Greeks as we meet them in s Greek is and hi tory . The myth the child of the devout lovely imagi nation o f the noble rac e that dwelt around the e e s n s s u s A ga an. Coar e fa ta ie of br ti h forefathers in their Northern homes softened beneath the southern sun into a pure and u and s godly bea ty, thus gave birth to the divine form of n Hellenic religio . M c an c u s m c an s Comparative ythology tea h uch . It hew how god s are born in the mind o f the savage and moulded c nn into his image . -
University of Groningen the Sacrifice of Pregnant Animals Bremmer, Jan N
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Groningen University of Groningen The Sacrifice of Pregnant Animals Bremmer, Jan N. Published in: Greek Sacrificial Ritual: Olympian and Chthonian IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2005 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Bremmer, J. N. (2005). The Sacrifice of Pregnant Animals. In B. Alroth, & R. Hägg (Eds.), Greek Sacrificial Ritual: Olympian and Chthonian (pp. 155-165). Gothenburg: Paul Astroms Forlag. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 12-11-2019 THE SACRIFICE OF PREGNANT ANIMALS by JAN N. BREMMER There has recently been renewed interest in Olympian sacrifice and its chthonian counterparts, 1 but much less attention has been paid to its more unusual variants. -
Unveiling Baubo: the Making of an Ancient Myth for the Degree Field Of
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Unveiling Baubo: The Making of an Ancient Myth A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Field of Comparative Literary Studies By Frederika Tevebring EVANSTON, ILLINOIS December 2017 2 © Copyright by Frederika Tevebring 2017 All Rights Reserved 3 Abstract “Unveiling Baubo” describes how the mythical figure Baubo was constructed in nineteenth-century German. Associated with the act of exposing herself to the goddess Demeter, Baubo came to epitomize questions about concealment and unveiling in the budding fields of archaeology, philology, psychoanalysis and literary theory. As I show in my dissertation, Baubo did not exist as a coherent mythical figure in antiquity. Rather, the nineteenth-century notion of Baubo was mediated through a disparate array of ancient and contemporary sources centered on the notion of sexual vulgarity. Baubo emerged as a modern amalgam of ancient parts, a myth of a myth invested with the question of what modernity can and should know about ancient Greece. The dissertation centers on the 1989 excavation of the so-called Baubo statuettes, a group of Hellenistic votive figurines discovered at Priene, in modern-day Turkey. The group adheres to a consistent and unique iconography: the face of the female figures is placed directly onto their torso, giving the impression that the vulva and chin merge. Based on the statuettes’ “grotesque- obscene” appearance, archaeologist concluded that they depicted Baubo, the woman who greeted Demeter at Eleusis when the goddess was searching for her abducted daughter Persephone. According to late antique Church Fathers, Demeter refused the locals’ offerings of food and drink until Baubo cheered her up by lifting her skirt, exposing herself to the goddess. -
The Eleusinian Mysteries & Rites
THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES & RITES DUDLEY WRIGHT THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES AND RITES THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES ^ RITES BY DUDLEY WRIGHT INTRODUCTION BY THE REV. J. FORT NEWTON, D.Litt., D.D. Past Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of lowa^ U.S.tA. THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE I UPPER WOBURN PLACE LONDON, W.C.I "THE SQUARE & COMPASS," 4, 412, Beach Court, Denver, Colo. U.S.A. n CO 5 U ^ PREFACE AT one time the Mysteries of the various nations were the only vehicle of religion throughout the world, and it is not impossible that the very name of religion might have become obsolete but for the support of the periodical celebrations which preserved all the forms and ceremonials, rites and practices of sacred worship. With regard to the connection, supposed or real, between Freemasonry and the Mysteries, it is a remarkable coincidence that there is scarcely a single ceremony in the former that has not its corresponding rite in one or other of the Ancient Mysteries. The question as to which is the original is an important one to the student. The Masonic antiquarian maintains that Freemasonry is not a scion snatched with a violent hand from the Mysteries—whether Pythagorean, Hermetic, Samothracian, Eleusinian, Drusian, Druidical, or the Uke—but is the original institution, from which all the Mysteries were derived. 8 ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES AND RITES In the opinion of the renowned Dr. George Ohver : *' There is ample testimony to estabhsh the fact that the Mysteries of all nations were originally the same, and diversified only by the accidental circumstances of local situation and pohtical economy." The original foundation of the Mysteries has, however, never been established. -
Poseidon and Hades by Brian Clark
POSEIDON and HADES: UNCONSCIOUS and UNDERWORLD Gods of the Deep We can no longer deny that the dark stirrings of the unconscious are active powers and that psychic forces exist which cannot be fitted into rational order. The layman can hardly conceive how much his inclinations, moods and decisions are influences by the dark forces of his psyche, and how dangerous or helpful they may be in shaping his destiny.1 - Carl Jung Poseidon and Hades are brothers, sons of Cronus and Rhea, devoured by their fearful father and then released to battle and overthrow him. Hades is the lord of the underworld while his brother Poseidon rules the vast domain of the sea. Both spheres are symbolic of the worlds below consciousness and therefore both gods are daimons of the unconscious representing powerful hidden archetypal forces. Both brothers rule a vast expanse of the world but most of the inhabitants of their world are shadow images of the humans dwelling aboveground. Hades population is filled with shades and ghosts while Poseidon’s realm is populated with monsters and shape-shifting prophets. As brothers and custodians of these places they are united in their rulership of the unconscious realms. Once the Titans had been defeated it is the three brothers who divide the resources and inheritance amongst themselves. They drew lots as to who would inherit the various spheres. It is not chance, but the hand of fate that oversees the choice of their dominions. Poseidon, speaking through the voice of the poet Homer in the Iliad tells us how this was accomplished: Since we are three brothers born by Rheia to Kronos, Zeus, and I, and the third is Hades, lord of the dead men. -
The Festival Proerosia Robertson, Noel Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Winter 1996; 37, 4; Proquest Pg
New Light on Demeter's Mysteries: The Festival Proerosia Robertson, Noel Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Winter 1996; 37, 4; ProQuest pg. 319 New Light on Demeter's Mysteries: The Festival Proerosia Noel Robertson EMETER'S "MYSTERIES: festivals conducted mainly by women and in sanctuaries that were suitably withdrawn, D were almost universal in Greek cities, like the cereal agri culture they were intended to promote. They were integral to Greek society and are now widely and profitably studied as a social phenomenon. If the general custom is important, so are the many ritual actions that constitute a given festival, through which (according to one's point of view) the women either worship the goddess Demeter, or work directly on the earth, or affirm their sense of the fitness of things. Animal sacrifice plays a large part, as usual, the pig species being favored by De meter, and there is a peculiar practice of throwing piglets into a pit, which is then closed. It is a disadvantage that reconstructions of ritual must be sought in older handbooks and special studies. The basic work on Greek festivals was done long ago, and new evidence, though not wholly neglected, has not led to any sustained effort of revision. The festival Proerosia, "Before-ploughing (rites)," is such a case. The Athenian, or Eleusinian, version of this festival once seemed to stand alone, as if it were something secondary and contrived, without much bearing on the larger pattern of Demeter's worship. We can now see that the Proerosia was widespread. It may have been as common as the greatest of Demeter's festivals, the Thesmophoria: it was a sequel to it, coming later in the autumn season. -
Persephone and the Pigs in William Faulkner's the Sound and the Fury
Persephone and the Pigs in William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury K. J. PHILLIPS, University of Hawaii Twice in the second section of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury ( 1929) Quentin thinks of pigs rushing, "running the beast with two backs and she blurred in the winking oars running the swine of Euboeleus running coupled within how many Caddy," and "I could hear whispers secret surges smell die beating of hot blood under wild unsecret flesh watching against red eyelids the swine untethered in pairs rushing coupled into die sea."1 Faulkner compresses two important allu sions, one classical, one biblical, into these passages. The combined associations focus Quentin's ambivalence toward sexuality and his longing for death. While several critics have mentioned the classical allusion to Euboeleus, they have ignored die New Testament source.1 And Uiey have further missed the comfort which Quentin derives from his vision of pigs. Widi die name Euboeleus, Faulkner evokes die story of Persephone. According to Sir James Frazer's The Golden Bough, people may originally have worshipped Persephone in die form of a pig; but when she became solely anthropomorphic, her worshippers had to invent some new reason why they threw pigs into sacred caverns in her honor. So, Frazer conjectures, an enterprising storyteller declared diat at die moment when Hades abducted Persephone, some pigs belonging to the swineherd "Eubuleus" happened to be browsing nearby; and when a chasm opened up in die earth to let Hades and his victim into the underworld, die pigs fell down too and disappeared. -
The Art of Praxiteles V
The book is focused on the last works of the most famous late 198 classical sculptor of Greece, the Athenian Praxiteles: his oeuvre THE ART OF from around 340 to his death in 326 BC is analytically considered. The most important works of this master considered in this essay are the Eubuleus, the Phryne of Delphi, the Leconfield Aphrodite PRAXITELES V and the Sleeping Eros. The last years The last works of Praxiteles are particularly important because they shed light to the crucial moment of the decline of the free city of the Sculptor state and of the rise of the Hellenistic model of monarchy. around With these creations our artist depicted a world of beautiful tales and of mundane beauty which will be extremely influential during 340 to 326 BC the golden period of the Roman classicism as well as during the post – ancient Renaissances. Antonio Corso attended his curriculum of studies in classics and archaeol- ogy in Padua, Athens, Frankfurt and London. He published 111 scientific es- ANTONIO CORSO says which include several tens of articles in peer reviewed periodicals and 10 books in prestigious series. The most important areas covered by his studies are the ancient art criticism and the knowledge of classical Greek artists. The last years of the Sculptor around 340 to 326 BC In particular he collected in three books the written testimonia on Praxiteles and in other four books he reconstructed the life and oeuvre of this sculptor. He also delivered many lectures and papers in conferences in several aca- demic institutions and was awarded senior fellowships and honours by top research foundations. -
Haidesgod.Ht
HADES GOD OF : Greek mythology http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/HaidesGod.ht... THEOI HOME OLYMPIANS + TITANS + OTHER GODS + BESTIARY + GIANTS + HEROES + MYTH MISCELLANY + ENCYCLOPEDIAS + GALLERIES CLASSICAL TEXTS BIBLIOGRAPHY Search HAIDES GOD Greek Name Transliteration Latin Spelling Translation Ἁιδης Ἁδης Haidês, Hadês Hades Unseen One HAIDES was the King of the Underworld and the god of the dead. This page describes his various divine roles, beginning with general descriptions of Haides as the lord of OTHER HAIDES PAGES the dead, followed by sections covering his role as the god of funeral rites, Haides Introduction & Myths necromancy, the curse of the Erinyes, dreams, and the mineral wealth of the earth. Rape of Persephone 1 (Greek) Rape of Persephone 2 (Latin) Haides Estate & Attendants HYMNS TO HADES Haides Cult Orphic Hymn 18 to Pluton (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) : "To Plouton [Haides]. Plouton, magnanimous, whose realms profound are fixed beneath the firm and solid ground, in the Tartarean plains remote from sight, and wrapt for ever in the depths of night. Zeus Khthonios (of the Underworld), thy sacred ear incline, and pleased accept these sacred rites divine. Earth’s keys to thee, illustrious king, belong, its secret gates unlocking, deep and strong. ‘Tis thine abundant annual fruits to bear, for needy mortals are thy constant care. To thee, great king, all sovereign earth assigned, the seat of gods and basis of mankind. Thy throne is fixed in Haides’ dismal plains, distant, unknown to the rest, where darkness reigns; where, destitute of breath, pale spectres dwell, in endless, dire, inexorable hell; and in dread Akheron, whose depths obscure, earth’s stable roots eternally secure. -
Greek Mysteries
GREEK MYSTERIES Mystery cults represent the spiritual attempts of the ancient Greeks to deal with their mortality. As these cults had to do with the individual’s inner self, privacy was paramount and was secured by an initiation ceremony, a personal ritual that estab- lished a close bond between the individual and the gods. Once initiated, the indi- vidual was liberated from the fear of death by sharing the eternal truth, known only to the immortals. Because of the oath of silence taken by the initiates, a thick veil of secrecy covers those cults and archaeology has become our main tool in deciphering their meaning. In a field where archaeological research constantly brings new data to light, this volume provides a close analysis of the most recent discoveries, as well as a critical re-evaluation of the older evidence. The book focuses not only on the major cults of Eleusis and Samothrace, but also on the lesser-known Mysteries in various parts of Greece, over a period of almost two thousand years, from the Late Bronze Age to the Roman Imperial period. In our mechanized and technology-oriented world, a book on Greek spirituality is both timely and appropriate. The authors’ inter-disciplinary approach extends beyond the archaeological evidence to cover the textual and iconographic sources and provides a better understanding of the history and rituals of those cults. Written by an international team of acknowledged experts, Greek Mysteries is an important contribution to our understanding of Greek religion and society. Michael B. Cosmopoulos is the Hellenic Government–Karakas Foundation Profes- sor of Greek Studies and Professor of Greek Archaeology at the University of Missouri-St. -
The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries
THE ROAD TO ELEUSIS Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries R. Gordon Wasson Albert Hofmann Carl A. P. Ruck To Richard Evans Schultes, Ph.D., M.H. (Hon.) Pioneer Explorer of Psychotropic Plants in the New World Holder of the Paul C. Mangelsdorf Chair in the Natural Sciences Director and Curator of Economic Botany Botanical Museum of Harvard University F by R. Gordon Wasson.............................................................................................. I. T W R E (...)................................................................................... II. A C Q M A (..) ................................................................. III. S T E M (....).......................................................................... IV. A D ...................................................................................................................... V. T H H D.......................................................................................... VI. D (....) (Chapter V included in alternate translation from the Loeb Edition. Chapter VI not included.) F o much has been written about the Eleusinian SMysteries and for so long a time that a word is needed to justify this presentation of three papers dealing with them. For close to , years the Mystery was performed every year (except one) for carefully screened initiates in our month of Septem- ber. Everyone speaking the Greek language was free to present himself, except only those who had the unexpiated blood of a murdered man on their hands. The initiates lived through the night in the telesterion of Eleusis, under the leadership of the two hierophantic families, the Eumolpids and the Kerykes, and they would come away all wonder- struck by what they had lived through: according to some, they were never the same as before. The tes- timony about that night of awe-inspiring experience is unanimous and Sophocles speaks for the initiates when he says: Thrice happy are those of mortals, who having seen those rites depart for Hades; for to them alone is granted to have a true life there.