History of Eleusis

According to the arcaeological evidence Eleusis was inhabited at 1900 b.C. Houses have been found at the southwest area of Thriassio Pedio. At 1850 b.C. many houses are built and the kingdom of Keleos is starting to arise. His kingdom expanded to Kithairon, Parnetha and Aigaleo. Eleusis was a crossroads between Athens, Pelopponese and Thebes. Due to her position, the Atheneans wanted to incorporate Eleusis to their demos (municipality).

When king Erechteus of Athens was ruled, Eleusineans and Atheneans fought. To the side of Eleusineans fought theThraces with Eumoplides Immarados. Atheneans won the war but Immarados and Erechteus died. In Eleusis, the Eumolpides stayed and got the priviledge to declare the hierophant of the mysteries, from their clan. Eleusis became a part of Athens until later years.

Ath 760 b.C. in Hellas a limos (famine) killed many people. Hellenes went to the Oracle of Delphoi. Pythia said that they had to make sacrifices to the Goddess Demeter, because they have made her sad. In all the country Hellenes came to Eleusis and celebrated in order to honour Demeter. Famine stopped. The Mysteries of Eleusis were pretty famous by that period. At that period the Telesterion (the ritual place) expanded and the Plutonium is built.

After 600 b.C. the sacred place of Eleusis was expanding every 50 years, because many people came for initiation every year. Solon, Peisistratos, Kimon and the the Roman emperors, Adrianos, Antoninos and Marcus Aurelius expanded the place and build arches and temples and more buildings and fortifications. During the roman empire, the Mysteries of Eleusis became a worldwide celebration. The Roman emperors persuaded the hierophantes to accept and Roman citizens to the Mysteries. The sacred place was destroyed by barbarians (who could expect something else from them?) like the persians at 480-497 b.C., at 170 a.C. the Kostovokoi destroyed the hiero. The biggest destroyers of Hellas, the Bysigotthoi of the barbarian Alarichos, left nothing but ruins and dust at 395 a.C. Some years before, the Byzantine emperor Theodosios, had forbidden the old religion.

Image: Jacov Falke 1887