Personal experince of the divine

• what is a mystery cult

  • a religious festival/group for which participation was secret and was reserved for initiates
• Examples of mystery cults

  • Eleusinian Mysteries
• Day 1 of the Eleusinian Mysteries

  • the archon basileus summoned people in the Poikile Stoa for a formal proclamation
  • 3000 people
• Day 2

  • the mystai purified themselves by washing a piglet in the sea
  • sacrificing it once back in the city
• Day 3 of Eleusinian Mysteries

  • sacrifices in the Eleusinian with the help of the archon basileus
• Day 4 of the Eleusinian Mysteries

  • named Askelpia in Epidauria was the day the cult of Asclepius joined the Eleusinian mysteries
• Day 5 of the Eleusinian Mysteries

  • 15 mile procession from Athens to Eleusis
  • Beginning at the Eleusinian progressions to the Panatheniac way, past the agora and the Dipylan gates and then following the sacred way until they reach Eleusis
  • dressed in festival clothing, wearing crowns of myrtle wreaths and holding branches of myrtle tied with strands of wool called "bracchos"
• Day 5 - second half of the procession (Eleusinian mysteries)

  • pause by the lake
  • after crossing the bridge to the sacred way, ribbon on safron are tied around their right hand and thier left leg
  • they would dunk a liquid named Kykeon which caused hallucinations
• day 6/7 of the Eleusinian mysteries

  • the secret 2nd degree of the initiation ceremony took place
  • the myrtle wreaths were replaced try ribbon wreaths
  • do not know anything after that
• Healing cult of Aesclepius locations

  • Epidaurus
  • Cos
• myth of Ascepius

  • he brings his son to help heal the most seriously wounded of the Greek soldiers (Homers illiad)
  • son of Apollo and mortal mother (identify depends on location of story)
• how were individuals cured at the healing cult of Asclepius

  • cured instantly by the Gods (through sleeping at the sanctuary)
  • through surgery (as instructed by the God and exercised by the temple staff - physicians)
  • through prescriptions medicine / specific diet and exercise
• what would a typical visit to the cult of asclepius look like

  • preparatory bathing
  • sacrifices
  • sleeping in the stoa of the sanctuary or under open sky (incubations)
• Cult of Ascelpius at Epidaurus

  • centre of pilgrims seeking cure from a wider range of illness
  • came from all over greece (panhellenic)