The "Mystery of Ulysses" held in Elysius, about 0/4 mile northwest of Athens, Greece, is so important to the Greeks that before the arrival of the Romans, the sacred road (the road from Athens to Elysius) was the only road, not a goat trail, which spread all over central Greece. Mysticism celebrates the story of Demeter and Persephone, but we don't know what form these ceremonies took, because the participants vowed to hide the pain of death from the details of the ceremonies. However, we do know that those who participate in mysterious events will always get better, and they are no longer afraid of death.
Based on the symbolic interpretation of Demeter and Persephone's stories, these ceremonies provide initiates with such a powerful afterlife scene, which changes their way of looking at the world and their position in the world. Participants realize that they are immortal souls temporarily existing in mortal bodies, thus getting rid of the fear of death. Just like Persephone goes down to the land of the dead and returns to the land of the living every year, everyone will die just to live in another plane of existence or another body again.
Dmitry and Persephone
The story of Demeter and Persephone is the most important myth in ancient Greece, because it influenced this understanding. Although Homer and hesiod talked about culture, and those excellent expressions about Heracles were cultural values, Demeter's stories provided some other myths that could not be included: eternal vision and victory over death.
Demeter, the goddess of nature, had a daughter Corey (meaning "girl") who was kidnapped by Hades. Demeter searched all over the earth but couldn't find her Angkor, and finally came to a good rest city, levis. There, disguised as an old woman, she took care of the queen's son and baptized him with fire every night to make him immortal. One night, when the queen found out that her nanny had set her son on fire, she was very angry, which was understandable-but not as angry as the goddess of sorrow. Then she took off her disguise and showed her glory and anger.
Rest in peace, as long as people are willing to build a temple for her. In Ulysses, Demeter taught triptolemos, the son of the queen, the agricultural art, and Zeus, the king of the gods, persuaded Hades to return Corey to her mother, because Demeter was heartbroken, the crops died, people starved, and the gods did not get their usual tribute. Hades agreed, but induced Corey to eat some pomegranate seeds. If someone eats on the land of the deceased, then a person will stay with the deceased.
However, because she only ate some, it was agreed that she would spend half a year in the underworld and the other half with her mother on earth. Cole emerged from the underworld as Persephone ("the unlucky one"). When she stayed on the earth, Demeter made the world fruitful, while when Persephone was in the underworld, the plants withered and died. This explains the seasons. However, more importantly, the myth reflects the concept of change and the cycle of life. A person's existence will not end with death, because there is no death; There are only changes from one state to another.
be unfathomable/unpredictable/inscrutable
These ceremonies are held twice a year. There are small mysteries that occur in spring, and there are also big mysteries that people who purify earlier will participate in when September comes. They followed the sacred road from Athens to Ulysses, calling for Corey and recreating Demeter's search for his missing daughter.
In Ulysses, they will rest and fast by the well where Demeter sat, and then drink a barley and mint drink called Kykeon. It has been suggested that this drink is injected with ergot, a mental fungus. Then, it enhanced the experience and helped to change fellow initiates. After drinking Kykeon's wine, the participants entered the underground theater Telesterion, where a secret ceremony was held. Most likely, beginners watched Persephone's symbolic "death" and rebirth, and perhaps participated in it. No matter what happens to Telesterion, the people who enter will change completely the next morning. In fact, every important thinker, writer and "anyone" in ancient times was the enlightener of mysticism.
Thoughts expressed in words
Plato himself (like Socrates before him) specifically mentioned this mystery in his famous dialogue on the immortality of the soul, Phaedo: "Our mystery has a very real meaning: the purified and enlightened people will be with the gods" (69: D, FJ church translation). In the myth of Earl in the last chapter of Plato's Republic, a soldier named Earl was killed in battle and entered the afterlife, but unlike other people who accompanied him, he didn't drink the water of the Wright River that would kill him. Forget his life on earth and move on to the next life.
Instead, I came back from the dead on the battlefield and told my companions what death was like when he saw it in the afterlife. He made it clear that death is not the end of one's life, but just the beginning of another journey. Interestingly, Plato never introduced this story as a "myth" or fiction, but regarded it as a factual narrative. It is unfortunate to translate this chapter into Karl Marx's "myth", because it should actually be understood as Karl Marx's narrative or story. Er's report probably reflects the illusion received from the mysterious organization.
Plutarch wrote that when their daughter died, the mysterious man made a sacred and loyal promise to his wife. He said ... We firmly believe that our souls are immortal, which is an indisputable fact. Let our own behavior correspond to it "(Hamilton, 179). In addition, he also said: "When a person dies, he is like those who have been enlightened into mystery. Our life is a tortuous journey with no exit. At the moment of death, fear, trembling fear, surprise. Then a light moves to greet you, pure grass greets you, singing and dancing, a sacred illusion "(Hamilton, 179). This description is very similar to the report given by er in the narrative.
Cicero wrote: "There is nothing higher than these mysteries ... they not only show us how to live happily, but also teach us how to die with better hope", and will durant, a 20th century historian, expounded these mysteries. "In this ecstatic revelation ... they feel the unity of God, the unity of God and soul; They are promoted from the illusion of individuality and know how to blend into divine peace "(Durant, 189). Historian Waverly Fitzgerald clearly summed up this experience: "It is said that people who have been trained in Ulysses are no longer afraid of death. It seems that this myth confirms the core life cycle view of pagan spirituality: death is a part of life. The cycle of life always follows Rebith "(2).
The influence of Egypt
Equally important is the significance of new discoveries to one's life. Participants realize that their lives have an eternal purpose, and they don't just live and die. Believing in samsara seems to be the core of mysticism vision, which provides people with a sense of peace, because they will have another opportunity, many other opportunities, to experience life on earth in other forms.
This mystery is likely to be influenced by Egyptian religious beliefs, which understand death as a transition to another stage of existence, rather than the end of a person's life. The Egyptians kept this belief at least from the early dynasty (3 150 BC to 26 13 BC). Because the two cultures had contact through trade, this understanding of the Egyptians is likely to help explain the story of Demeter and Persephone and the vision of the mysterious organization more deeply.
Although the Egyptian faith often emphasizes the ideal afterlife-the land of reeds is a paradise and a mirror image of one's life on the earth, it also recognizes the spiritual reality of reincarnation, just like most pre-Christian religions. Time is considered periodic, not linear. People can understand the pattern of the universe through the changes of seasons, and understand that just as trees, grass and flowers die in one season and come back to life in another, so do human beings.
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The difference between the mysticism of Elius and traditional religious activities is that fellow initiates have personally experienced things that others can only hear in temples. Traditional worship of gods is based on stories about how the universe works, the will of gods and what they do. The difference between this religious experience and mysterious experience is just like acting and listening to performances; Actors will have a completely different and more meaningful experience. Even so, there is no sign that fellow initiates despise traditional religious customs or consider themselves superior. Plato probably did this, but only because he already thought he was better than his contemporaries.
This mystery has been clarified for more than a thousand years. During that time, countless people had a higher understanding of life and waiting after death. In 392 AD, the Christian emperor Diodor closed these ceremonies because he thought ancient ceremonies were an inspiring resistance to Christianity and the "truth" of Christ. As Christianity gains more followers and power, pagan rituals are systematically eliminated, although the core meaning, images and symbolic meanings will be occupied by new beliefs and transformed into the belief that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
In the 4th and 5th centuries, the websites of great pagan ceremonies and learning places were abandoned, destroyed or turned into churches. The temple of Demetrius and every holy place of Ulysses were looted by Aryan Christians and Gothic King alaric in 396 AD, leaving only ruins and rubble. People from the ancient world gathered here to experience the promise of life, death and rebirth of truth.
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