Oedipus and Eleusinian Mysteries
2/8/2018
The component that I find most interesting about both Oedipus by Sophocles and the "Ritual Path of Initiation Into the Eleusinian Mysteries" by Keller is that both stress the role of the gods in each stories given society. Keller explains that the ritual began when the Persian's invaded the Roman empire and there was a powerful dependency on the gods to help them fight back accordingly and to restore themselves to where they once were. This as a result led to a annual nine day festival where they essentially pay tribute to the gods by emulating the different emotions of the gods. The reason Keller's works are so groundbreaking is because the yearly celebrants are sworn to secrecy.
In Oedipus the society places their entire life in the hands of the gods because their entire perception of heaven is driven by the gods. They ultimatley guide Grecian society in this interpretation by Sophocles. The prophecies are only given any merit because Tiresia is supposed to be a blind prophet of the gods. Only adding to his reputation with the gods is his strong track record of accurately foretelling the future.
Other notes/questions I picked up on:
- It is mysterious in Elusinian Mystery that the seasons change with the ritual dates
- Do humans have any control over there fate?
- Are the gods all-good in nature?
- What is the signifigance of nine?
The component that I find most interesting about both Oedipus by Sophocles and the "Ritual Path of Initiation Into the Eleusinian Mysteries" by Keller is that both stress the role of the gods in each stories given society. Keller explains that the ritual began when the Persian's invaded the Roman empire and there was a powerful dependency on the gods to help them fight back accordingly and to restore themselves to where they once were. This as a result led to a annual nine day festival where they essentially pay tribute to the gods by emulating the different emotions of the gods. The reason Keller's works are so groundbreaking is because the yearly celebrants are sworn to secrecy.
In Oedipus the society places their entire life in the hands of the gods because their entire perception of heaven is driven by the gods. They ultimatley guide Grecian society in this interpretation by Sophocles. The prophecies are only given any merit because Tiresia is supposed to be a blind prophet of the gods. Only adding to his reputation with the gods is his strong track record of accurately foretelling the future.
Other notes/questions I picked up on:
- It is mysterious in Elusinian Mystery that the seasons change with the ritual dates
- Do humans have any control over there fate?
- Are the gods all-good in nature?
- What is the signifigance of nine?
After reading about the Eleusinian mysteries that were shared by the Rosicrucian Digest along with sections from Harland's Association, Synagogues, and Congregations, I began to wonder about the other secret societies of ancient Rome. Because only those who spoke Greek were able to attend the Eleusinian Mysteries and secret associations were a large party of ancient culture, I am now curious about what other secret societies have yet to be discovered. According to Harland, there are "three main sources of membership based on household connections, shared occupation, and common cult." There could have been secret societies for the slaves of the Roman empire aimed at helping slaves escape or anti-Roman associations that aided in the overthrow of the Roman empire.
ReplyDeleteYour interpretation of the Eleusinian Mysteries as a ritual to stress the role of Gods also raises the question of what other Christian groups resided in the Greco-Roman society. According to John H. Elliot, these Christian communities were "set apart from the routine affairs of civic and social life."
The fact that Mara Lynn Keller's admitted her limited knowledge of the Eleusinian Mysteries even with a page of sources demonstrates the level of secrecy these societies were able to maintain even today.