The Mysteries of Eleusis were perhaps the most important religious festival in the ancient Athenian calendar. Each year, initiates who had participated in the Lesser Mysteries would process to a sanctuary dedicated to Demeter and Persephone in the little town of Eleusis, a short distance from Athens (the modern town of Elefsina stands there today, and the sanctuary has been excavated, a remarkable archaeological site which tourists rarely visit – highly recommended if you ever find yourself at a...