Taylor - Eleusianian and Bacchic Mysteries.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

Introduction. 17sacred fig-tree (all sacred, mark you, from Eleusinianassociations), where the procession rests, and thenmoves on to the bridge over the Cephissus, where againit rests, and where the expression of the wildest griefgives place to the trifling farce,even as Demeter, inthe midst of her grief, smiled at the levity of lambein the palace of Celeus. Through the mystical entrance we enter Eleusis. On the seventh day gamesare celebrated ;and to the victor is given a measureof barley, as it were a gift direct from the hand ofthe goddess. The eighth is sacred to ^Esculapius, theDivine Physician, who heals all diseases;evening isperformed the initiatory ritual.and in the"Let us enter the mystic temple and be initiated,though it must be supposed that, a year ago, we wereinitiated into the Lesser Mysteries at Agra3. We musthave beqn mystce(vailed), before we can become epoptce(seers); in plain English, we must have shut oureyes to all else before we can behold the mysteries.Crowned with myrtle, we enter with the other initiatesinto the vestibule of the temple,Hierophant within will soon open our eyes.blind as yet, but the"But first, for here we must do nothing rashly,first we must wash in this holy water;for it is withpure hands and a pure heart that we are bidden toenterthe most sacred enclosure [(umovixos tfijxos, mustiliossekos}.Then, led into the presence of the Hierophant,** In the Oriental countries the designation IflS Peter (an interpreter), appears to have been the title of this personage ;and