Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

MYSTERIA. MYSTERIA. 7 II
took place in a temple surrounded by a beautiful various parts of Greece were remains of the ancient
grove. The first two days men and women took Pelasgian religion. The associations of persons
part in the celebration togetherl; on the third day for the purpose of celebrating them must therefore
the men left the sanctuary, and the women re- have been formed at the time when the overmarining in it performed during the night certain whelming influence of the Hellenic religion began
mysterious rites, during which not even male dogs to gain the upper hand in Greece, and when persons
were allowed to remain within the sacred precincts. who still entertained a reverence for the worship
On the fourth day the men returned to the temple, of former times, united together with the intention
and men and women now received each other with of preserving and upholding among themselves,
shouts of laughter and assailed each other with as much as possible of the religion of their forevarious railleries. (Paus. vii. 27. ~ 4; Cornutus, fathers. It is natural enough that they formed
de Nat. Deor. 28.) Other particulars are not themselves for this purpose into societies, analogous
known. [L. S.] to the brotherhoods in the church of Rome (PorMY STAE, MYSTAGO'GUS (/uzso-ai, phyr. de Abstin. iv. 5), and endeavoured to preserve
uvTaoyceyOrds). [ELEUSINIA.] against the profanation of the multitude that which
MYSTE'RIA (,u.Vrhpia). As each mystery or was most dear to them. Hence the secrecy of all
mystic festival is described in a separate article, a the Greek mysteries, and hence the fact that they
few general observations only will be required under were almost invariably connected with the worship
this head. The names by which they were de- of the ancient Pelasgian divinities. The time
signated in GTeece, are!yverppma, TEXecraf, and when mysteries were established as such, must
pyia. The name o'pyta (from eopya) originally have been after the great changes and disturbances
signified only sacrifices accompanied by certain produced by the Dorian migration, although traceremonies, but it was afterwards applied especially dition referred their institution to Orpheus, the
to the ceremonies observed in the worship of Dio- Curetes, the Idaean Dactyles, Dionysus, &c., who
nysus, and at a still later period to mysteries in belong to a much earlier period. These tradigeneral. (Lobeck, Aglaopham. i. p. 305.) TesXEi- tions, however, may in so far be regarded as true,
signifies in general a religious festival (Aristot. as the mysteries were only a continuation and pro-,l]et. ii. 24; Pind. Nero, x. 63), but more particu- pagation of the ancient religion. But it must be
larly a lustration or ceremony performed in order admitted that in subsequent times new elements
to avert some calamity either public or private. were added to the mysteries, which were origin(Plato, de Rep. ii. p. 264, E.) Mvao-wpio, signifies, ally foreign to them. The development of philoproperly speaking, the secret part of the worship, sophy, and more especially the intercourse with
but it was also used generally in the same sense the East and with Egypt, appear to have exercised
as sEAeT'r, and for mystic worship. a considerable influence upon their character.
Mysteries in general may be defined as sacrifices The most celebrated mysteries in Greece were
and ceremonies which took place at night or in those of Samothrace and Eleusis. [CABEImIA
secret within some sanctuary, which the uninitiated ELEVSINIA.] But several other places and diviniwere not allowed to enter. What was essential ties had their peculiar mysteries, e.g. the island of
to them, were objects of worship, sacred utensils, Crete those of Zeus (Strabo, p. 718; Athen. ix.
and traditions with their interpretations, which 18); Argolis those of Hera (Paus. ii. 38. ~ 2);
were withheld from all persons not initiated. We Athens those of Athena and Dionysus (Plut Alcib.
must however distinguish between mysteries pro- 34; DIONYSIA); Arcadia those of Artemis (Paus.
perly so called, that is, such in which no one was viii. 23. ~ 3), and Aegina those of Hecate. (Pais.
allowed to partake unless he had undergone a ii. 30. ~ 2). But not only the worship of the great
formal initiation, and the mystic ceremonies of gods, but also that of some ancient heroes was
certain festivals, the performance of which, though connected with mysteries. (Paus. iv. 34. ~ 6, ii. 1,
confined to particular classes of persons5 or to a ii. 30. ~ 5; Herod. v. 83.)
particular sex, yet did not require a regular initia- The benefits which the initiated hoped to obtain
tion. Our attention in this article will be confined were security against the vicissitudes of fortune,
to the mysteries properly so called. and protection from dangers both in this life and
It appears to have been the desire of all nations in the life to come. The principal part of the iniof antiquity to withhold certain parts of their re- tiation, and'that which was thought to be most
ligious worship from the eyes of the multitude in efficacious in producing the desired effects, were
order to render them the more venerable. (Strabo, the lustrations and purifications, whence the mysp. 717,) But that the ancient mysteries were teries themselves are sometimes called KaOdpola or
nothing but impositions of priests, who played upon KaOapepgo'.
the superstitious and ignorant, is an opinion, which, Offences against and violations of'the mysteries
although entertained by Limburg-Brouwer, the were at Athens under the jurisdiction of the archon
latest writer on the subject (Histoire.de la Civilisa- king, and the court in such cases only consisted of
tioi Msoracle et Relig. des G-recs, vol. iv. p. 199) persons who were themselves initiated (E/e/u7nc/ycertainly cannot satisfy those who are accustomed voet) and were selected from the heliastae for the
to seek a more solid and vital principle iin all re- purpose. (Pollux, viii. 141.) Even in cases which
ligious institutions that have ever had any lasting were brought before an ordinary court, the judges
influence upon mankind. The persons united were only initiated persons, if the case had any
and initiated to celebrate the mysteries in Greece connection with the mysteries. (Andocid. de tN]yst.
were neither all priests nor did they belong to the p. 14.) That no one but the initiated might hear
ignorant and superstitious classes of society, but the transactions in such a case, the court was surthey were on the contrary frequently the most dis- rounded by public slaves to keep all profane pertinguished statesmen and philosophers. It has sons at a distance. (Pollux, viii. 123.)
been remarked under E LEUS1NIA (p. 454,b) that The Roman religion had no such mysteries as
it is far more probable that the mysteries in the that of the Greeks, but only mystic rites and cere.