The Eleusinian Mysteries () were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at the Panhellenic Sanctuary of Eleusis in ancient Greece. They are the "most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece". Their basis was an old agrarian cult, and there is some evidence that they were derived from the religious practices of the Mycenean period. The Mysteries represented the myth of the abduction of Persephone from her mother Demeter by the king of the underworld Hades, in a cycle with three phases: the descent (loss), the search, and the ascent, with the main theme being the ascent () of Persephone and the reunion with her mother. It was a major festival during the Hellenic era, and later spread to Rome. Similar religious rites appear in the agricultural societies of Near East and in Minoan Crete. The rites, ceremonies, and beliefs were kept secret and consistently preserved from antiquity. For the initiated, the rebirth of Pers
Los Misterios Eleusinianos son los más famosos de los ritos religiosos secretos de la antigua Grecia. Su base era un antiguo culto agrario, y hay algunas evidencias de que se derivaron de las prácticas religiosas del período micénico. Los Misterios representaban el mito del secuestro de Perséfone de su madre Demetrio por el rey del submundo Hades, en un ciclo con tres fases: la descendencia (pérdida), la búsqueda, y la subida, con el tema principal siendo la subida () de Perséfone y la reunificación con su madre. Fue una gran fiesta durante la era helénica, y más tarde se difundió a Roma. Ritos religiosos similares aparecen en las sociedades agrícolas de Cercano y en el Oriente Mino en la Creta. Las ceremonias, las ceremonias y la reunión con su madre.