Peloponnese 2023, part 1 (Elefsina, Corinth)
When I went in Crete for two weeks back in 2022, it occurred to me that I could spend a similar amount of time exploring the Peloponnese. Although the Peloponnese, with an area of 21,550 square kilometres, is almost three times larger than Crete, I believed that it would still be enough for me.
On the other hand, this trip took place in September, so I planned for a real vacation with swimming and enjoying various beaches. I say beaches because my plan was certainly not to settle in one place, but rather to move around quite intensively across this large peninsula, which technically became an island due to the digging of the Corinth Canal.
Here’s a map showing all the places and sites I visited during this trip:
I had already been to the Peloponnese a couple of times. The first time was long ago when I took a trip from Athens to Mycenae and Epidaurus, crossing over the Corinth Canal, and then for about three days a few years ago in the middle of winter when I practically sped through with a friend.
This time, the journey started from Athens; I was driving alone and my plan was first to visit the Holy Monastery of Daphni, which, along with a few other remote monasteries, is on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
However, by the time I got used to the GPS in the car and arrived at the monastery, it was already closed. So, I had to come to terms with the fact that I would have to fit in the visit to the monastery at the end of my trip. Well, what can you do? I simply drove to the next planned destination, which was the Archaeological Site of Eleusis.
The town is now called Elefsina, but its ancient name was Eleusis and during the times of ancient Greece, this was the famous place where the Eleusinian Mysteries were held every year. These were the most well-known and significant of all the mystery cults in antiquity and are estimated to have lasted for about a thousand years.
The Sanctuary at Eleusis celebrated the “Great Goddesses” Demeter and Persephone, but over time, the site fell into decline and the remains were only discovered in 1815 when excavations began.
When you start the tour of the site, the first thing you encounter is the Roman Court or Great Forecourt, measuring 65 by 40 meters. This area served as a type of square and is covered with large marble slabs. It marked the end of the Sacred Way, which connected Eleusis to Athens. This courtyard was expanded under Roman emperors until the end of the 2nd century AD, which is why it bears this name.
Within the square and around it, you can see the remains of various structures, including a couple of altars, porticoes and a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis.
As I walk through the remains of ancient Eleusis, with my story and photos, I should start by mentioning that Demeter was the goddess of grain and fertility, harvest and agriculture. To cut the long story short, with the supreme god Zeus she had a daughter, Persephone, who was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Demeter was desperate and, in her search for her daughter, completely neglected her duties, leading to famine on Earth. Eventually, negotiations took place among the gods and Persephone was returned to her mother. However, Hades managed to convince her to eat a few pomegranate seeds while she was still in the underworld, resulting in Persephone spending half the year on Earth, or rather on mount Olympus, with Demeter and the other half in the underworld with Hades. This arrangement made her both a goddess of vegetation and the queen of the underworld. The ancient Greeks explained the changing of the seasons through her presence or absence on Earth.
Regarding Eleusis, according to legend, it was here that Demeter found Persephone and in gratitude to the local king for his hospitality, she gave his son the first grain of wheat and showed him how to plant it. All of this eventually led to the development of this important sanctuary, while the ancient Greeks believed that both the grain and the Mysteries held here were gifts from the goddess Demeter.
So, the Eleusinian or Great Mysteries were held every year for nine days in September and October, during autumn, which is certainly linked to the end of the growing season. The reason for these nine days is that this was the duration of Demeter’s search for her daughter.
The organisation of the festivities was the responsibility of the Athenian state. During the first five days, sacred objects were transported to Athens, about 25 km away, and then returned to Eleusis with great pomp and potential initiates. Aside from the secret rituals, which I will elaborate on in the text below, this procession was open to the public.
In Roman times, specifically in the 2nd century CE, the Great Propylaea was constructed, which was almost an identical copy of the Propylaea from the Acropolis. Roman emperors wanted to build structures in the Eleusinian sanctuary that emulated Athenian models.
To the left of the entrance to the Great Propylaea is the Kallichoron Well. According to the legend, the goddess Demeter stopped to rest at this spot after several days of searching for her beloved daughter. Studies have shown that the well was built in the late 6th and the early 5th centuries BCE, but it is now less visible due to the surrounding structures erected during the Roman period (2nd century CE). This was also the place where the Eleusinian girls performed sacred dances in honour of the goddess Demeter.
The procession then proceeded to the Lesser Propylaea. This structure was also built during the Roman period, specifically in 54 BCE.
This was a monumental gateway that, prior to the construction of the Great Propylaea, served as the main entrance to the sanctuary. It consisted of two porticoes between which there were double doors. This can be clearly seen from the grooves these doors left in the stone floor slabs. It is believed that the two parallel grooves were used for draining rainwater.
The ceiling of the inner portico was supported by two caryatids, one of which can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Eleusis. The other one was stolen by the English.
The caryatid depicts a priestess who carries a cista on her head, a box containing sacred objects used in the Mysteries.
To the right of the Lesser Propylaea are two shallow caves carved into the hillside. These symbolise the entrance to the underworld. In front of the larger cave there are remains of a small temple dedicated to the underworld god Pluto, originally known as Hades. However, Hades became synonymous with the underworld, while the name Pluto took precedence. Here, within the Eleusinian Mysteries, Pluto was worshipped as a stern ruler, as well as Persephone’s beloved husband and this entire segment is referred to as the Ploutonion.
The Processional Way was the continuation of the Sacred Way within the sanctuary, leading from the Lesser Propylaea to the main temple dedicated to Demeter, known as the Telesterion. This path was paved with marble slabs only during the Roman period.
The Telesterion was the main part of the sanctuary and it was a large structure with almost a square plan (54 x 52 m). The ground floor of the building, filled with columns, was used for the revealing of the mysteries and could accommodate around 3,000 people.
Now, let me say something about the Eleusinian Mysteries.
According to Homer, Hades, or the underworld, was a cold and dark place where the dead floated like shadows, devoid of any memory or sense. However, this changed during the 7th and 6th centuries BCE when mystery cults emerged that promised joy after death. To achieve this, interested individuals needed to be initiated, becoming mystics, hence the name “mysteries.”
Interestingly, everyone had the right to participate, regardless of gender, financial situation or social status – even slaves could enrol if their initiation costs were covered. However, there was one prerequisite: knowledge of the Greek language, as it was deemed pointless for someone to undergo the entire ritual without understanding what it was about.
At the same time, it was forbidden for people to speak of what occurred within the Mysteries. Violating this could result in the death penalty and the same fate awaited non-initiates who entered the sanctuary area. But not everything was a great secret. As I’ve mentioned, there were parts of the ceremonies open to the general public.
Needless to say, due to the secrecy and the passage of time, we can only speculate about what really took place here (though some details about the various activities during the nine days are known). Nonetheless, since the rituals and ceremonies involved visions of the afterlife, some researchers suggest that psychoactive substances may have been used.
During my visit to this archaeological site, I climbed to the top of the hill, where I was treated to a beautiful view of the remains of the Telesterion.
At the top of the hill, there is a post-Byzantine Church of Virgin Mary, known here as Panagia Mesosporitissa. Interestingly, its feast day is celebrated on 21 November, when the sowing is halfway done. On this day, worshippers bring grains and pulses to be blessed, thus ensuring good harvests. It is precisely through this tradition that the cult of the goddess Demeter continues within Christianity.
Then I descended a bit further among the ruins before heading to visit the museum located on the site.
As for the Archaeological Museum of Eleusis, it is not large, but it is interesting and absolutely worth a visit. Here, you can see various artefacts and sculptures that were discovered during the excavation of the site.
After the visit to the museum, I made my way back to the car along the Processional Way, or the Sacred Way, enjoying the various details of this significant archaeological site along the way.
Then I drove to the southern end of the Corinth Canal, located about 50 km to the west, continuing from there to the town of Corinth, near the northern end of the canal.
Although I had crossed the Corinth Canal a couple of times, both by bus and by car, I wanted to walk across it in order to get a better look. To do this, I booked a room in the town of Corinth on the northern side of the Isthmus of Corinth. Specifically, the guesthouse I chose was a bit further from the centre, but in close proximity to the canal.
Upon arriving at the guesthouse, I decided to go out for dinner first, as I noticed there weren’t many places nearby for dining later. Looking at the map, I concluded that it would be best to head to the area on the other side of the canal. However, when I reached the canal itself, I found it wasn’t what I had hoped for – I wanted to see the canal “from above,” but its flanks were quite low here. It turned out that at this end of the canal, there was no permanent bridge, as that would obstruct vessels; instead, there was a movable bridge.
Still, I parked my car right by the northern end of the canal, took some photos and then crossed to the other side.
I had an impression that my visits to the places I wanted to see on this day weren’t going smoothly – first the Holy Monastery of Daphni and now the Corinth Canal. I concluded that crossing the canal on foot would also have to wait until the end of my trip through the Peloponnese and my return to the mainland. When something must be done, it’s not hard.
So, I drove to the nearby tourist spot, parked my car and practically settled into the first restaurant I found right by the beach.
I was very hungry and tired. I ordered what I wanted, which was some fish, and then I started to wait, and wait, and wait... While the place seemed “posh.” After half an hour, I called the waiter to see what was going on, since only one other group of guests had arrived in the meantime, even though all the numerous tables in the restaurant were set for a wave of customers that seemed to be expected. He started explaining that the dish I had ordered took a long time to prepare. Fish? Long to prepare?
It didn’t seem worthwhile to leave, as I didn’t know where else I could go and by the time I got there, ordered and waited for my dinner, it would likely turn out the same way as here. So, I did something I had never done before – I took a roll I had in my small backpack from earlier and simply ate it. When my meal finally arrived after 40 minutes, I devoured the fish faster than you can say “fish.”
Oh, yes, I was REALLY hungry. And tired.
While waiting for my fish, I passed the time by taking some photos. The view of the Gulf of Corinth and the setting sun was truly beautiful, so I tried to distract my stomach with that.
On my way back to the guesthouse, I came across the closed crossing over the Corinth Canal, as the bridge needs to be removed periodically for the passage of ships.
I checked the time and looked at alternative routes, concluding that it was best to stay put and wait. So, I did just that and soon I was back at the guesthouse.
There, I had the entertainment of a private concert. The owner of the guesthouse was apparently a musician in his youth and that remained his calling. Therefore, every guest who arrives gets a “welcome concert.” That was the case for me as well. The melody was truly beautiful, but I had already informed him that whatever happened, it had to be short because I was tired and needed to go to sleep.
And that’s exactly how it all went.