Eleusis, a small town in ancient Attica near Athens, was one of the most significant religious sites in the Greek world. It was renowned as the center of the Eleusinian Mysteries, a set of secretive rites and ceremonies dedicated to the goddesses Demeter and Persephone. The Eleusinian Mysteries were celebrated for nearly 2,000 years, from around 1500 BCE during the Mycenaean period to 392 CE, when they were officially abolished by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I as part of his campaign against pagan practices. These Mysteries celebrated the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, reflecting the agricultural rhythm of planting and harvest. Initiates participated in rituals symbolizing spiritual renewal and the promise of life after death, making Eleusis a place of profound religious significance for ancient Greeks.
The Mysteries revolved around the myth of Persephone’s abduction by Hades and Demeter’s grief-stricken search, which led to the teaching of agriculture to humanity. Key elements of the ceremonies included purification rituals, sacred processions, and dramatic reenactments of the myth, held annually during the Greater Mysteries in the fall. Though the full details remain shrouded in secrecy—uninitiated individuals were forbidden from learning or discussing them—artifacts and accounts reveal the Eleusinian Mysteries as a powerful religious experience that left a lasting mark on Greek spirituality and culture.
The Eleusinian Mysteries were shrouded in secrecy, with initiates sworn to a lifelong vow of silence about the rituals and experiences they encountered. This secrecy was both a religious obligation and a legal requirement in ancient Greece, with severe punishments, including death, for those who divulged the Mysteries’ sacred knowledge. The details of what occurred within the sanctuary at Eleusis remain largely unknown, even today, as initiates were forbidden to describe the rites to the uninitiated. This veil of mystery was a crucial aspect of the Mysteries’ power, heightening their spiritual significance and preserving the sanctity of the experience for participants.
The limited information we have comes from indirect references in ancient texts, archaeological findings, and the symbolic imagery found on artifacts and coins. We know the Mysteries involved purification, sacred processions, and the dramatic reenactment of the myth of Demeter and Persephone, culminating in a transformative revelation. However, the exact nature of the final “vision” or epopteia remains speculative. This secrecy not only protected the rituals but also amplified their allure, ensuring the Mysteries retained their status as one of the most revered and enduring religious traditions of the ancient world.
The Eleusinian Mysteries attracted individuals from all walks of life, including many prominent historical figures of ancient Greece and Rome. Among the most notable initiates was the philosopher Socrates, whose deep interest in ethics and the human soul might have been shaped by the spiritual themes of the Mysteries. His student, Plato, is also believed to have participated, as his writings often reflect themes of transcendence and immortality, central ideas in Eleusinian teachings. Similarly, the playwright Sophocles celebrated the Mysteries in his works, and Aristotle reportedly held the rituals in high regard, recognizing their significance in Greek religious life.
During the Roman era, the Mysteries maintained their prestige, drawing influential figures such as Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator, who praised the rites as a source of moral and spiritual enlightenment. Roman emperors, including Augustus, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius, also participated, underscoring the universal appeal of Eleusis beyond Greek culture. These notable initiates highlight the Mysteries’ enduring allure as a sacred tradition promising divine wisdom and the hope of eternal life, even to the most skeptical or powerful minds of antiquity.
One of the more controversial (and fascinating) theories about the Eleusinian Mysteries suggests that participants consumed a psychoactive potion, possibly containing ergot, a fungus that grows on grains and can induce altered states of consciousness. Proponents argue that the “kykeon”, a barley-based drink central to the rites, may have been laced with ergot to create visionary or transformative experiences. Such altered states could explain the profound spiritual revelations described by initiates, who often spoke of a sense of rebirth and divine connection. The secrecy surrounding the Mysteries has added intrigue to this theory, as it is unclear exactly what rituals or substances might have been used.
This idea was introduced by researchers such as R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann, and Carl A.P. Ruck in The Road to Eleusis (1978) and more recently explored by Brian C. Muraresku in The Immortality Key (2020). While these scholars have drawn attention to the potential role of psychoactive substances in ancient religious practices, the theory is not widely accepted among historians and classicists. Critics point to the lack of direct evidence for psychoactive compounds in the kykeon or the Eleusinian context, and some argue that the transformative experiences of the Mysteries can be explained by ritual, symbolism, and communal atmosphere alone. Despite its speculative nature, the theory has sparked significant debate and continues to captivate those interested in the intersection of ancient spirituality and altered states of consciousness.
The Eleusinian Mysteries began to decline after the Temple of Demeter was sacked in 170 AD by the Sarmatians, though it was later rebuilt by Marcus Aurelius, who became the only layperson permitted to enter the anaktoron, the innermost sanctuary. By the 4th and 5th centuries, as Christianity gained dominance, Eleusis lost its prestige. Emperor Julian, the last pagan ruler of Rome, attempted to revive the Mysteries during his reign (361–363 AD) and was the last emperor to be initiated. However, in 392 AD, Emperor Theodosius I officially closed the Mysteries, and shortly after, in 396 AD, the Gothic king Alaric I looted the remains of the sanctuary. Despite their suppression, some elements of the Mysteries survived in rural Greece, where rites of Demeter were gradually transferred to the veneration of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki, who became a patron of agriculture and an heir to the pagan traditions.
Ancient Greek festival coins were minted to commemorate or facilitate major religious festivals, athletic games, and cultural events, serving both practical and symbolic purposes. These coins often featured imagery closely tied to the specific festival, such as deities, mythological figures, or sacred symbols. For example, coins minted for the Eleusinian Mysteries depicted Demeter, Persephone, or Triptolemos alongside ritualistic symbols like torches or sacrificial pigs, while coins for the Pythian Games at Delphi often bore images of Apollo and his lyre. These coins acted as currency for offerings, participation in rituals, or purchasing necessities during the event, and in some cases, as keepsakes to commemorate the occasion.
Festival coins were typically minted in or near the sanctuary or city hosting the event, such as Olympia for the Olympic Games or Athens for the Panathenaic Festival. Struck primarily in bronze for practical use, their limited mintage and intricate designs make them valuable to modern collectors and historians alike. Beyond their economic function, these coins served as tangible reminders of the religious devotion and cultural pride that defined ancient Greek festivals, bridging the everyday lives of participants with the divine.
Charlotte Mann writes: These pieces bore images of Eleusinian deities and ritual equipment used throughout the Mysteries. A common type featured the head of Demeter and plemochoe (the Eleusinian offering vessel) and the ‘Eleusis ring’ on the reverse side (Index 1)12 Others contained an obverse image of the Eleusinian deity Triptolemos within a dragon chariot and a reverse image of initiates’ sacrificial piglet alongside a staff of bound myrtle boughs (bakhos), plemochoe or ear of grain (Index 2).13
This imagery had strong associations with the mythology and ritual activity in Eleusis. Demeter held an important position within the Mysteries, which commemorated her search for her daughter Kore, who had been abducted by Hades and taken to the Underworld.14 Triptolemos was worshipped as the demi-god who presided over the sowing of grain-seed and the milling of wheat after receiving instruction from Demeter upon her return from the underworld, and as such, also occupied an important place in the Eleusinian Mysteries.15
Piglets, grain, bakhoi and plemochoe were used in sacrifices and rituals throughout the festival.16 Despite their clear association with Eleusis, however, these coins bore little indication of the
“The Athenian Agora XXVI: The Greek Coins” by John H. Kroll, published in 1993 by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. This comprehensive work catalogs over 16,577 identifiable Greek coins excavated by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens between 1931 and 1990, providing detailed descriptions and historical context. In the excavations they found numerous coins related to Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Preiod I includes Eleusinian coinage Kroll 38-40: 35 coins of uncertain Eleusinian or Athenian Piglet-on-mystic-staff variety.
Kroll wirtes: “The interpretation of this as an Athenian festival coinage, on the other hand, is scarcely beyond question, supported as it is by both the iconography and the minting history of the coins. The iconography pertains not to the deme of Eleusis but to the mythology (Triptolemos) and ritual paraphernalia (the initiates’ sacrificial piglet and their distinctive staff of bound myrtle boughs) of the Greater Mysteries.”
“The second argument for the festival hypothesis comes from the recurrence of issues with Eleusinian types through the whole of the Hellenistic bronze coinage. After the adoption of Athena/Owl bronze coins signed AGE, such special Eleusinian issues were often struck in parallel with them and continued to bear the traditional EAEYEI legend. The late 4th-century coin mistakenly struck with an Eleusinian Triptolemos obverse and a Two-owl, AeE reverse (p. 32 below) proves that these Eleusinian coins were struck in the same central mint as Athens’ AeE bronze. After the middle of the 3rd century, however, the EAEYEI legend vanishes, and AGE is henceforth used on all occasional issues with Eleusinian designs.”
“The association of certain Greek coinages with major festivals is well documented in the Roman Imperial era, when coins were frequently struck with types and legends advertising local games.29 But the association can be traced back as early as the 5th- and 4th-century B.C. silver coinage of Elis, which most commentators have connected in one way or another with the quadrennial Olympic festival.30 Although such Greek festival coinages will have served as souvenirs and helped to advertise the festivals, one assumes that most were struck to provide money for the festival trade, which in the case of Eleusinian Mysteries must have been considerable.”
Variety 38: Triptolemos/Piglet on mystic staff. This initial Eleusinian series is distinguished by large, heavy flans (15-18mm, 3-4g).
Variety 39 and 40: Proptolemos/Piglet on mystic staff. Reduced diameters and weight of 13-15mm and ca. 2.5g.
Variety 44-49: Athena in Attic helmet/Two owls in olive wreath, and Triptolemos/Piglet in wheat wreath
Variety 51 and 55: Triptolemos/Piglet in wheat wreath.
In the excavations, they also found other designs, e.g., Kroll 86 with Demeter and a Piglet from what they call “Period III” (ca. 160’s-87/6 BCE). Or Kroll 116 with Veiled Demeter head/Triptolemos in chariot.
This is the earliest coin that is found with symbols from the Eleusinian Mysteries (Thompson, 1942).
ATTICA, Athens. Circa 340-335 BC. Æ (16mm, 3.95 g, 8h). Eleusis mint. Triptolemos, holding grain ear, seated right in winged chariot being drawn by two serpents / Pig standing right on mystic staff; boukranion below. Kroll 38h–k; HGC 4, 1764. Brown surfaces. VF.
Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 222 (11 November 2009), lot 140.
The obverse is inspired by a statue of Triptolemos that was presumably still in its temple when Pausanias (I. 38, 6) visited Eleusis in about AD 160: “The Eleusians have a temple to Triptolemos… They say that the plain called Rharion was the first to be sown and the first to grow crops… Here is shown a threshing floor and altar. My dream forbade the description of the things within the wall of the sanctuary, and the uninitiated are of course not permitted to learn that which they are prevented from seeing.”
The depiction of Triptolemos on the coin likely mirrors the statue described by Pausanias, which was housed in the sanctuary of Eleusis. His role as a key figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries made him a fitting image for coins minted in Eleusis.
“One explanation could be that pigs tear up the wheat and grain fields which are sacred to Demeter.”
“Those who partook in the Mysteries would receive these coins.”
I recently acquired the Agora 38 coins from Harlan L. Berk Ltd in Chicago for $385. Lot included an old handwritten envelope from the French numismatist Élie Boudeau (1853-1912). Boudeau was a prominent French numismatist and collector active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Based in Paris, he was known for his expertise in ancient coins, particularly Celtic and Gallo-Roman issues. He authored the influential book “Monnaies gauloises”, a significant work on Celtic coinage. He operated a numismatic business and coin shop at 11 Rue Rameau in Paris (Librairie Numismatique Monnaies & Medailles).
His handwritten notes, often accompanying coins in private collections and auctions, are valued by collectors today for their historical and scholarly significance. Boudeau’s contributions to numismatics helped document and preserve ancient coinage, cementing his legacy as a key figure in the field.
Attica, Eleusis; c. 350-300 AD, AE 15, 4.39g. Agora-38. Obv: Demeter of Triptolemos seated l. in winged car drawn by two serpents and holding in r. two ears of wheat. Rx: Pig standing r. on mystic staff, vine below, the whole in wheat wreath. Lot includes old handwritten envelope from the French numismatist E. Boudeau, author of the early 20th century work on the coins of Celtic Gaul “Monnaies gauloises” and other studies.. Fine