| Περίληψη: | How do we write the history of a locality, such as Eleusis, known mostly as
the location of one of the most famous mystery cults of classical antiquity?
The answer to this question touches upon a great number of recent shifts in
scholarship in how we approach the classical past. The writing of the history
of a locality implies by necessity the adoption of a spatial point of view. Where
do we, as narrators, stand when producing the history of Eleusis? Eleusis as
the location of the mystery cults was the destination for many pilgrims, wishing to be initiated to the Mysteries or to participate in the cult. Eleusis was also the gateway, or corridor, between different regions of southern Greece – between the Saronic Gulf and Boiotia, between Athens and the Peloponnese, and so on. The history of Eleusis oscillated between different registers: local, regional, and panhellenic, depending on the period, the specific context under examination (religious, political, economic, social, related to material evidence). Indeed, classical narratives that adopt the perspective of localism or that of region through an exploration of regionality have been amongst the most exciting new trends in our discipline.2 How do we write the history of a location, with its rich mythological, religious, and cultural significance, within such a context? [...] (From the introduction). |
