The Immortals (42 page)

The Eleusinian Mysteries were the most important religious ritual in ancient Athens and the surrounding area for almost two thousand years, until the Holy Roman Emperor Theodosius outlawed pagan rites in the fourth century AD. The veil of secrecy around the rites has led both to an absence of any definitive historical records of the events’ details and to a surfeit of fragmentary allusions to the Mysteries in a variety of sources. Thus, our knowledge of exactly what transpired is hazy at best. Theo’s understanding of the ritual’s components is a loose conflation of many scholars’ hypotheses, most prominently those featured in Jon D. Mikalson’s
Ancient Greek Religion
, Mara Lynn Keller’s article “The Ritual Path of Initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries” in the
Rosicrucian Digest
, and
The Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook of Sacred Texts
, edited by Marvin W. Meyer. My apologies to these and the many other classicists who would no doubt find the version of the Mysteries presented in this book hopelessly simplistic.

The nature of the epiphany at the rite’s climax is unknown and still a point of great scholarly debate. The presence in the
kykeon
of a hallucinogen not unlike LSD has been proposed in R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hoffman, and Carl A. P. Ruck’s
The Road to Eleusis
and would seem to explain the Greeks’ powerful reaction to the ritual. That human sacrifice played a role is my own
invention. The Oxyrhynchus Project has yet to discover any mention of such atrocities in its trove of Hellenic papyri (see Oxford’s
Ancient Lives
project at www.papyrology.ox.ac.uk if you want a chance to do some decoding of your own). However, the Eleusinian Mysteries stretch back in time before the rise of Athens, to an earlier age in which, many have proposed, earth-goddess worship may have required a bloodier form of ritual than that practiced by the sophisticated citizens of the Golden Age.

While the details of the Mysteries are in large part hypothetical, the stories of New York City’s past are all real. Alexander Hamilton’s death, the formation of the Policewomen’s Bureau in the 1920s, and the crime wave of the 1970s are all grounded in fact. So, too, are the majority of the locations in this book. The waterfall in Central Park’s Ravine is easily visited. Franklin Roosevelt’s presidential railroad car still sits on its abandoned platform beneath the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where, indeed, a paupers’ cemetery once lay. You can see pictures of it in an informative article by Jen Carlson at gothamist.com. The hidden Liberty Theater exists, and was at one time inaccessible, although a recent renovation has transformed it into a not-so-hidden restaurant. Seeing the abandoned City Hall subway station is a cinch—just ride the downtown Number 6 line past the last stop and look out the windows as the train loops around before heading uptown. To visit Montayne’s Fonteyn (barely a trickle these days) or the old Indian Cave (still walled up, unfortunately), follow the directions in Christopher Gray’s excellent article “Scenes from a Wild Youth” in the
New York Times
. The Pneumatic Transit waiting room has, sadly, been lost to us, but it must have been a remarkable sight. Joseph Brennan describes it in great detail in his article “Beach Pneumatic” on columbia.edu.

Into these very real locations I’ve placed characters from myth that have only ever existed in the collective imagination of mankind. The tale of Orion and Artemis has no single definitive
version—only fragments and allusions remain to us. In some, the two are chaste lovers. In others, he tries to rape her or one of her nymphs. In still others, he is a lascivious braggart, brought down by her rage. He dies when Apollo tricks Artemis into shooting him or, alternatively, when the angry goddess sends a scorpion to kill him. No matter the version, however, the story of the Huntress and the Hunter has always fascinated, perhaps because Artemis has always been one of the most paradoxical and intriguing figures in classic myth. For many, myself included, she has been a feminist icon: a woman warrior unhindered by societal norms, fiercer, swifter, and deadlier than any man. And yet, she is also a product of her time—consigned to virginity by a society that sees sex, love, and motherhood as incompatible with the fiercer aspects of her personality. As demonstrated by the plethora of epithets ascribed to her, Artemis is complicated and contradictory, beloved and feared. Wandering the dusty, sunbaked streets of Delos, past the ruins of her temple, you can easily feel the goddess and her twin beside you. It seems a short leap to imagine her walking through the streets of Manhattan as well. In some ways, she is immortal indeed.

Jordanna Max Brodsky

New York, NY

April 2015

For the more ancient gods such as the Titans and primeval divinities, I’ve used the transliterated Greek spellings (Ouranos rather than Uranus). For the Olympians and others, I’ve used the more familiar Latinized spellings (Hephaestus rather than Hephaistos).

Aphrodite:
Goddess of Erotic Love and Beauty. One of the Twelve Olympians. Born of sea foam after Kronos castrates his father, Ouranos, and throws his genitals in the ocean. Wife of Hephaestus and lover of Ares. Attributes: dove, scallop shell, mirror.

Apollo:
God of Light, Music, Healing, Prophecy, Poetry, Archery, Civilization, Plague, and the Sun. One of the Twelve Olympians. Leader of the Muses. Twin brother of Artemis. Son of Leto and Zeus. Father of Asclepius. Born on the island of Delos. Called Phoebus (Bright One). Attributes: silver bow, laurel wreath, lyre. Modern alias: Paul Solson.

Ares:
God of War. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Zeus and Hera. Lover of Aphrodite. Attributes: armor, spear, poisonous serpent.

Artemis:
Goddess of the Wilderness, the Hunt, Virginity, Wild Animals, Hounds, Young Children, and the Moon. One of the Twelve Olympians. Twin sister of Apollo. Daughter of Leto
and Zeus. Born on the island of Delos. Called Phoebe, Cynthia, Diana. Has more epithets than any other god, including Far Shooter, Huntress, Relentless One, Protector of the Innocent, and more. Attributes: golden bow, hounds. Modern aliases: Phoebe Hautman, Dianne Delia, Melissa Dubois, Cynthia Forrester, Selene DiSilva.

Asclepius:
Hero-God of Medicine. Half-mortal son of Apollo. Worshiped in the Eleusinian Mysteries and many other cults. Attribute: a snake-twined staff.

Athena:
Goddess of Wisdom, Crafts, and Justified War. One of the Twelve Olympians. Virgin. Attributes: helmet, shield, owl.

Boreas:
God and embodiment of the north wind.

Cerberus:
Three-headed guard dog of the Underworld.

Demeter:
Goddess of Grain and Agriculture. One of the Twelve Olympians. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Sister of Zeus. Mother of Persephone. Patron goddess of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which retell the story of her quest for Persephone after the girl was abducted by Hades. Called Bountiful, Bringer of Seasons. Attributes: wheat sheaves, torch. Modern alias: Gwenith.

Dionysus:
God of Wine, Wild Plants, Festivity, Theater. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal. One of the gods worshiped in the Eleusinian Mysteries. Usually accompanied by maenads (female devotees) and satyrs (male devotees, sometimes with cloven hooves). Called Bacchus, Phallic, He Who Unties, He of the Wild Revels. Attributes: grape vine, thyrsus (a pinecone-tipped staff), ivy, leopard. Modern alias: Dennis Boivin.

Gaia:
Primeval Earth Divinity. Mother to all. Consort of Ouranos, the Sky.

Hades:
God of the Underworld, Death, Wealth. Son of Kronos and Rhea. Brother of Zeus. Husband of Persephone. Called Pluto, Receiver of Many, Hidden One. Attributes: helm of invisibility, bird-tipped scepter. Modern alias: Aiden.

Helen of Troy:
Daughter of Zeus and a mortal woman whom Zeus appeared to in the form of a swan. Reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Her abduction instigated the Trojan War. In the late sixteenth century, Christopher
Marlowe coined her most famous epithet, “the face that launch’d a thousand ships.”

Helios:
God and embodiment of the Sun. Also identified with Apollo, who has dominion over the sun.

Hephaestus:
God of the Forge and Fire. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Hera, born parthenogenically. Lamed when thrown off Olympus by Zeus and walks with a crutch. Called the Smith, the Sooty God, He of Many Arts and Skills, Lame One. Attributes: hammer, tongs.

Heracles:
Greatest of the Greek heroes. Also known as Hercules (Latin). Half-mortal son of Zeus. Completed twelve famous labors. On his death, he was made immortal by the gods and ascended to Olympus.

Hera:
Queen of the Gods. Goddess of Women, Marriage, and the Heavens. One of the Twelve Olympians. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Sister and jealous wife of Zeus. Mother of Ares and Hephaestus. Known as “white-armed.” Attributes: crown, peacock, lotus-tipped staff.

Hermes:
God of Thieves, Liars, Travel, Communication, Hospitality, and Athletics. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Zeus and a nymph. Known as “the Psychopompos,” the Conductor of Souls to the Underworld. Herald to the gods. Called Messenger, Luck-Bringing, Trickster, Many-Turning, Busy One. Attributes: caduceus (winged staff twined with snakes), winged sandals, winged cap. Modern aliases: Swifty O’May, Dash Mercer.

Hestia:
Goddess of the Hearth and Home. Eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Sister of Zeus. Virgin. Once part of the Twelve Olympians, but gave up her throne to Dionysus. She tended the sacred fire at the center of Mount Olympus. Called “The Eldest.” Attributes: veil, kettle.

Khaos:
Primeval embodiment of Chaos. From the same root as “chasm,” the name means the void from which all other primeval divinities sprang.

Kronos:
A Titan. With the help of his mother, Gaia (the Earth), he overthrew his father, Ouranos (the Sky), to become King of the Gods until overthrown in turn by Zeus, his son. Father/grandfather of the Olympians.

Leto:
Goddess of Motherhood and Modesty. Daughter of the Titans Phoibe and Koios. Lover of Zeus. Mother of Artemis and Apollo. Chased by jealous Hera to the island of Delos, where she finally gave birth to her twins. Called “neat-ankled,” Gentle Goddess, Mother of Twins. Attributes: veil, date palm. Modern alias: Leticia Delos.

Merope:
A nymph. Sometimes identified as one of the daughters of Atlas, the Titan who holds up the Earth. Artemis’s hunting companion.

Odysseus:
Hero of Homer’s
Odyssey
. Fought in the Trojan War, then took ten years to get home to his wife after many adventures along the way. Known for his cunning, cleverness, and eloquence. Mastermind behind the Trojan Horse.

Orion:
Son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. Artemis’s only male hunting companion. Some tales describe him as blinded and exiled after raping Merope, a king’s daughter. Other myths say he raped one of Artemis’s nymphs. He was killed either by a scorpion or by Artemis’s arrows. Placed as a constellation in the sky. Called the Hunter.

Ouranos:
Primeval Sky Divinity. Father of the Titans. Also called Uranus. Overthrown by his son Kronos.

Persephone:
Goddess of Spring and the Underworld. Daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Wife of Hades. Worshiped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which commemorate her abduction by Hades into the Underworld and her eventual return to her mother. Called Kore (“Maiden”), Discreet, Lovely. Attributes: wheat sheaves, torch. Modern alias: Cora.

Phoibe:
Titan goddess of the Moon and Prophecy. Mother of Leto. She gave the moon to her granddaughter, Artemis, and the gift of prophecy to her grandson, Apollo.

Poseidon:
God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Horses. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Kronos and Rhea. Brother of Zeus. Father of Orion, Theseus, and other heroes. Called “blue-haired,” Earth-Shaker, Horse-Tender. Attributes: trident.

Prometheus:
A Titan. After molding mankind from clay, he gave them fire, despite the prohibition of the other gods. As punishment, the Olympians chained him to a rock and sent an eagle to eat his liver every day for eternity.

Rhea:
A Titan. Goddess of Female Fertility. Queen of the Gods in the Age of Titans. Helped Zeus, her youngest son, overthrow his father, Kronos.

Selene:
Goddess and embodiment of the Moon. Lover of Endymion, a mortal to whom Zeus grants eternal youth and eternal slumber. While Artemis has dominion over the moon, Selene is the Moon incarnate.

Tithonus:
A shepherd boy loved by Eos, the Dawn. She begs Zeus to grant him immortality but forgets to ask for eternal youth. Eventually, he grows so old and shriveled that he’s turned into a grasshopper or cicada.

Zephyrus:
God and embodiment of the gentle west wind.

Zeus:
King and Father of the Gods. God of the Sky, Lightning, Weather, Law, and Fate. One of the Twelve Olympians. Youngest son of Kronos and Rhea. After Kronos swallowed his first five children, Rhea hid baby Zeus in the Cave of Psychro. After coming to manhood, Zeus cut his siblings from his father’s gullet, defeated the Titans, and began the reign of the Olympians. He divided the world with his two brothers, taking the Sky for himself. Husband (and brother) of Hera, but lover of many. Father of untold gods, goddesses, and heroes, including Artemis and Apollo. Attributes: lightning bolt, eagle, royal scepter.

Day One:
Procession of the Sacred Objects (
hiera
) from Demeter and Persephone’s temple in Eleusis to the Acropolis in Athens. The objects were carried in a
kiste
(chest) and a
kalathos
(basket). (Note: This is often considered the “Day Before Day One,” and the
Agyrmos
is counted as Day One. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve counted the
Agyrmos
as Day Two.)

Day Two: Agyrmos, “the Gathering”:
The opening ceremony. Initiates (
mystai
) are given their instructions. The Sacred Objects are taken into Demeter’s Athenian temple, accompanied by singing and dancing.

Day Three: Alade!
Mystai
!, “Seawards, Initiates!”:
Ritual cleansing of the initiates in the ocean south of Athens.

Day Four:
Heireia
Deuro!, “Bring Sacred Offerings!”:
Initiates offer suckling pigs to the goddesses. City-states bring tithes of grain to Athens.

Day Five:
Asklepia
, “Feast of Asclepius”:
The cult of Asclepius joins the rite. Initiates spend the night seeking “healing dreams,” probably in the Athenian temple to Asclepius, built in a cave with a sacred spring.

Day Six:
Pompe
, “Procession”:
Hierophants (priests) and initiates process with the Sacred Objects from Athens back to Eleusis. They start at the Kerameikos Cemetery, then cross the Bridge of Jests, where jesters mock them with bawdy jokes. The
Pompe
is sometimes associated with Dionysus.

Day Seven:
Pannychis
, “Nightlong Revelry”:
Torch-lit dancing around a “well of beautiful dances” near Demeter’s temple in Eleusis.

Days Eight and Nine:
Mysteriotides Nychtes
, “Nights of the Mysteries”:
Exact rituals unknown. Secret rites took place inside Demeter’s temple at the Telesterion, the “Hall of Completion.” The ritual included three components:
Legomena
(“Things Said”),
Dromena
(“Things Done”), and
Deiknumena
(“Things Shown”). Likely, the rites involved the display of the
Sacred Objects and a reenactment of the story of Persephone’s abduction by Hades and her later return to her mother, Demeter. Initiates drank
kykeon
, a special potion, possibly consisting of barley water and pennyroyal. At the climax of the ritual, they received a holy, life-altering vision.

Day Ten:
Plemochoai
, “Libations”:
Initiates pour libations (offerings of wine or water) to the gods and to their ancestors.