What Is The Eleusis Museum?

The Archaeological Museum of Eleusis is found in Eleusis, Attica, Greece. It is a small museum located on the low hill above the Telesterion in the middle of the archaeological site. Eleusis is one of the five sacred cities of Ancient Greek.

Eleusis owed its celebrity to being the chief seat of the worship of Goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone (Kore), and the Eleusinian Mysteries that was celebrated in their honour. It is regarded as the most sacred of all the Grecian mysteries down to the fall of paganism.

It houses artifacts unearthed in the excavations in the surrounding site, ranging in age from Neolithic to Byzantine times.

Some of the objects date from the 5^th century BC, when the reputation of the temple was Panhellenic, and many believers moved to Eleusis to attend the ceremonies of the Eleusinian mysteries.

Many of the findings is associated with these ceremonies. Piglets reminds of the sacrifice of these animals for the purgation of the believers at Phaleron, which took place in some of the preparatory stages of the ceremonies.

The kernos is a ceremonial vessel used at the sacrifices and at the offerings made to the altars and the temples. It was used to return the sacred symbols on the Holy Road from the Ancient Agora to the Sanctuary for the final initiation.

The two most important findings of Eleusis have been transferred to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Only copies exist at the Eleusis Museum:

• The first is a relief showing Demeter, the Kore, and King of Eleusis Triptolemos, about 2,2 meters high and dating back to the 5^th century BC. It portrays the king in preparation to teach the world about agriculture.
• The second is the Ninnion clay tablet dating from the 4^th century BC. It shows scenes from the ceremonies at the Temple of Demeter and is dedicated by Ninnion. It is significant in the sense that it confirms information on the strict secret rituals of the Eleusinian mysteries.

Furthermore, the museum houses a full collection of pottery, written tables, metal items, inscription and reliefs dating from Middle Helladic Era, between 2000 or 1950 – 1580 BC, to the early Christian times.

History

The museum was originally designed by the German architect Kaverau and built in 1889 to house the excavation finds from the site. In 1892 it was extended by the Greek architect J. Mousis. The sixth room on the western side was added later.

Interest For Today

The museum consists of four rooms and a courtyard in which all the excavation finds are exhibited.

• Courtyard

The marble sarcophagus of Roman Times, dating to the 2^nd century AD, portrays a scene of the hunting of the Caledonian Boar on the front. In addition, there are two marble torches, some composite capitals from the Lesser Propylaea and some marble funeral vases.

• Room I

One of the most splendid examples of the Proto-attic style, the Eleusis amphora, dating back to 650 BC is exhibited here. On the neck of the vase is a representation of the blinding of the cyclops Polyphemos by Ulysses. On the body, the myth of Perseus and Gorgo is illustrated.

There is also the decree relief of Rheito, dated to 421 BC. The inscription on the lower part concerns the construction of a abridge over the Rheitoi Lake. The relief above the inscription portrays the patron goddesses of Athens and Eleusis, dated to 421 B.C.

• Room II

It houses the headless statue of the goddess Demeter, which is an original dating to the late 5^th century BC. It was sculpted in the workshop of Agorakritos.

• Room III

Here you find the headless statue of Asclepios, the god of Medicine which is an original work of the 4^th century BC. It also portrays the Archaistic statue of a Kore, originally holding a bowl, now lost, containing purification water. The statue probably belonged to the sculptural decoration of the Sacred House and dates to the early 5^th century BC. Further is a statuette of Poseidon and a Roman copy of a work by Lysippus.

• Room IV

In the centre of this room are two plaster models illustrating the sanctuary in the 6^th century BC at the bottom and in the Roman Period at the top. It has two marble statues of Roman emperors and a statue of Antinous, who was a favourite of emperor Hadrian. It is dated to the 2^nd century AD.

• Room V

The oversize statue of the Kistophorus Kore stands in the middle of the room. It was one of two Caryatids that supported the roof of the Lesser Propylaea of the Sanctuary and is dated to the 1^st century BC.

• Room VI

The showcases in this room contain pottery and other small finds from the sanctuary and the cemeteries of ancient Eleusis. Stone inscription referring to the technical specification for the manufacture of the bronze ties in the column drums of the Stoa of Philon, dates to the 4^th century BC.

All phases of the life of the site are represented, from prehistoric times to the late Roman period. In one of the cases there are clay and stone kernoi, which was characteristic utensils of the Eleusinian cults.

Hours of Business

• 2 January – 31 December from Tuesday to Sunday from 08:30 – 15:00.

Tickets

• Full: €6, Reduced: €3
• Special ticket package: Full: €6, Reduced: €3

Free admission days

• 6 March (in memory of Melina Mercouri)
• 18 April (International Monuments Day)
• 18 May (International Museums Day)
• The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)
• 28 October
• Every first Sunday from 1 November to 31 March

Contact information

• Address: Sotiriou Gkioka 1, Elefsina 192 00, Greece
• Coordinates: 38°2′26.52″N, 23°32′15.36″E
• Telephone: +30 210 5546019

How To Get There?

Eleusis is a town and municipality in West Attica, Greece. It is about 18 kilometres northwest from the centre of Athens on the Thriasian Plain, at the northern end of the Saronic Gulf.

The city can be reached by bus, metro, or car. It is less than a 30-minute drive. The bus terminus is situated in central Eleusis, and from there one can walk 2 to 3 minutes to the archaeological site and museum.

The buses follow what used to be the most famous road in ancient Greece, the Iera Odos, also referred to as the Sacred Way. The Iera Odos, in ancient times, connected the Acropolis of Athens and the Eleusis Sanctuary.