ABSTRACT
In the fifth century BC Eleusis and the sanctuary of the Two Goddesses were very much a part of Athens. At the end of the sixth century, as a result of the democratic reforms, the town of Eleusis had become one of the many demes making up the Athenian polis. In spite of this well-known fact, modern works often refer erroneously to Athens and Eleusis as if they were separate cities, as if the territory of Athens comprised only the area immediately around the Acropolis-ignoring the fact that the Athenian polis extended to the borders of Megara and Boeotia in the west and north and to the sea on all other sides.2 In size, therefore, Eleusis constituted just a tiny part of Athens. No one would deny that at least from the middle of the sixth century BC, the town of Eleusis, though not yet a deme in the later sense, was already part of the polis. But there are differing opinions on the relation of Eleusis to Athens prior to this time. The question is of great importance for our understanding of the early history of the Mysteria, Athens’ most famous festival, which was celebrated in the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Eleusis (Figure 6.1).
