Ancient Mystery Cults

The foremost historian of Greek religion provides the first comprehensive, comparative study of a little-known aspect of ancient religious beliefs and practices. Secret mystery cults flourished within the larger culture of the public religion of Greece and Rome for roughly a thousand years. This book is neither a history nor a survey but a comparative phenomenology, concentrating on five major cults. In defining the mysteries and describing their rituals, membership, organization, and dissemination, Walter Burkert displays the remarkable erudition we have come to expect of him; he also shows sensitivity and sympathy in interpreting the experiences and motivations of the devotees. Fascinating ... The writing is clear and engaging _.. [Readers will] learn much about how ancient human beings attempted to find security and joy in a difficult world. They will be able to enter, at least partially, into very different minds and glimpse experiences of ecstasy and wonder that took place many centuries ago.” —Judith Amory, Wilson Library Bulletin “Widely recognized as our best scholar of ancient Greek religion... Burkert deals with the evidence directly, clearing away misconceptions and discussing problems of interpretation ... Extremely valuable.” —The Key Reporter Walter Burkert is Professor of Classical Philology, University of Zurich, and the author of Lore and Science in Ancient Pythagoreanism and Greek Religion, both published by Harvard University Press.