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Classical Mythology
45-
Lesson1.1
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Quiz1.1
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Quiz1.2
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Quiz1.3
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Lesson1.2
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Lesson1.3
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Lesson1.4
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Lesson1.5
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Lesson1.6
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Lesson1.7
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Lesson1.8
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Lesson1.9
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Lesson1.10
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Lesson1.11
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Lesson1.12
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Lesson1.13
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Lesson1.14
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Lesson1.15
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Lesson1.16
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Lesson1.17
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Lesson1.18
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Lesson1.19
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Lesson1.20
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Lesson1.21
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Lesson1.22
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Lesson1.23
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Lesson1.24
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Lesson1.25
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Lesson1.26
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Lesson1.27
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Lesson1.28
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Lesson1.29
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Lesson1.30
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Lesson1.31
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Lesson1.32
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Lesson1.33
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Lesson1.34
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Lesson1.35
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Lesson1.36
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Lesson1.37
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Lesson1.38
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Lesson1.39
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Lesson1.40
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Lesson1.41
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Lesson1.42
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Classical Literature - Course Guide
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Classical Drama
9-
Lesson3.1
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Lesson3.2
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Lesson3.3
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Lesson3.4
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Lesson3.5
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Lesson3.6
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Lesson3.7
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Lesson3.8
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Lesson3.9
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Classical Literature - Antigone
5-
Lesson4.1
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Lesson4.2
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Lesson4.3
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Lesson4.4
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Lesson4.5
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Classical Literature - Medea
A study of Euripides' tragedy, Medea. A play performed in Athens, based upon the myth of Medea, Jason and the Argonauts and the aftermath of the quest for the Golden Fleece.
4-
Lesson5.1
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Lesson5.2
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Lesson5.3
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Lesson5.4
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Classical Literature - Aeneid
6-
Lesson6.1
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Lesson6.2
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Lesson6.3
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Lesson6.4
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Lesson6.5
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Lesson6.6
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Life in Classical Greece - Power and Freedom
1-
Lesson7.1
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Life in the Roman World - Power and Freedom videos
1-
Lesson8.1
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Life in the Roman World - Religion & Belief - Introduction
11-
Lesson9.1
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Lesson9.2
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Lesson9.3
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Lesson9.4
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Lesson9.5
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Lesson9.6
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Lesson9.7
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Lesson9.8
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Lesson9.9
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Lesson9.10
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Lesson9.11
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Life in the Roman World - State Religion
8-
Lesson10.1
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Lesson10.2
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Lesson10.3
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Lesson10.4
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Lesson10.5
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Lesson10.6
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Lesson10.7
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Lesson10.8
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Life in the Roman World - Domestic Religion
5-
Lesson11.1
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Lesson11.2
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Lesson11.3
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Lesson11.4
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Lesson11.5
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Life in the Roman World - Mystery Religions
6-
Lesson12.1
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Lesson12.2
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Lesson12.3
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Lesson12.4
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Lesson12.5
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Lesson12.6
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Life in the Roman World - Religious tolerance in the Roman world
3-
Lesson13.1
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Lesson13.2
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Lesson13.3
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Life in the Roman World - Philosophical attitudes to religious beliefs
3-
Lesson14.1
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Lesson14.2
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Lesson14.3
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Life in Classical Greece - Religion & Belief - Introduction
21-
Lesson15.1
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Lesson15.2
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Lesson15.3
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Lesson15.4
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Lesson15.5
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Lesson15.6
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Lesson15.7
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Lesson15.8
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Lesson15.9
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Lesson15.10
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Lesson15.11
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Lesson15.12
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Lesson15.13
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Lesson15.14
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Lesson15.15
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Lesson15.16
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Lesson15.17
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Lesson15.18
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Lesson15.19
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Lesson15.20
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Lesson15.21
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Life in Classical Greece - State Religion
23-
Lesson16.1
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Lesson16.2
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Lesson16.3
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Lesson16.4
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Lesson16.5
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Lesson16.6
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Lesson16.7
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Lesson16.8
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Lesson16.9
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Lesson16.10
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Lesson16.11
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Lesson16.12
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Lesson16.13
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Lesson16.14
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Lesson16.15
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Lesson16.16
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Lesson16.17
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Lesson16.18
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Lesson16.19
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Lesson16.20
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Lesson16.21
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Lesson16.22
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Lesson16.23
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Life in Classical Greece - Mystery Religions
7-
Lesson17.1
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Lesson17.2
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Lesson17.3
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Lesson17.4
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Lesson17.5
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Lesson17.6
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Lesson17.7
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Life in Classical Greece - Domestic Religion
17-
Lesson18.1
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Lesson18.2
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Lesson18.3
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Lesson18.4
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Lesson18.5
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Lesson18.6
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Lesson18.7
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Lesson18.8
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Lesson18.9
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Lesson18.10
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Lesson18.11
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Lesson18.12
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Lesson18.13
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Lesson18.14
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Lesson18.15
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Lesson18.16
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Lesson18.17
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Life in Classical Greece - Gender Roles within Religious Worship
11-
Lesson19.1
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Lesson19.2
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Lesson19.3
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Lesson19.4
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Lesson19.5
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Lesson19.6
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Lesson19.7
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Lesson19.8
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Lesson19.9
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Lesson19.10
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Lesson19.11
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Greek and Roman Views on the After-Life section 1
Treatment of the dead
8-
Lesson20.1
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Lesson20.2
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Lesson20.3
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Lesson20.4
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Lesson20.5
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Lesson20.6
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Lesson20.7
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Lesson20.8
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Greek and Roman Views on the After-Life section 2
The mythological Underworld and the attitude of philosophers to the Underworld
13-
Lesson21.1
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Lesson21.2
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Lesson21.3
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Lesson21.4
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Lesson21.5
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Lesson21.6
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Lesson21.7
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Lesson21.8
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Lesson21.9
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Lesson21.10
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Lesson21.11
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Lesson21.12
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Lesson21.13
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Life in Classical Greece - Death and the Afterlife
11-
Lesson22.1
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Lesson22.2
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Lesson22.3
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Lesson22.4
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Lesson22.5
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Lesson22.6
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Lesson22.7
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Lesson22.8
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Lesson22.9
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Lesson22.10
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Lesson22.11
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Life in Classical Greece - Challengers of traditional beliefs
3-
Lesson23.1
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Lesson23.2
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Lesson23.3
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Eleusinian Mysteries

These were held in honour of Demeter at Eleusis where the goddess had been received kindly in her time of sorrow at the ‘loss’ of her daughter. In return for the kindness shown her, Demeter taught the Eleusinians the secret mystery rites of her cult. Anyone was welcomed into the Mysteries as long as they could speak Greek.
Initiation took place in two stages.
- January-February: The Lesser Mysteries were held at Agrai outside Athens and were dedicated to Persephone. The ‘mystai’ wore wreaths and carried myrtle branches. A woman carried the sacred basket of seeds and grains on her head to symbolise Demeter’s gifts.
- August-September: The Greater Mysteries. A truce of 55 days was allowed so that all could travel to the festival from different parts of Greece.
The ceremonies included:
- youths of 18-19 years escorted sacred things to Athens
- a gathering
- purification rites: initiates bathed in the sea, each with a sucking pig to be sacrificed later
- initiates spent time indoors
- initiates went in procession to Eleusis, led by Iakhos, the personification of the initiates’ cry; they carried myrtle branches, food, bedding and new clothes
- they reached Eleusis and presented the basket to Demeter
- sacrifices to Demeter and Persephone
- revelations took place through the night in the Teleusterion which could hold 10,000
- revelations were based on ‘things said’, ‘things done’, ‘things revealed’
- perhaps light appeared from darkness
- perhaps an ear of corn carried around.
Because of the secrecy involved, we know little about the Mysteries. Our evidence comes from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and from writers mocking and criticising the rites. So our information can be biased and confused. What seems clear, however, is that the Mysteries provided intense personal involvement, emotional experience and a happy afterlife.
Appeal of the mysteries:
- promise of a happy afterlife
- perhaps based on moral code in life
- open to all: different classes, different states
- family-centred: based on mother-child relationship
- idea of resurrection, life after death
- suggestion of unhappy afterlife for those not involved
- outlet for women.