Today, nearly forgotten and sparsely populated, the small Greek island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean Sea was once an important cultural center and the heart of the ancient religious cult of the Great Gods. Samothrace is first mentioned in the Iliad, where it is said that Poseidon used to sit atop Mount Saos, located in the middle of the island, and observe the battles of the Trojan War on the Anatolian coast.
Archaeological research indicates that the island was inhabited since the end of the Neolithic period, around 3000 BCE. During the 2nd millennium BCE, during the Bronze Age, a new wave of immigrants arrived from the large Thracian ethnic group of Indo-European origin. Memory of those ancient inhabitants is preserved in mythological tradition, and their cults survived in elements of the Samothracian mystery cult.
During the great Greek colonization that followed around 750 BCE, the indigenous population mixed with the Greek colonizers from the Aeolis region, who settled on the island and built Paleopolis, the Old Town. They adopted and adapted some of the local religious practices and continued the worship of the Great Gods.
They adopted and Hellenized existing cults and religious center, and under their control the island flourished. Paleopolis became a renowned religious center with the sanctuary of the Great Gods and the most important mystical center in northern Greece, respected as much as Eleusis near Athens.
During the rule of later Macedonian, Egyptian, and Roman rulers, Samothrace enjoyed a special status as a sacred place and was under their protection.
The decline of Samothrace as a religious and spiritual center occurred gradually, with the weakening of the cultural impulse of the ancient world. A great blow was dealt to it by an earthquake around 200 AD, after which its sanctuary never regained its former glory. Its end was marked by Emperor Theodosius, who in 391 AD first banned visits to “pagan temples and the viewing of vandalistic statues,” and then a year later outlawed all non-Christian rituals, including those of Samothrace, calling them “pagan superstition.” The final destruction came with an earthquake in the 6th century. I want to go.
Mysterious religions
Mysteries (from the Greek mysteria – secret cult) represent the esoteric side of religion with secret initiation rituals and the confidential transmission of knowledge to the initiates.
Cult rituals and initiations were performed in secret, even when the mysteries became known and respected throughout the Hellenic world. The vow of silence and the seal of secrecy accompanied the initiates and prevented access to those deemed unworthy of the sublime knowledge. The best indicator of the importance and depth of the content of the mysterious religions is the fact that many philosophers, statesmen, and artists of that time were initiated into their wisdom.
Among the Greek mystery cults, the most revered were the Eleusinian, Orphic, Dionysian, and Samothracian, each with its own mythical history written in symbolic language. Their main common characteristic is ancient origins and secrecy. However, the reasons for their limited familiarity and difficult understanding in today’s time are not We are fascinated by the mystery that surrounded them, the fragmentary sources, and the great time distance. Above all, they were part of a cultural and civilizational circle whose worldview and criteria for evaluation differ significantly from today’s. Therefore, today we primarily associate the concept of “mystery” either with special puzzles and supernatural phenomena or with darkness and charlatanism.
In order to even grasp the inner, hidden aspect of religion on Samothrace, we need to familiarize ourselves with the exoteric, mythical tradition that preserves its inner essence.
HEROES ON SAMOTHRACE
Mythical tradition states that the indigenous people of Samothrace, like all of Greece, were Pelasgians, descendants of Pelasgus. Allegedly, the mysteries have existed on the island since ancient times, and later they were entrusted to Dardanus and Jasius, sons of Zeus and Electra, daughter of the titan Atlas. According to Greek mythology, they were born on this island, while Roman mythology tells that they fled from Etruria, carrying sacred statues. Dardanus (“the one who burns”) “was the ancestor of the Trojans, and Jasion (“healer”) the protector of the fertile interior of the land and the favorite of the goddess Demeter, with whom she bore a son named Plutus, the god of prosperity. But Zeus decided that the other of these two sons [Jasion] should also be celebrated, so he initiated him into the mysteries that had existed on the island since ancient times, but were since then, it is said, given into his hands. Of course, no one is allowed to hear about the mysteries except for the initiated ones. (Diodorus Siculus, V, 4).
It is said that Jasion was the first to initiate foreigners, and Dardanus built a temple where the mysteries were held in honor of the gods, whose names were secret.
The Samothracian rituals were dedicated to Hercules, Orpheus, Theseus, Castor and Pollux, as well as many other heroes “hidden” behind the name of the Argonauts, who participated with Jason in the search for the Golden Fleece. Even in Roman times, it was believed that the five bronze cups from Samothrace were dedicated as a gift from the Argonauts. In Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, it is mentioned: At the suggestion of Orpheus.” In the evening, they anchored the ship on Samothrace, the island of Electra, Atlas’s daughter. He wished them to learn something about secret rituals through a sacred initiation and thus sail across the great sea with greater certainty… Dardanus was also responsible for bringing the mysteries to Troy. However, what Dardanus brought to a new homeland did not disappear with the fall of Troy. Namely, the Romans considered themselves descendants of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who, after the fall of Troy and by the order of the gods, founded a new kingdom across the sea, on the shores of Latium. Aeneas took with him ‘holy offerings’ of the gods when leaving Troy, which they later called Penates:
“Now, however, Troy entrusting their Penates.
Let them accompany you on your journey,
and seek a lofty city for them,
There, place them in peace
when you wander through many seas.”
So he said,
and carried Vesta with her ribbons,
Carried the eternal fire
with his own hands from the temple.
Virgil, Aeneid
The Penates were the protective gods of Roman hearths, families, and the state, and in later periods they were portrayed as two male figures. The headquarters of the Penates, the Roman people, was the inner sanctuary of the temple of the goddess Vesta on the Forum, or the “state hearth”. Therefore, the “Dardanian circle” closed there, through Samothrace and Troy.
The question remains as to how such a small island, almost isolated from the main centers of ancient culture, could gain such fame and spread its influence from Asia Minor to Rome. By following the traces of ancient myths, we can see that its size was given by a deep, hidden source of spiritual wealth, which intertwined and connected many diverse “histories”, events, and characters, both symbolic and likely real, with secret links.
THE CULT OF CABIRI – THE GREAT GODS
The ancient mysteries of Samothrace attracted worshippers from the entire Greco-Roman world for over a thousand years. It is known that part of the mysteries consisted of worshiping gods whose names were hidden from the public and were often simply called Gods or Great Gods (Theoi megaloi). Herodotus says: The Pelasgians were They did not offer sacrifices and pray to the gods, without mentioning the name or nickname of any of them; they, in fact, had never even heard their names. They called themselves gods because they had organized everything so beautifully and gave each one what they deserved. (History, II, 51, 52). Herodotus and other ancient writers call them the Kabiri (Kabeiroi), although this name has never been found on Samothrace.
The origin of the Kabiri is pre-Greek and actually unknown, and the exact number of these deities is also unknown; their number varied over time, so it was believed that there were two, three, four, or seven Kabiri. The only certain thing is that the Kabiri are very ancient deities, so ancient that over time they have been identified with different “younger” deities and associated with other cults and traditions.
By the middle of the 4th century BC, the Greeks had already identified them with Demeter, Persephone, Hades, and Hermes, and associated them with fertility, death, and life after death. Thus, Pausanias says that near Thebes there is a sacri Today I visited the sanctuary of “Demeter Kabirijska” and Persephone. Only those initiated into the mysteries can enter it. I ask the curious people to forgive my silence about who the Kabiri are and what rituals are performed in their honor and in honor of the Mother. The people of Thebes say that there used to be a city on that site whose inhabitants were called Kabiri, and that Demeter came to Prometheus, one of the Kabiri, and his son Etna, and entrusted them with something. What she entrusted them with and what happened, I felt that I was not allowed to write about. But in any case, the gift of Demeter Kabiri is initiation into the secret rituals.
The Kabiri are also associated with Hephaestus, the god of fire, and were worshipped on Lemnos, the sacred island of Hephaestus, as protectors of blacksmiths and metallurgy. Pausanias tells us that originally the kabiric deity was Prometheus, and Diodorus attributes the invention of fire, iron production, and other useful knowledge to the “Kabiri – Titans”, which connects them all to the element of fire.
However, it seems that the circle of related deities does not end here. Modern. Researchers connect Kabir’s identity with certain Indian and Iranian deities. H.P. Blavatsky states that the Kabiri are Great gods, the most secretive of all ancient divinities, identical to the Indian Kumaras and Rudra, representing the personification of the sacred fires of secret forces of nature.
It can be assumed that the Great gods, “discovered” in the Samothracian mysteries, represented those mysterious, eternally creative forces of nature and processes through which the world was created. Perhaps that is why the generic term Kabiri was used, as it is difficult to name the invisible and propulsive without limiting or distorting it. Furthermore, only those who have awakened these same potentials within themselves could recognize these forces. According to this interpretation, the Kabiri would be divine powers that create and govern “fire”, guardians of the creative forces of nature, rulers of the seasons and changes in energy in nature, masters of all earthly affairs, and above all, friends and benefactors of humans who, like Prometheus, bring… The initiates of the “sacred fire” were taught various skills and abilities, or the light of intelligence.
MYSTERIES
The Cult of the Great Gods had both a public and a secret part. Public ceremonies in honor of the Great Gods were held in the middle of summer, lasting for three days. Cities used to send their official “observers”, theoroi, to the sanctuary to make offerings and vows, ensuring blessings for their people.
Unlike the Eleusinian mysteries, the Samothracian mysteries were open to both genders and people from all social classes. The condition for initiation was purity and moral integrity. There were two levels of initiation, myesis and epopteia, “Little Mysteries” and “Great Mysteries”. The Little Mysteries were focused on purification (catharsis) and served as a preparation for the Great Mysteries. Very little is known about the details of the initiation ceremonies. It is only known that the ceremonies took place at night, illuminated by the light of the sacred fire. Aklji and Uljanica, in the most secluded parts of the sanctuary (anaktoron and hieron), and that the pre-Greek language was used as a lingua sacra until the 1st century BC. After the purification ritual, which took place in a specific sequence, holy objects and symbols were revealed. In the form of a ceremonial drama, the “sacred history” was unveiled, i.e. the metaphysical explanation of the myth, the content of which is unknown to us. At the end, the new initiate received a red ribbon around their waist, which represented an amulet and a symbol of protection, as well as a ring made of magnetized iron, symbolizing constant connection with divine power.
Entrance into the Great Mysteries could be obtained immediately after the Lesser Mysteries, if the mystes desired it and if their moral and spiritual characteristics allowed for it, although achieving the epopteie degree in Samothrace was more of an exception than a rule. In order to assess the candidate’s state of inner purity, the epoptes had to undergo the so-called psychostasis, the “weighing of the soul” related to the good and bad deeds they had done. We know nothing about the ceremonies and events that happened afterwards. Perhaps now, curious reader, wanting to find out, you will ask: “What was said, what was done then?” I would tell you if I were allowed, and you would know about it if it could be heard. But both ears and tongue would suffer the same punishment; the tongue for unnecessary chatter, and the ears for forbidden curiosity. And that’s why I won’t torment you with long uncertainty, because you may be overwhelmed by a pious desire. So listen and believe in the truth. I approached the boundary between life and death; I crossed Proserpine’s threshold and, when I passed through all the beginnings, I returned again: I saw the Sun shining deeply in the night with full brightness, I approached the gods of the underworld and the gods of the upper world, I saw them face to face, and I prayed to them up close. Here is my story, and even though you heard it, you shouldn’t know it. I will refrain from revealing only what is allowed to be known and is not sacred. (Apuleius, The Golden Ass).
Herodotus was among the first initiates and those we know. Aristophanes mentions that many Athenians were initiated into these mysteries, and we also know about the Spartan king Lysander. Plutarch mentions that both the Macedonian king Philip II and his future wife Olympias, the parents of Alexander the Great, were initiated into the mysteries on Samothrace at the same time. The first recorded Roman initiate was initiated in 149 BC. From that date onwards, the number of initiates increased, and allegedly Emperor Hadrian also visited the island in 123 AD and was initiated into the mysteries.
ROLE OF THE MYSTERIES
Epictetus emphasizes the moral values of the initiates of Samothrace, and Diodorus Siculus confirms that they become more religious, righteous, and overall better in every way. Plato says that the true task of the mysteries was to restore the soul to its primordial purity, to a state of perfection from which it “fell” into the manifested world. He compares what is “seen” in the mysteries with what a person “sees” when outside the body, after death: …as the initiates and the seers approached the secret of the perfect and unified. of the eternal and unchanging and blissful phenomena, which are revealed to us in pure light, pure and unstained by what we now carry with us and call the body, in which we are enclosed like oysters in their shell. Clement of Alexandria reports that in the Great Mysteries, acquaintance with the nature and essence of all things was made possible.
The Mysteries did not offer anything outside of man himself, but instead assisted in awakening his consciousness and liberating his soul. The secret knowledge that was transmitted had the role of enabling the initiate to “knowing oneself, know the world and the gods.” In the Samothracian Lesser Mysteries, efforts were made to purify man from all worldly things, to rid him of his animal instincts and everything that could hinder his progress, so that he could touch the heart of things and ascend to the epopteia, the contemplation of all. When the veil of illusions that weaves the visible world around man’s senses is thinning, teachings about the origin of things and the creative forces of nature are revealed. Then the “approach” opens up. To the great gods – Kabirs.
The newly initiated were told about this protection that the dedicated had during their lifetime and after death, many sources speak of it. Once one realizes that their “drop” is part of the ocean of the world, their “spark” is part of the fire of the world, and their soul is part of the soul of the world and the unity of everything that exists, they will never be alone… Aware of their divine nature and free from the fear of the end of earthly life, the initiate transcended their weakness and limitations, and was more prepared for the journey that follows after death.
The vow of silence about the actions and contents of the mysteries that bound the initiate, however, did not separate them from other people. Just as deep love and deep pain are not expressed in words, neither is the deepest experience of the mysterious forces that govern Life expressed in words, but rather through silence and deeds. The acquired knowledge and experience were expressed by philosophers, artists, statesmen, and those less known through their own example of moral improvement. nja and through his actions which were for the benefit of all.
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At the site of the famous sanctuary of Samothrace, numerous altars, oil lamps, cups, and rings made of magnetized iron were found, as well as a fragmentary list of initiates preserved on stone steles, which in itself reveals almost nothing about the mysteries of Samothrace because their true content has sunk together with mythical tradition. Only one interesting fact related to the archaeological excavations at Samothrace, which were initiated by the French in the 19th century, is worth noting. Among the first discoveries in the sanctuary of the Great Gods appeared, like some significant message from ancient times, the magnificent winged sculpture of Nike of Samothrace, the goddess of victory.
1 According to some myths, he was the first man who lived in the world, and he was created by the goddess Eurynome, daughter of the titan Oceanus.
2 Jasion and Jason – the leader of the Argonauts, are two different characters.
3 Greek tradition knows two more different characters named Elektra; one is the mother of Iris and the Harpies, and the other is. Electra, the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.
4 A Greek god of wealth and prosperity. Later became the Roman god Pluto, with some characteristics of Hades.
5 Hector who appeared to Aeneas in a dream.