324 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XV. 



grief ov heaviness ; because of her sorrow for the 

 loss of her daughter, when stolen by Pluto. The 

 same secrecy was strictly enjoined, not only in 

 Attica, but in all other places of Greece where 

 the festival was observed, except Crete ; and if any 

 person, not lawfully initiated, did even through 

 ignorance or mistake chance to be present at the 

 mysterious rites, he forfeited his life. . . . Persons 

 of both sexes, and all ages, were initiated. Indeed 

 it was not a matter of indifference whether they 

 would be so or not ; for the neglect of it was 

 looked upon as a crime, insomuch that it was 

 one part of the accusation for which Socrates 

 was condemned to death. All persons initiated 

 were thought to live in a state of greater happiness 

 and security than other men, being under the more 

 immediate care and protection of the Goddess. 

 Nor did the benefit of it extend only to this life ; 

 even after death they enjoyed (as was believed) 

 far greater degrees of felicity than others, and were 

 honoured with the first places in the Elysian shades. 

 But since the benefits of initiation were so great, 

 no wonder they were very cautious what persons 

 they admitted to it. Such, therefore, as were con- 

 victed of witchcraft, or any other heinous crime, 

 or had committed murder, though against their 

 will, were debarred from these mysteries ; and 

 though in later ages all persons, barbarians ex- 

 cepted, were admitted to them, yet in the primi- 

 tive times the Athenians excluded all strangers, 

 that is, all who were not members of their own 

 commonwealth. Hence, when Hercules, Castor, 



