The interesting town of Elefsina is located at about 30 km North West from Athens, in Greece. This town used to be the second most important one in ancient Greece, and is strongly related to a very important Greek myth in which the Goddess Demeter had a main role.
The ancient Greek mythology tells that Persephone, the daughter of the Goddess Demeter, had been kidnapped by Pluto, the god of Hades, and Demeter went to Elefsina disguised trying to find her. While being in Elefsina, the Goddess Demeter had a misunderstood with the king Keleos and his family which made her want to aisolate from the town’s people and attract a disastrous situation, with droughts, famines, and loss of harvests to the entire town.
According to the myth, a while after the Goddess had caused this disastrous situation to the town of Elefsina, she finally could find her daughter Persephone. Once the Goddess Demeter found her daughter, she became very happy and re-established the harmony and peace in Elefsina, providing it with great harvests and plenty of fertility.
A Greek cult was created around this myth, and one of the most important aspects it would imply is what is known as the Elefsinian Mysteries. According to the mythology, the Elefsinian Mysteries could only be known by a few people who were initiated into the cult and who were prevented from telling others about them in order to maintain the secrecy.
During the 19th century, an English collector of antiquities found a statue of Demeter buried to its neck and took it away with him, which caused worries and fears to the town’s population. It seems that since that moment, the town’s lands lost some of its fertility and the city received several factories which caused it to become the most polluted area in the region.
As it can be noticed according to its past and the mythology related to it, the town of Elefsina is a very interesting destination, often described as one of the most appealing ones in all Greece. History and Greek mythology are without any doubt the main attraction offered by this town, and those visitors who enjoy this disciplines should try to visit it while being in this region.