Among the mystery cults of Greek antiquity, that of Samothrace was second in prestige only to Eleusis. On this small mountainous island in the northern Aegean stood the sanctuary of the Great Gods, Theoi Megaloi, where for centuries men and women of every origin came to receive an initiation whose content we still know very little about, but whose form we know rather well.
An island and a sanctuary
Samothrace rises from the sea with Mount Fengari, a presence visible from afar to sailors. The sanctuary occupied a valley on the northern side of the island, between two streams. Excavations, carried out at intervals since the nineteenth century and systematically from 1938 by American missions, have uncovered a series of sacred buildings corresponding to the different stages of the rite.
The most famous find is the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the great statue discovered in 1863 and now in the Louvre. But for the history of initiation, less spectacular buildings matter more: halls for gatherings of initiates, enclosures, altars, a large rotunda dedicated by Queen Arsinoe II in the third century BC.
Who the Great Gods were
The ancients themselves were reticent about the names of the deities worshipped. The sources speak generically of "Great Gods"; other authors identify them with the Cabiri, deities of non-Greek origin connected with fire, metalworking and the protection of sailors. Herodotus, in the second book of his Histories, alludes to the mysteries of the Cabiri at Samothrace and implies that their meaning was clear only to those who had received them.
Inscriptions found on the island contain words in a non-Greek language, probably the local substratum, still used in the cult in the Hellenistic age. It is one of the most suggestive clues to the antiquity of these rites.
Two grades of initiation
Unlike Eleusis, which celebrated its great ceremonies in a precise season, Samothrace seems to have received candidates at various times of the year, especially during the sailing season. The inscriptions distinguish two levels:
- Myesis, first-degree initiation, open to the mystes.
- Epopteia, the higher grade, reserved for the epoptes, "the one who beholds".
The lists of initiates carved in stone show a remarkable feature: they include free people and slaves, men and women, Greeks and Romans. Initiation was not reserved to a caste or a citizenship.
The confession
An anecdote reported by Plutarch has struck many scholars. It is said that a priest of Samothrace asked a Spartan candidate what was the gravest deed he had committed in his life. The Spartan reportedly replied, with typical pride, that the gods already knew it. Many interpreters infer that, at least for some grades, the rite included a form of declaration of one's faults: a rare element in Greek religion.
Protection at sea
The sanctuary's fame was linked above all to the protection of seafarers. The ancients believed that whoever was initiated at Samothrace enjoyed special help in the dangers of the sea. In the poem Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, the heroes led by Jason stop at the island, on Orpheus's advice, to receive the secret rites before continuing their voyage.
A later tradition also speaks of a purple band that initiates supposedly tied around their waist as a sign of protection. It is a detail to treat with caution, but consistent with the image of an initiation that accompanied the person beyond the sanctuary.
Famous figures
Plutarch, in his Life of Alexander, relates that Philip II of Macedon met Olympias, future mother of Alexander the Great, precisely when both were being initiated at Samothrace. Whatever the historical truth of the episode, it testifies to the strong bond between the island and the Macedonian dynasty, which enriched the sanctuary with monuments.
What remains of the secret
As with Eleusis, the silence imposed on initiates was kept with surprising effectiveness. We do not know the words spoken or the sights shown. From archaeology we know there were paths between different buildings, places for nocturnal sacrifices, pits for libations, and that torchlight played an important role.
One can say with confidence that the rite combined elements characteristic of every initiatory passage: preliminary purification, entry into a separate space, a nocturnal experience, revelation and final recognition.
In short
- Samothrace hosted the sanctuary of the Great Gods, second in prestige only to Eleusis.
- The deities, often identified with the Cabiri, were worshipped partly with words in a non-Greek language.
- Initiation had two grades, myesis and epopteia, and was open to free people and slaves.
- Initiates believed they received protection in the dangers of the sea.
- The content of the rite remains secret, but archaeology illuminates its structure.
