On the south-eastern slope of the acropolis, within the walls of Attic Eleusis, stood the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore and within it one of the largest buildings of Greek antiquity, the so-called Telesterion, where the mystic ceremony took place. The Roman building of the 2nd c. A.D. visible today, lies above numerous predecessors reaching back to the Archaic period and following a Late Geometric burnt offering site and Late and Middle Helladic features. Unpublished excavation documents of the 1930s and a catalogue of all interior column remains allow for a reassessment of the complicated architectural history. The Archaic Telesterion [575-50 BC], the largest roofed space of mainland Greece of its time with 385 m², was replaced by a Cycladic-influenced successor [525-500 B.C.] of 643 m². This already had the character of a theatre with its Π-shaped furnishings and multi-level display staircase of Attic provenance. It was followed by construction phases K [470-50 B.C.], I [450-35 BC] and Z and KL respectively [425-15 B.C.], of which “I” offered a considerably improved interior with a greatly reduced number of columns and an free centre. It was also the first central-plan building of antiquity. Alongside multifunctional rooms with wall-flanking benches and auditoria with steeply rising backs, these Telesteria represent one of three sub-categories of halls at the transition to the construction of roofed theatre space.weiterlesen