Civic rites democracy and religion in ancient athens evans nancy 9780520262034 books amazonca. Four demeter civic worship womens rites and the eleusinian mysteries pp 100 130 athens was sacred to athena goddess of the olive of handcrafts and of wisdom but athenians were of course polytheistic and for many generations they had also worshipped demeter the goddess whose power was manifest in abundant sheaves of wheat. Civic rites democracy and religion in ancient athens ebook evans nancy amazonca kindle store. civic rites clearly demonstrates the complete interdependence of religion and democracy in athens illustrating just how much the ancient athenians view of the relationship between these. With chapter 4 demeter civic worship womens rites and the eleusinian mysteries we return to religion and specifically the thesmophoria and the eleusinian mysteries the discussion adheres fairly closely to the relevant chapters in r parkers polytheism and society at athens oxford 2005 and it is the strongest one in the book