Thesmophoros, between global and local

The title chosen for this last lesson echoes the reasons why the study of representations and practices around Demeter Thesmophoros was given priority this year : the first reason is the specificity of the cult title for the goddess, which is an interesting touchstone for grasping a divine profile ; the second reason is the presence of this name throughout the Greek world. The specificity of the onomastic attribute and the extension of the cult under this name should enable us to identify the profile of the goddess within the polytheistic group to which she belonged. It was also a question of grasping the link between shared representations and practices, and local variations, when these emerged clearly enough from our documentation. This tension between the general and the particular can be seen at several levels, three of which are addressed here. Firstly, we analyze the identity of the god who joins the two thesmophoric goddesses, whose names vary from place to place, between Zeus Bouleus, Zeus Eubouleus, Ploutôn, Klymenos, and even Zeus Chthonios if we include Hesiod's farmer's prayer on the eve of sowing. While all these figures point to Persephone's husband, the choice of the name Zeus and the occasional pairing with Demeter alone suggest that the male figure in the trio is not strictly infernal. Secondly, it's the recurrence of a " thesmophoric landscape " that catches our attention. From Sicily to Asia Minor, via Cyrene in North Africa, many sanctuaries dedicated to Demeter and her daughter feature a more or less pronounced terraced structure on the slopes of a rocky eminence, or even a formal acropolis, at a greater or lesser distance from the heart of the city. Thirdly, and in the form of concluding perspectives, the specific profile of Demeter Thesmophoros is deployed, taking as a starting point the salient elements brought to light by analysis of theHomeric Hymn to the goddess : the omnipresence of the feminine element ; the indissoluble relationship between the growth of cereals and the trophy of children ; Demeter's jurisdiction over all aspects of the chthōn, the land of cereals and that of the dead, through the intermediary of her daughter.