μυστήρι-ον, τό,
(μύστης, μυέω) mystery or secret rite: mostly in plural, τὰ μ. the mysteries, first in [[ 1st c.AD(?): Heraclitus 14, compare 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.51 ] Refs 5th c.BC+] (of the mysteries of the Cabiri in Samothrace), etc.; especially those of Demeter at Eleusis, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Fragmenta - American Journal of Philology” 479, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Fragmenta” 804, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Supplices” 173, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ranae” 887, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μυστηρίοις τοῖς μείζοσιν, τοῖς ὀλείζοσιν μ., [[ “IG” 12.6.93,96] Refs]; but usually, τὰ μεγάλα, τὰ μικρὰ μ., [[Scholia 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 846, compare “IG” 12.313.144, 22.1672.4, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 497c, etc.; πρὸ τῶν μεγάλων μ. τὰ μικρὰ παραδοτέον 4th c.AD: Iamblichus Philosophus “Protrepticus” 2 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπιέναι πρὸ τῶν μ., i.e. before you have reached the heart of the matter, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Meno” 76e ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ τῆς θεοῦ (i.e. Μεγάλης Μητρὸς) μ. [[ “OGI” 540.21 (Pessinus, 1st c.AD)] Refs 1st c.AD+]; οἱ θεοὶ οἷς τὰ μ. ἐπιτελεῖται [[ “IG” 5(1).1390.2 (Andania, 1st c.BC)] Refs 1st c.BC+]; τὰ μ. ποιεῖν [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 1.11, 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 14.42, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 6.28 (_passive_)] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. ἐρεῖν And.[same place]: later in singular, [[ “PMag.Leid.W.” 3.42 (2nd-3rd c.AD). ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__2 mystic implements and ornaments, σεμνὰ στεμμάτων μυστήρια [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Supplices” 470 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially properties, such as were carried to Eleusis at the celebration of the mysteries, ὄνος ἄγω μυστήρια, proverbial of an over-loaded beast, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ranae” 159. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]