No aspect of ancient religions has evoked greater interest than that of mystery cults. Students of Greek and Roman religious ideas and practices have scrutinized textual and archaeological materials in an attempt to fathom the secrets of these cults. This module surveys the evidence for some of the most renowned mystery cults of Greece and Rome including the Eleusinian and Dionysiac Mysteries, the mysteries of Samothrace and Mithras. The module adopts a historical framework for analysing ancient religious practices in order to understand how these traditions changed and/ or got re-interpreted over time. The material covered in the course (some of it less well-known) will include ancient literary texts, inscriptions, and artefacts.