Editing Eleusinian Mysteries (section)

===Priesthood===
The priesthood officiating at the Eleusinian Mysteries and in the sanctuary was divided into several offices with different tasks.

Six categories of priests officiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries:

* ''[[Hierophant]]es'' – male high priest, an office inherited within the Phileidae or Eumolpidae families.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995"/>
* ''[[High Priestess of Demeter]]'' or ''Priestess of Demeter and Kore'' – an office inherited within the Phileidae or Eumolpidae families.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995"/>
* ''[[Dadouchos]]'' – men serving as torch bearers, the second-highest male role next to ''Hierophantes''.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995"/> 
* ''[[Dadouchousa Priestess]]'' – a female priestess who assisted the Dadouchos, an office inherited within the Phileidae or Eumolpidae families.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995"/>
* ''[[Hierophantides]]'' – two married priestesses, one serving Demeter, and the other Persephone.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995"/> 
* ''[[Panageis]]'' ('the holy') or ''melissae'' ('bees') – a group of priestesses who lived a life secluded from men.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995"/>

The offices of Hierophant, High Priestess, and Dadouchousa priestess were all inherited within the Phileidae or Eumolpidae families, and the Hierophant and the High Priestess were of equal rank.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995">{{cite book |last=Pomeroy |first=Sarah B. |author-link=Sarah B. Pomeroy |year=1995 |title=Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in classical antiquity |publisher=Schocken Books |place=New York}}</ref> It was the task of the High Priestess to impersonate the roles of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone in the enactment during the mysteries, and at Eleusis events were dated by the name of the reigning High Priestess.<ref name="Pomeroy 1995"/>