The modern day town of Elefsina is seldom visited by tourists. Indeed, access to some parts of it are restricted due to the Greek government’s naval base being situated there. It is heavily industrialized and home to oil refineries which pollute the atmosphere as well as the bay of Salamis.

The old name, Eleusis, of course, means “arrival” in Greek, though alternatively, it can be translated as landing place, resting place, or lodging. I suspect the original reason for the name was the beach which comes up from the sea to the littoral and would have provided an easy place to beach boats.

The deep and narrow straits were, in ancient times, famous for the sharks which abounded there and indeed, do so today. There are two ancient references to participants in The Eleusian Rites being attacked by sharks there and in one a man was bitten in half. I suspect that the ritual sacrifice of the pigs may have taken place on the shore and if the blood flowed into the water, it might have attracted the already abundant sharks.

Ritual cleansing might best be performed in the shallowest of waters not over ankle deep here.