Bowden writes the clear, easy-to-read guide to one of the more complex parts of Greek religion. Interspersed with beautiful images of primary evidence and paintings of scenes from the cult religions, he covers a range of topics and aims to make sense of the mystery cults and explain their place in the ancient world. He uses literary references to the cults to introduce our understanding of them and what we know of their practices. He explains the importance of festivals and provides useful information for both those new to the ancient world and those who are more experienced. Starting with Homer and Hesiod and the way people interacted with the gods, he introduces our understanding of other religions and beliefs and links them to the Greeks and Romans. Cult religion was a way for people to meet the gods ‘face to face’ and have a more personal experience with religion, and much of what we know comes from authors writing about these experiences. He acknowledges the limits of our knowledge due to the lack of evidence but explains this is also the case with aspects of the lives of Greeks and Romans which were not secret. However, the study of other religions with ecstatic worship can help us understand these elements of cults and imagine what they may have been like.

There are chapters on familiar aspects of religion, such as Dionysus, the Eleusinian Mysteries, and Isis, which again start by exploring the surviving literature and building on from there. They are accessible to those with no knowledge of them and also include later Christian writers as evidence and link to ideas, such as baptism, which modern readers can relate to. Bowden also covers less familiar topics such as the mysteries of the Kabeiroi and explores the sanctuaries which survive. There are also chapters on the use of gold and other mystery cults as well as Mithras and the end of mystery cults. His final chapter looks at similarities between the cults and modern examples of similar worship. While written at a level to suit academic research, everything is clearly explained and accessible, making it a useful read for pupils and those with an interest in the Ancient world. His acknowledgement of the limits of our understanding and exploration of the spiritual and psychological impact of these cults is a real strength of the book, as is his use of literary evidence. This is a must read for those studying the Greek Religion module at A level and any A-level pupils wanting to understand more about the ancient world. There are also sections which could stretch able General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Classical Civilisation pupils, especially those on Demeter. However, it may be a little too introductory for experts in this field, as it offers a lot of introductory information.

Bowden breaks down in a concise way what can be an overwhelming and confusing topic and provides useful, modern links to aid understanding.