"Stone initiates the reader into the festive, miraculous, and oftentimes downright sinister world of the mysteries. . . . Throughout The Secret Sacred, Stone clears the air around some basic misconceptions about the mystery cults. Not all of these cults were as exotic and alien to the Greco-Roman world as the cult of Cybele; many involved the traditional gods of the Olympian pantheon, although these sometimes took on new, unfamiliar forms, such as the peculiar oriental cult of Jupiter Dolichenus. For the uninitiated, The Secret Sacred offers a quick and easygoing guide to one of the most mysterious features of the classical world."

The New Criterion

"A fresh, wide-ranging, and accessible account of one of the most fascinating and under-studied aspects of Greco-Roman religion, drawing on both literary and material evidence. Richly illustrated and thoroughly up to date, this engaging study offers readers a compelling glimpse beyond the well-known aspects of official Greek and Roman religion, revealing a more personal dimension of how the ancient Greeks and Romans encountered the supernatural."

Julia Kindt, professor of ancient history at the University of Sydney and author of "The Trojan Horse and Other Stories"

"In this clearly written, well-illustrated and engaging book, Stone pulls together hints in ancient texts, imagery, and archaeological remains to give insight into one of the more intriguing aspects of life in the Greco-Roman past, the 'mystery cults' whose practices and teaching were known only to the initiates."

Margaret C. Miller, emerita professor of classical archaeology, University of Sydney