Lmst

A new study reveals the Kastas Tomb in Amphipolis was aligned with the winter solstice, linking it to ancient solar rituals and the cult of Cybele—suggesting it served as a cosmic tribute to Hephaestion, Alexander the Great’s closest companion.

https://wildhunt.org/2025/06/light-legacy-and-cybele-new-clues-at-the-kastas-tomb.html

#archaeology #athens #kastastomb #cybele #rituals #hephaestion #turkiye #alexanderthegreat #ancientgreece #pagan

🪷 March 25th is the #Hilaria (Day of Joy) celebrating the transgender rebirth of #Attis in a spring festival honoring Magna Mater #Cybele and Attis. In March 129 AD #Antinous & #Hadrian visited Pessinus Phrygia ruled by Cybele's transgender priests, called "galloi" in Greek and "galli" in Latin. Full details here: https://antinousstars.blogspot.com/2023/03/antinous-in-pessinus-home-of-gender.html 🪷

~ The Goddess Cybele, part VI ~

Cybele was one of many cults that appeared in Rome. Some were considered harmless, the Cult of Isis for example, and allowed to survive while others, like Bacchus, were seen as a serious threat to the Roman citizens and were persecuted.

Of course, almost all of these cults disappeared with the arrival of Christianity when Rome became the center of this new religion. The Cult of Cybele lasted until the 4th century CE, at which time Christianity dominated the religious landscape and pagan beliefs and rituals gradually became transformed or discarded to suit the new faith.

Illustration : Silver tetradrachm of Smyrna, head of Cybele wearing a mural crown

#cybele #mythology #antiquity #archeology #art #arthistort #history #painting #womenfromhistory

Silver tetradrachm of Smyrna, head of Cybele wearing a mural crown

~ The Goddess Cybele, part V ~

In Rome, Cybele's popularity continued to flourish, partially due to her spring festival held in March (some sources say April) called the Megalensia. The festival included public games as well as a theatrical performance at Circus Maximus. It began on March 15 with a procession of reed-bearers (cannophori) and a ritual sacrifice; the latter was for the successful planting of spring crops.

On March 22, after a week of fasting and purification, a pine tree (the symbol for Attis) was brought to Palatine Hill temple. Later, there was a banquet — a day of joy or Hilaria. Next came the Day of Blood, March 24, representing the castration and death of Attis. The celebration closed on March 25 with a ritual bath or lavation of Cybele's image. All of the cult's priests or Galli were eunuchs, something that initially prevented Roman citizens from joining. Until the reign of Claudius, Roman law stated that no one could maintain his citizenship if he became a eunuch.

Illustration : Bronze fountain statuette of Cybele on a cart drawn by lions 2nd century CE

#cybele #mythology #antiquity #archeology #art #arthistort #history #painting #womenfromhistory

Bronze fountain statuette of Cybele on a cart drawn by lions 2nd century CE

~ The Goddess Cybele, part IV ~

Important to the worship of Cybele was Attis, the Phrygian god of vegetation, also considered a resurrection god (similar to the Greek Adonis). Supposedly, Attis was Cybele's lover, although some sources claim him to be her son. Unfortunately, he fell in love with a mortal and chose to marry.

According to one story, on the day of their wedding banquet, the irate and jealous goddess apparently struck panic into those who attended the wedding. Afraid for his own safety (no mention is made of his bride), the frightened groom fled to the nearby mountains where he gradually became insane, eventually committing suicide but not before castrating himself. Regaining her own sanity, the remorseful Cybele appealed to Zeus to never allow Attis's corpse to decay. Myth claims that he would return to life during the yearly rebirth of vegetation; thus identifying Attis as an early dying-and-reviving god figure.

Illustration : Cybele and Attis (seated right, with Phrygian cap and shepherd's crook) in a chariot drawn by four lions, surrounded by dancing Corybantes (detail from the Parabiago plate; embossed silver, c. 200–400 CE, found in Milan

#cybele #mythology #antiquity #archeology #art #arthistort #history #painting #womenfromhistory

Cybele and Attis (seated right, with Phrygian cap and shepherd's crook) in a chariot drawn by four lions, surrounded by dancing Corybantes (detail from the Parabiago plate; embossed silver, c. 200–400 CE, found in Milan

~ The Goddess Cybele, part III ~

Originally, the Cybelean cult was brought to Rome during the time of the Second Punic War (218 -201 BCE). At that time the Carthaginian general Hannibal was wreaking havoc in Italy, posing a serious threat to the city of Rome. The Sibylline Books, books of prophecy consulted by the Roman Senate in times of emergencies, predicted that Italy would be freed by an Idaean mother of Pessinus; to many, this meant Cybele. A black meteorite, representing the goddess, was brought to Rome from Asia Minor in 204 BCE. Miraculously, Hannibal and his army left shortly afterwards to defend Carthage against the invading Romans; a temple honoring Cybele would be built on Palatine Hill in 191 BCE. The cult eventually achieved official recognition during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-44 CE). Ultimately, her appeal as an agrarian goddess would enable her to find adherents in northern Africa as well as Transalpine Gaul.

Due to its agricultural nature, her cult had tremendous appeal to the average Roman citizen, more so women than men. She was responsible for every aspect of an individual's life. She was the mistress of wild nature, symbolized by her constant companion, the lion. Not only was she was a healer (she both cured and caused disease) but also the goddess of fertility and protectress in time of war (although, interestingly, not a favorite among soldiers), even offering immortality to her adherents. She is depicted in statues either on a chariot pulled by lions or enthroned carrying a bowl and drum, wearing a mural crown, flanked by lions. Followers of her cult would work themselves into an emotional frenzy and self-mutilate, symbolic of her lover's self-castration.

Illustration : 1st century BCE marble statue of Cybele from Formia, Lazio

#cybele #mythology #antiquity #archeology #art #arthistort #history #painting #womenfromhistory

1st century BCE marble statue of Cybele from Formia, Lazio

~ The Goddess Cybele, part II ~

In 186 BCE the Roman Senate, recognizing a potential menace, suppressed the worship of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, known to the Romans as Bacchus. His worship is best remembered for its intoxicating festival held on March 17, a day when a Roman male youth would supposedly become a man. The cult was viewed as being brutal, supposedly involving ritual murder and sexual excess. As a result, many of its adherents were either imprisoned or executed. It should be noted, however, that the authority's fear of this cult was largely generated, not from first-hand experience (the cult's rituals were always conducted in secret) but from the writings of the historian Livy who consistently portrayed the cult as a dangerous menace to social stability.

While the government, influenced by Livy, viewed this cult as a threat, Roman citizens questioned this harsh view of the Cult of Bacchus. They considered it no different or less immoral than the worship of the Asia Minor goddess Cybele. Actually, the major difference between the two was that the Cult of Bacchus was never sanctioned by the Roman Senate while Cybele's was. Known as the Great Mother or Magna Mater, Cybele, whose chief sanctuary was at Pessinus, was one of the early female deities, first appearing in the province of Lydia as a goddess of the mountains. Arriving from Phrygia, she made her initial appearance in Greece in the 5th century BCE with a temple in Athens (the Metroum); the Greeks identified her with the goddess Rhea (mother of the Olympians) and Demeter (goddess of the harvest). While never achieving great popularity in Greece, the cult reached Rome around the end of the 3rd century BCE.

Illustration : Cybele in a chariot driven by Nike and drawn by lions toward a votive sacrifice (right); above are heavenly symbols, plaque from Ai Khanoum, Bactria (Afghanistan), 2nd century BCE

#cybele #mythology #antiquity #art #arthistort #history #painting #womenfromhistory

Cybele in a chariot driven by Nike and drawn by lions toward a votive sacrifice (right); above are heavenly symbols, plaque from Ai Khanoum, Bactria (Afghanistan), 2nd century BCE

~ The Goddess Cybele, part I ~

History verifies the importance of religion not only on a society's development but also on its survival; in this respect the Romans were no different than other ancient civilizations. During the formative years of the Roman Republic, especially after its territorial acquisitions following the Four Macedonian Wars, contact with the Greek culture left a lasting imprint on the Roman way of life. Along with other aspects of the Hellenic civilization, the Romans adopted the pantheon of Greek gods, although they changed their names. However, besides this array of deities, they also acquired several of their cults, and cults were not always welcomed by those in authority. While Bacchus (Dionysus to the Greeks) was the most notable of these cults and to those in authority, and considered the most threatening to social order, this contact also brought a less menacing sect: the Cult of Cybele.

The Hellenic culture had arrived, and to ward off this influx and its impact on society, Roman authorities felt the need to reaffirm their moral superiority over the Greeks; after all, they had been victorious in battle against Greece. The appearance of Greek culture had been, for the most part, positive. Under this Greek influence, the Roman gods became more human, exhibiting such diverse characteristics as jealousy, love, and hate. However, unlike in Greece, in Rome an individual's self-expression of belief was not considered as important as adherence to ritual. In an effort to avoid religious zeal, the state demanded a strict adherence to a rigid set of rituals. While this integration of the Greeks gods was never seen as a viable threat — they easily fit into the existing array of gods — some cults proved to be something completely different: a genuine danger to the prevailing state religion.

Illustration : Cybele enthroned, roman marble, c. 50 CE

#cybele #mythology #antiquity #archeology #art #arthistort #history #painting #womenfromhistory

Cybele enthroned, roman marble, c. 50 CE

wiki hopping this evening I came across Saint Galla of Rome (suss name, ok now I'm interested, that's a name that goes back to Sumer).

Who was a 6th century Roman woman who's husband was killed and when people pushed her to remarry she either grew a beard or threatened to grow a beard to avoid offers of marriage (oookay, leaning more into the name)

[1/4]

#trans #cybele #history

Mother Goddess Phrygian religious structures suggest a 250,000-year history ~ Archaeologists in central Türkiye have unveiled remarkable finds at Midas Castle, shedding new light on the religious practices of the ancient Phrygians.

https://wildhunt.org/2024/10/mother-goddess-phrygian-religious-structures-suggest-a-250000-year-history.html

#archaeology #science #turkiye #midascastle #phrygian #anatolian #mothergoddess #Cybele #MatarKubileya #mysterycult

#Ancient #gendernonconforming #Romans found #refuge in a #community #dedicated to a #goddess. Often referred to as the #Mother of the #Gods, #Cybele was first #worshiped in #Anatolia.

The #CatholicChurch has long emphasized traditional #binary #views of #gender. But in many places, both #present and #past, individuals have been able to #pushback against #gender #norms.

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Italy #History #Representation #Culture

https://www.advocate.com/news/gender-nonconforming-romans-cybele

Cult figurines found in Pompeii domus

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69090

#archaeology #ancient #history #pompeii #Cybele

et c'est aussi l'occasion de reparler du super épisode du podcast "Histoires et gognandises lyonnaises" des amies de @cybele dont @tangee, qu'on avait fait sur "Le rocher de Pierre-Scize" en 2020.
Super première expérience de podcast pour moi, avec mes amies et l'occasion de parler de manière décalée de cette histoire que très peu de Lyonnais·es connaissent... C'est court, drôle et on apprend des choses, je vous le recommande 😁 https://cybele-lyon.fr/audio-le-rocher-de-pierre-scize/
#Lyon #podcast #histoire #images #Cybèle

The concept of a curse laid on a tomb or gravesite is best known from ancient Egypt but the practice was quite common in other civilizations of antiquity. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/442/curses--fines-on-epitaphs/ #History #Cybele #GreekReligion #Phrygia

🪷 In March 129 AD #Antinous and #Hadrian visited #Pessinus #Phrygia, cult center of the great mother goddess #Cybele. Pessinus was ruled by the transgender high priestess Archigallus together with her transgender galloi priestesses. Full report here: https://antinousstars.blogspot.com/2023/03/antinous-in-pessinus-home-of-gender.html 🪷

In many societies, ancient and modern, religion has performed a major role in their development, and the Roman Empire was no different. https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Religion/ #History #Cybele #Jupiter #Mars

Cybele is probably my personal favourite bouquet. It is all the shades of pinks, mauve & a touch of white.
#Cybele #AucklandFlorist #KingslandFlorist #MorningsideFlorist #ShopLocal #ShopLocalAuckland

#Cybele

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