Roman-Era Temple to Cybele Found in Bulgaria
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From an archaeology news service: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=81769Photo: http://www.vuya.net/?q=node/2302
(Background of the emperor mentioned.)
Unless you're a specialist in early Near Eastern religions, Cybele is mostly remembered for her role in Roman religion. The Romans invited her in a desperate hour, when an oracle said that bringing the worship of this goddess to Rome would protect the city from Hannibal's advancing forces. The goddess was brought to the city in the form of a black stone sacred to her, and there is a charming miracle story about how a certain noblewoman of the city freed the transporting ship when it became grounded. Cybele was given prime spiritual property in a temple the city of Rome itself, and although I'd be inclined to credit military factors, Hannibal indeed did not conquer Rome.
It bemuses me deeply that the Roman could not have invited a less Roman religion into their midst: her music struck them as foreign, her priests were eunuchs (celibacy was not a requirement for priests of any Greco-Roman religion), and (worse) they were itinerant beggars (most Greco-Roman religious ceremonies were dignified ceremonial processions and animal sacrifices governed by elaborate rules of ritual decorum.) One can just feel Roman culture shock and abhorrence in ancient discussions of the religion: it did not suit their ideas of manhood or religion.
The religion is also noted for a late March festival called "the Joyous" where Cybele's son rose from the dead each Spring. This was proceeded by a mournful festival where a pine tree was decorated with bands of wool and carried in processions. The religion also featured a baptism in the blood of a live bull — I understand this was recreated in the television miniseries Rome. (The first two elements are pre-Christian and could perhaps have influenced Christianity, the third is only attested after Christianity and may be a matter of influence going the other way.)
Ancient sources on Cybele include Apuleius' satire of her priests in his Metamorphosis, and Catullus in one of his collected poems. Modern popular commentary on the religion appears in the anthology Blossom of Bone. Steven Saylor also researched the religion for one of his ancient Roman mystery novels with Gordianus the Finder. (A series I've enjoyed since its beginning: anyone who knows what a lemur (no, not the small mammal) is — and includes it in a book — is has my approval.
The series is almost at the point of Cicero's demise, having suffered through translating Cicero in Latin I must confess I'm looking forward to it — he sounds more pompous in Latin than he does in any English translation.)On a different note, I also recommend Mary Dolan's children's book called Hannibal of Carthage. If you can find the clothbound editions of this book (long since out of print) it is worth it, every paperback edition I've seen is an abridgment. It is one of my favorite historical novels, hands down. (The other is Mary Renault's Persian Boy, which is has some superficial resemblance to: minor figure writes running account of the life of a Great Man of History.) As I said, it is a kid's book, Renault's isn't. (Nor are the books I mentioned above, but I met Attis (and then Cybele) by reading the Golden Bough as a child — which I survived without great ill effect.
)-Kushana
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