RELIEF WITH A PRIEST OF CYBELE, C. 130 CE. CENTRALE MONTEMARTINI
Cybele, the Magna Mater, was perhaps the first Eastern cult brought to Rome and integrated with traditional Roman religion. A Phrygian goddess, her cult was brought to Rome in 204 BCE as part of a specific strategy aimef at reinforcing Rome's Trojan origins. Her temple on the Palatine hill, close to the hut of Romulus, underlined this link: she was seen as an ancestral deity linked to the Penates, and given a priesthood overseen by the state. This relief from Velletri shows a sacerdos maximus, responsible for public ceremonies and processions. The half-figure of the priest is recessed into the marble rather than protruding from it. He wears an exotic costume akin to female dress, including earrings. These feminine attributes derive from an association of the priesthood with the cult of Attis, the follower and consort of Cybele, who emasculated himself and often appeared in women's garb. The priest wears an elaborate crown and bears a basket of fruit in one hand and a pomegranate, symbol of rebirth, in the other.
For #ReliefWednesday, we're visiting an exhibition on the #Palatine in #Rome dedicated to the #MagnaMater, #Cybele. Here we see one of her priests, proudly dressed in female garb and surrounded by ritual objects. This exotic cult, apparently so un-Roman, was a state religion. #AncientBluesky 🏺
