Roman Marble of the Goddess Cybele

Period: 100-200

Origin: Italy

Medium: Marble

Literature: Cybele was the great mother goddess of Anatolia associated in myth with her youthful lover Attis. As mistress and Queen of her people Cybele was responsible for their well being in all respects. She is primarily a goddess of fertility, but also cures disease, gives oracles and protects her people in war. She is also the goddess of mountains and therefore the mistress of wild nature as symbolised by her attendant lions. Her cult was especially favoured by women and after her arrival in Rome on April 12th, 204BC her worship quickly spread through the provinces particularly in Gaul and Africa where it was readily accepted as a municipal cult. Ecstatic states including prophetic rapture and insensibility to pain were characteristic of her worship.