SOTERIOLOGY AND MYSTIC ASPECTS IN THE CULT OF CYBELE AND A ITIS ETUDES PRELIMINAIRES AUX RELIGIONS ORIENTALES DANS L'EMPIRE ROMAIN PUBLIEES PAR M. J. VERMASEREN TOME CENT-TROISIEME GIULIA SFA MEN I GASPARRO SOTERIOLOGY AND MYSTIC ASPECTS IN THE CULT OF CYBELE AND A TTIS LEIDEN E. 1. BRILL 1985 Bust of Attis. Roman terracotta lamp from Agrigento (Archaeological Museum, Inv. no. 7545). Unpublished. Courtesy of Prof. E. De Miro, Superintendent of the Museum. GIULIA SFAMENI GASPARRO SOTERIOLOGY AND MYSTIC ASPECTS IN THE CULT OF CYBELE AND ATTIS WITH A FRONTISPIECE LEIDEN E. J. BRILL 1985 Published with the help of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche and of the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione della Repubblica Italiana ISBN 90 04 07283 7 Copyright 1985 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or translated in any form, by print, photop rint, microfilm, microfiche or any other means without written permission from the publisher PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS BY E. J. BRILL FOR MY MOTHER CONTENTS Abbreviations.......................................................................... IX Preface .................................................................................. XIII Introduction ........................................................................... . I. The mystic cult of Cybele in Classical Greece............................. 9 II. Mysteries in the hellenized cult of Cybele .................................. 20 III. Mystic aspects in the "phrygian" mythical-ritual cycle ................. 26 a) Attis the "mystic god" and the mythical theme of the androgyne 26 b) Attis' vegetal connections.................................................. 43 c) The mystic cult of Cybele and Attis in the Greek world ............. 49 d) The mystic cult of Cybele and Attis in the Roman Empire ......... 56 IV. The problem of the phrygian Mysteries..................................... 64 V. Soteriological prospects in the cult of Cybele ............................. 84 VI. Mystic and soteriological aspects of the taurobolium ................... 107 Conclusion.............................................................................. 119 Select Bibliography................................................................... 126 Addendum.............................................................................. 134 Index..................................................................................... 137