The goddess Cybele (also Cybele) is perhaps the oldest deity known to mankind today. Most modern scientists are inclined to believe that the cults associated with the name of this goddess originate in the Neolithic times. The works of the ancient historian and geographer Strabo, who lived from about 63rd to 24th BC, can be considered one of the first sources where Cybele is mentioned. Also, to this day, texts have survived where Cybele is called the Great Mother of the gods; in later times, her name became an epithet for the goddess Rhea, whose worship was widespread in ancient Greece. A similar identification of two or more deities with similar functions and similar origins is often found in ancient religions and occurs gradually,during the mutual influence of different cultures on each other.
Initially, Cybele was worshiped in Phrygia, the oldest pan-Asian state located approximately in the territory of modern Turkey. The date of birth of this powerful kingdom has not been precisely established; it is possible that its foundations were laid in the second millennium BC. Among the Phrygians, who are considered the descendants of certain peoples who came to these lands from South-Eastern Europe, Cybele was revered as the patroness of nature and the giver of life in general. The appearance of Greek colonies in Asia Minor (Anatolia) (approximately, 8-6th centuries BC) contributed to the penetration of the cult of Cybele into ancient Greek society, where it quickly acquired a large number of adepts. Actually, from that moment on, one can more or less reliably judge the rituals carried out in honor of Cybele.
The first priests of Cybele are considered to be mythical creatures, koribants, the origin of which is indicated differently in different sources. While some authors call the Coribants the descendants of the god Apollo and the muse of Thalia, others consider Zeus and Calliope, the muse of poetry and philosophy, to be their ancestors. Also, there is a version that the coribants originated from rainwater, i.e. are the children of Uranus and Gaia. According to legend, Cybele herself taught them to dance, during which the koribants fell into complete frenzy. The first symbol dedicated to Cybele was "a dark stone that fell from the sky" (apparently, we are talking about a meteorite) and had on one of its sides the image of a woman's face, in which the adherents of the cult recognized the face of the goddess. Since then, the main color of Cybele is considered to be black, which is quite consistent with its gloomy glory.
Like their mythical predecessors, the ancient Greek priests also fell into ecstatic madness during rituals, their ritual dances were accompanied by playing drums and pipes, as well as inflicting bloody wounds on themselves and others. The rituals in honor of Cybele reached their apogee soon after the spread of the cult in the territory of the Roman Empire, which happened in 204 BC. The "Dark Stone" was brought from the Phrygian city of Pessinunt, which at that time was a kind of religious center, to Ostia, the main port city of Ancient Rome. In the "Books of the Sibyls" that have survived to this day, the exact date of this event is indicated - the twelfth of April. Starting from 191 BC, celebrations in honor of Cybele acquired national significance throughout the Roman Empire, temples were built, and by all events,associated with her name, a special group of priests was engaged.
Most of the surviving sculptures depict Cybele as a richly dressed woman riding a lion-drawn chariot. The head of the goddess is adorned with a tower crown, in her hands she holds a tympanum (a kind of tambourine) and ears. Lions are considered indispensable attributes of Cybele, apparently, personifying the crushing strength and power of the Great Mother of the gods.
Cybele demanded complete self-denial from her followers. One of the main requirements for those wishing to devote themselves to the cult of the goddess was complete asceticism. The priests of the goddess, during the rituals, often inflicted grievous injuries on themselves and those around them, castration for the glory of the goddess was widespread, during solemn processions the adepts often disguised themselves in women's clothing. In addition, special holidays were dedicated to Cybele, the so-called. tavroboli, during which sacrifices were performed. The earth was soaked with the blood of animals, and the neophytes were also irrigated, which symbolized their introduction to the cult. A special caste of priests was engaged in the Taurobolias, within which there was a complex hierarchical structure; its essence remains unclear to the end. During the heyday of the Roman Empire, Cybele was perceived as not only a giver of life,but also the patroness of cities, the well-being of which depended on its location. Perhaps the fear of causing displeasure to the goddess and led to the madness that reigned during the rituals in her honor.
Gradually, like most ancient beliefs, the cult of Cybele was supplanted by the growing monotheistic religions. How widespread the belief in this goddess was, can be judged by numerous archaeological finds. One of the last major discoveries can be called the underground temple of Cybele from the times of Roman rule, found in 2007 on the territory of Bulgaria, inside which a meter-high statue of a goddess with a lion cub on her knees was discovered.