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Cybele, the Phrygian "Great Mother" earth goddess, was born a hermaphrodite, but castrated by the gods, she became female. Phrygia's only known goddess, she was probably its national deity. Greek colonists in Asia Minor adopted and adapted her Phrygian cult and spread it to mainland Greece and to the more distant western Greek colonies around the 6th century B.C.
In Greece, Cybele became partially assimilated to aspects of the Earth-goddess Gaia, of her possibly Minoan equivalent Rhea, and of the harvest–mother goddess Demeter. Athens, evoked her as a protector, but her most celebrated Greek rites and processions show her as an essentially foreign, exotic mystery-goddess who arrives in a lion-drawn chariot to the accompaniment of wild music, wine, and a disorderly, ecstatic following.
After dire prodigies, including a meteor shower and a failed harvest, seemed to warn of Rome's imminent defeat to Hannibal, the Roman senate consulted the Sibylline oracle. Heeding the oracle's advice, the senate brought worship of Cybele to Rome in 204 B.C. as the first officially sanctioned Eastern cult. After approval, they were dismayed to learn that the priesthood required voluntary self-castration, which was abhorrent to the Romans. Romans were barred from entering the priesthood or even entering the priest's sanctuary. The eunuch priests, recruited from outside Rome, were confined to their sanctuary, leaving only to parade in the streets during festivals in April. Claudius removed the bans on Roman participation, making worship of Cybele and her consort Attis part of the state religion.
Titus and Domitian, 1 July 69 - 24 June 79 A.D., Claudiolaodicea Combusta, Lycaonia
Claudiolaodicea, founded by Seleucus I Nicator, was one of five cities he named after his mother Laodice. Restored by Claudius in the 1st century A.D., it was renamed Claudiolaodicea in his honor. Its Latin epithet Combusta indicates it was once destroyed by fire. Located northwest of Iconium (now Konya), on the high road from the west coast to Melitene on the Euphrates, it is now Ladik, Konya Province, Turkey. Some ancient authors describe it as located in Lycaonia, others in Pisidia, and Ptolemy places it in Galatia. This discrepancy is easily explained because these territories were often extended or reduced and the city was likely in each of them at one time. The few imperial coins of Claudiolaodicea all belong to the reigns of Titus and Domitian.RP97865. Bronze AE 19, SNGvA 152 (same dies), RPC Online II 1613 (14 spec.), vA Lykien 151 - 153, SNG BnF 2322, Waddington 4779, F, earthen adhesions, weight 6.794 g, maximum diameter 19.1 mm, die axis 0o, Laodicea Catacecaumene (Ladik, Turkey) mint, as caesars under Vespasian, 69 - 79 A.D.; obverse TITOC KAI ∆OMITIANOC KAICAPEC, confronted bare heads Titus (on left) and Domitian; reverse KΛAY∆IOΛAO∆IKEWN, Cybele seated left on high-backed throne, kalathos on head, patera in right hand, resting left arm on tympanum, lion couchant left on near side of throne; scarce; $90.00 SALE PRICE $81.00