Who is Attis in Greek mythology?
Attis In Greek mythology, Attis was the consort of the goddess Cybele. Originally a deity in the region of Phrygia, the cult of Attis and Cybele eventually spread to Greece. According to the cult, the origins of Attis were linked to the figure Agdistis.
What did Attis transform himself into?
According to Ovid 's Metamorphoses, Attis transformed himself into a pine tree. [5] Nineteenth century scholarship wrongly identified the god Attis with the similar-sounding name of the god Atys.
Who is Attis the Great Mother?
Attis, like the Great Mother, was probably indigenous to Asia Minor, adopted by the invading Phrygians and blended by them with a mythical character of their own. According to the Phrygian tale, Attis was a beautiful youth born of Nana, the daughter of the river Sangarius, and the hermaphroditic Agdistis.
Is the Attis myth pre-Christian?
Hence, these noteworthy aspects of the Attis myth are clearly pre-Christian. The reason these motifs are common in many places is because they revolve around nature worship, solar mythology and astrotheology. Harari, Josue V. Textual Strategies: Perspectives in Post-Structural Criticism.
Is Attis a Greek god?
In Greek mythology, Attis was the consort of the goddess Cybele. Originally a deity in the region of Phrygia, the cult of Attis and Cybele eventually spread to Greece.
Is there a god of rebirth?
Adonis is said to be the god of many things, such as fertility and vegetation, but he is best known for being the Greek god of rebirth, as well as the god of beauty and desire.
What is Zus the god of?
Zeus is the god of the sky in ancient Greek mythology. As the chief Greek deity, Zeus is considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods and humans.
Who is the Greek god of light?
Apollo is one of the Olympian deities in classical Greek and Roman religion and Greek and Roman mythology. The national divinity of the Greeks, Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light, poetry, and more.
Who is destroyer god?
ShivaShiva is known as "The Destroyer" within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu.
Who is the god of life?
PHANES SUMMARYParentsHatched from the cosmic-eggGod ofCreation, lifeSymbolsEggOther NamesProtogonus
Who is Zeus afraid of?
It is commonly thought that Nyx is the only goddess that Zeus is truly afraid of because she is older and more powerful than him. This traces back to one story in which Hera, Zeus' wife and goddess of marriage and childbirth, works together with Hypnos, the god of sleep, to trick Zeus.
Who is Zeus favorite son?
Of all the sons Zeus fathered, Apollo is perhaps the best known. Apollo was conceived during an illicit affair between Zeus and Leto (Zeus was married to Hera at the time), along with a twin sister named Artemis.
Who was Zeus favorite child?
AthenaZeus's Favourite Child Was Possibly Athena, Goddess of War In one of the most bizarre twists of Greek mythology, Zeus's daughter Athena burst out of her father's head as an adult, fully clothed in armour and ready for battle.
Who was the nicest Greek god?
Hestia in Greek Mythology Hestia was regarded as one of the kindest and most compassionate amongst all the Gods.
Who was the purest god?
Aether was one of three primordial air gods....Link/cite this page.AETHER FACTSConsort:HemeraOther significant others:Siblings: - HemeraChildren:Thalassa, Gaia (most recognised), Uranus, Eros, Tartarus, The Nephilai (varies across sources)Roman name:Aether8 more rows
Who is the god of dark?
ErebusIn Greek mythology, Erebus (/ˈɛrɪbəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἔρεβος, romanized: Érebos, "deep darkness, shadow"), or Erebos, is the personification of darkness and one of the primordial deities.
Who is the Norse god of rebirth?
BaldrBaldr (also Balder, or Baldur, from Old Norse) is the God of Beauty, Innocence, Peace, & Rebirth. He is given a central role in Norse mythology. Despite this, his precise function is rather disputed.
Who was known as god of afterlife?
OsirisOsiris is the major god of the Afterlife, also known as God of the Dead. He is usually depicted as a mummy with a crown on his head and his hands present holding scepters.
Is zagreus a real god?
Zagreus was a minor god in Greek mythology, usually conflated with the god of wine, Dionysus. Zagreus' Parents He was worshipped by the followers of Orpheus, and according to their beliefs, he was the son of Zeus and Persephone, after the former took the form of a serpent and lay with her.
Who is the god of resurrection?
OsirisOsiris, lord of the dead and of rebirth. His green skin symbolizes rebirth.Name in hieroglyphsMajor cult centerBusiris, AbydosSymbolCrook and flail, Atef crown, ostrich feathers, fish, mummy gauze, djed5 more rows
What is Attis's god?
Attis was also a Phrygian god of vegetation. In his self-mutilation, death and resurrection he represents the fruits of the earth which die in winter only to rise again in the spring. According to Ovid 's Metamorphoses, Attis transformed himself into a pine tree.
Where is the statue of Attis?
Statue of a reclining Attis at the Shrine of Attis in Ostia near Rome. Attis ( / ˈætɪs /; Greek: Ἄττις, also Ἄτυς, Ἄττυς, Ἄττης) was the consort of Cybele, in Phrygian and Greek mythology. His priests were eunuchs, the Galli, as explained by origin myths pertaining to Attis and castration.
What cap did Attis wear?
Attis wearing the Phrygian cap. Terracotta thymiaterion at the Louvre from Tarsus
Where is Attis statue found?
Archaeological finds. The most important representation of Attis is the lifesize statue discovered at Ostia near the mouth of Rome's river. The statue is of a reclining Attis, after the emasculation. In his left hand is a shepherd's crook, in his right hand a pomegranate.
Where did the Attis cult start?
An Attis cult began around 1250 BC in Dindymon (today's Murat Dağı of Gediz, Kütahya, Turkey). He was originally a local semi-deity of Phrygia, associated with the great Phrygian trading city of Pessinos, which lay under the lee of Mount Agdistis. The mountain was personified as a daemon, whom foreigners associated with the Great Mother Cybele.
When was the cult of Attis discovered?
Various finds suggest that the cult of Attis was popular in Herculaneum at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Who abandoned Attis?
Nana abandoned the baby (Attis). The infant was tended by a he-goat. As Attis grew, his long-haired beauty was godlike, and his mother, Agdistis as Cybele, then fell in love with him. But the foster parents of Attis sent him to Pessinos, where he was to wed the king's daughter.
What does Attis represent?
Attis was fundamentally a vegetation god, and in his self-mutilation, death, and resurrection he represents the fruits of the earth, which die in winter only to rise again in the spring. In art Attis was frequently represented as a youth, with the distinctive Phrygian cap and trousers.
Where did Attis and the Great Mother originate?
Attis, like the Great Mother, was probably indigenous to Asia Minor, adopted by the invading Phrygians and blended by them with a mythical character of their own.
What did Agdistis do to Zeus?
Agdistis in repentance prevailed upon Zeus to grant that the body of the youth should never decay or waste.
Who was Attis?
In Greek mythology, Attis was the consort of the goddess Cybele. Originally a deity in the region of Phrygia, the cult of Attis and Cybele eventually spread to Greece.
Where did the Attis cult originate?
Originally a deity in the region of Phrygia, the cult of Attis and Cybele eventually spread to Greece. According to the cult, the origins of Attis were linked to the figure Agdistis. Agdistis was a daemon that possessed both male and female reproductive organs, which instilled fear in the Olympian gods. So, they plotted to kill the daemon;
What is the significance of Attis' death?
The celebration of this cycle of death and renewal was one of the major festivals of the metroac cult. Attis therefore represented a promise of reborn life and as such it is not surprising that we find representations of the so-called mourning Attis as a common tomb motif in the ancient world.
When was Attis born?
Attis was born on December 25th of the Virgin Nana.
How did Attis die?
The myths of Attis’s death include him being killed by a boar or by castrating himself under a tree, as well as being hung on a tree or “crucified.” Indeed, he has been called the “castrated and crucified Attis.” (Harari, 31) It should be noted that the use of the term “crucified” as concerns gods like Horus and Attis does not connote that he or they were thrown to the ground and nailed to a cross, as we commonly think of crucifixion, based on the Christian tale. In reality, there have been plenty of ancient figures who appeared in cruciform, some of whose myths specifically have them punished or killed through crucifixion, such as Prometheus.
How long was Attis dead?
We have already seen Dr. Fear’s commentary that Attis was dead for three days and was resurrected, worth reiterating here:
How long does it take for Attis to resurrect?
As we can see, according to this scholar, Attis is killed, fixed to a tree, and resurrects after three days, while his mother is “regarded as a virgin goddess” comparable to the Virgin Mary.
When was Attis resurrected?
After three days, Attis was resurrected on March 25th (as tradition held of Jesus) as the “ Most High God .”. Providing a summary of the mythos and ritual of Attis, along with comparisons to Christian tradition, professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Manchester Dr. Andrew T. Fear states: ...
Is Attis a pre-Christian?
Hence, these noteworthy aspects of the Attis myth are clearly pre-Christian. The reason these motifs are common in many places is because they revolve around nature worship, solar mythology and astrotheology.
Who did Attis go to?
The account of Hermesianax goes on to say that, on growing up, Attis migrated to Lydia and celebrated for the Lydians the orgies of the Mother; that he rose to such honor with her that Zeus, being wroth at it, sent a boar to destroy the tillage of the Lydians .
Who was Attis in the Samothracian myth?
Attis was identified by the Greeks with Iasion, consort of the Great Mother in the Samothracian Mysteries. The Greek tale of Aphrodite's love for the youth Ankhises on Mount Ida in the Troad was probably also loosely derived from his myth.
What is the Greek word for the goddess of vegetation?
Latin Spelling. Attis. Translation. (non-Greek) ATTIS was the ancient Phrygian god of vegetation and consort of the great Mother of the Gods Kybele (Cybele). As punishment for his infidelity, the goddess drove him into a mad frenzy which caused him to castrate himself. Initiates into the eunuch-priesthood of Kybele, known as Gallai (Galli), ...
Why did Atys flee into the forest?
Another story relates, that Atys, the priest of Cybele, fled into a forest to escape the voluptuous embraces of a Phrygian king, but that he was overtaken, and in the ensuing struggle unmanned his pursuer. The dying king avenged himself by inflicting the same calamity upon Atys.
Who cut off Attis' genitals?
The marriage-song was being sung, when Agdistis appeared, and Attis went mad and cut off his genitals, as also did he who was giving him his daughter in marriage. But Agdistis repented of what he had done to Attis, and persuaded Zeus to grant that the body of Attis should neither rot at all nor decay.
Who conquered the towered goddess with pure love?
The Pierid [Mousa (Muse)] began : ‘A woodland Phrygian boy, the gorgeous Attis, conquered the towered goddess with pure love. She wanted to keep him as her shrine's guardian, and said, "Desire to be a boy always.". He promised what was asked and declared, "If I lie, let the Venus [Aphrodite] I cheat with be my last.".
Did Attis die in Pessinos?
Then certain Lydians, with Attis himself, were killed by the boar, and it is consistent with this that the Gauls who inhabit Pessinos (Pessinus) abstain from pork. But the current view about Attis is different, the local legend about him being this.
Why is Attis unusual?
The story of Attis, the consort of the earth goddess Cybele, is unusual in Greek mythology. This is largely because it wasn’t a Greek story at all.
What is Attis's gender?
According to Phrygian-Greek legends, Attis was the offspring of an androgynous de ity called Agdistis. Their dual male and female nature represented the wild, unpredictable forces of nature.
What did the people of Phrygia see in winter?
As in that story, the people of Phrygia saw winter as a time when the goddess of the earth was separated from her child. In addition to her child, however, Attis was also a part of Cybele herself.
What was the love between Attis and Cybele?
It was literally a matter of Cybele seeking a part of herself that had been taken away.
How did Agdistis control the foreign deity?
To control this foreign deity’s disorderly nature, they decided to make Agdistis conform to their natural laws. They cut off their male organ and cast it away. From it, an almond tree grew.
What is Attis' role in the story of Persephone?
As both the consort of the mother goddess and the masculine part of her nature, Attis made the growth of new life possible. The story’s function can be compared to the more familiar Greek legend of Persephone’s abduction.
What tree grew on Agdistis' site?
On the site of Agdistis’s castration, an almond tree grew. A river nymph called Nana was magically impregnated by its fruits and gave birth to Attis.
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Who is Attis the Savior?
Attis is a vegetative divinity and consort of the Great Mother. He is a savior, having descended from the heavens, mingled with lower matter, suffered and risen again, setting an example for us on how we may rise above matter too. His priests were the Gallai, who castrated themselves in re-enactment of one of the principle myths regarding Him and the Great Mother.
What is the myth of the Great Mother and Attis?
The myth of the Great Mother and Attis is known for its representation of “mind over matter.” By the very nature of the Gods, they dwell in a higher world, and do not desire to drag themselves down to our world; but rather they desire to lead the things of our earth up.
Overview
No connection to the god Atys
Nineteenth century scholarship wrongly identified the god Attis with the similar-sounding name of the god Atys. The name "Atys" is often seen in ancient Aegean cultures; it was mentioned by Herodotus, however Herodotus was describing Atys, the son of Croesus, a human in a historical account. The 19th century conflation of the man Atys's name with the mythology of the god he was presumably named after, "Atys the sun god, slain by the boar's tusk of winter", and hence a conn…
History
An Attis cult began around 1250 BCE in Dindymon (today's Murat Dağı of Gediz, Kütahya, Turkey). He was originally a local semi-deity of Phrygia, associated with the great Phrygian trading city of Pessinos, which lay under the lee of Mount Agdistis. The mountain was personified as a daemon, whom foreigners associated with the Great Mother Cybele.
In the late 4th century BCE, a cult of Attis became a feature of the Greek world. The story of his o…
Literature
The first literary reference to Attis is the subject of one of the most famous poems by Catullus, apparently before Attis had begun to be worshipped in Rome, as Attis' worship began in the early Empire.
In 1675, Jean-Baptiste Lully, who was attached to Louis XIV's court, composed an opera titled Atys. In 1780, Niccolo Piccinni composed his own Atys.
Philosophy
Emperor Julian's "Hymn to the Mother of Gods" contains a detailed Neoplatonic analysis of Attis. In that work Julian says: "Of him [Attis] the myth relates that, after being exposed at birth near the eddying stream of the river Gallus, he grew up like a flower, and when he had grown to be fair and tall, he was beloved by the Mother of the Gods. And she entrusted all things to him, and moreover set on his head the starry cap." On this passage, the scholiast (Wright) says: "The whole passag…
Archaeological finds
The most important representation of Attis is the lifesize statue discovered at Ostia Antica, near the mouth of Rome's river. The statue is of a reclining Attis, after the emasculation. In his left hand is a shepherd's crook, in his right hand a pomegranate. His head is crowned with a pine garland with fruits, bronze rays of the sun, and on his Phrygian cap is a crescent moon. It was discovered in 1867 at the Campus of the Magna Mater together with other statues. The objects seem to hav…
Photo gallery
• Statue of Attis at the Shrine of Attis situated in the Campus of the Magna Mater in Ostia Antica, Italy.
• Attis wearing the Phrygian cap. Terracotta thymiaterion at the Louvre from Tarsus
• Sculpture of Attis. Ephesus Archaeological Museum, Efes, Turkey.
Notes
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Attis". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Atys 1.". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.