Editing Cybele (section)

=== Rome and its provinces ===
Magna Mater's temple stood high on the slope of the [[Palatine Hill|Palatine]], overlooking the valley of the [[Circus Maximus]] and facing the temple of [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]] on the slopes of the [[Aventine Hill|Aventine]]. It was accessible via a long upward flight of steps from a flattened area or proscenium below, where the goddess's [[Ludi|festival games]] and [[Ludi scaenici|plays]] were staged. At the top of the steps was a statue of the enthroned goddess, wearing a mural crown and attended by lions. Her altar stood at the base of the steps, at the proscenium's edge. The first temple was damaged by fire in 111 BC, and was repaired or rebuilt. It burnt down in the early Imperial era, and was restored by [[Augustus]]; it burned down again soon after, and Augustus rebuilt it in more sumptuous style; the [[Temple of Cybele (Palatine)|Ara Pietatis]] relief shows its pediment.{{sfn|Roller|1999|pages=309–310}} The goddess is represented by her empty throne and crown, flanked by two figures of Attis reclining on [[Tympanum (hand drum)|tympanon]]s; and by two lions who eat from bowls, as if tamed by her unseen presence. The scene probably represents a ''[[sellisternium]]'', a form of banquet usually reserved for goddesses, in accordance with "[[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#ritus graecus|Greek rite]]" as practiced in Rome.<ref>The sellisternium and various other elements of ritus Graecus "proved Rome's profound religious and cultural rooting in the Greek world". See Scheid, John, in Rüpke, Jörg (Editor), ''A Companion to Roman Religion'', Wiley-Blackwell, 2007, p.226.</ref> This feast was probably held within the building, with attendance reserved for the aristocratic sponsors of the goddesses rites; the flesh of her sacrificial animal provided their meat.

From at least 139 AD, Rome's port at [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]], the site of the goddess's arrival, had a fully developed sanctuary to Magna Mater and Attis, served by a local Archigallus and college of ''dendrophores'' (the ritual tree-bearers of "Holy Week").<ref>Duncan Fishwick, "The Cannophori and the March Festival of Magna Mater," ''Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association'', Vol. 97, (1966), p. 199.</ref>

Ground preparations for the building of St. Peter's basilica on the Vatican Hill uncovered a shrine, known as the Phrygianum, with some 24 dedications to Magna Mater and Attis.{{sfn|Cameron|2010|page=142}} Many are now lost, but most that survive were dedicated by high-status Romans after a taurobolium sacrifice to Magna Mater. None of these dedicants were priests of the Magna Mater or Attis, and several held priesthoods of one or more different cults.{{sfn|Cameron|2010|pages=144-149}}

Near [[Setif]] ([[Mauretania]]), the ''dendrophores'' and the faithful (''religiosi'') restored their temple of Cybele and Attis after a disastrous fire in 288 AD. Lavish new fittings paid for by the private group included the silver statue of Cybele and her processional chariot; the latter received a new canopy with tassels in the form of [[fir]] cones.<ref>Robin Lane Fox, ''Pagans and Christians'', p. 581.</ref> Cybele drew ire from Christians throughout the Empire; when [[Theodore of Amasea|St. Theodore of Amasea]] was granted time to recant his beliefs, he spent it by burning a temple of Cybele instead.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia  | title = St. Theodore of Amasea  | encyclopedia = Catholic Encyclopedia  | publisher = Encyclopedia Press  | location = New York  | year = 1914  | url = https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14573a.htm  | access-date = 2007-07-16  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180626135532/https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14573a.htm  | archive-date = 2018-06-26  | url-status = live  }}</ref>