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THE KYBELE-ARTEMIS GODDESS |
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| The Kybele-Artemis (later
Diana) goddess' melded and coexisted in a very complex manner. Her
worshippers' conceptions of her depended upon their individual
inclinations. In some cases the chaste Artemis yielded to towards the
earthier characteristics of Kybele, while on other occasions the reverse
ocurred.
The statue of the goddess retains .......
The origins of the statue also display the dichotomy. It was believed to have been both dedicated by the Amazons and sent directly from the heavens. She was the goddess of nature, chastity and the protector of wild animals and sailors. There are many interpretations of the statue's many breasts. Most likely they symbolized fertility and her infinite capacity to nourish the earth. Another school of thought holds that the nodes do not represent breasts at all, but rather the testes of bulls sacrificed to the goddess. Testes symbolize fertility as they contain seeds or eggs. Sir William Ramsey was of the opinion that the nodes represent the ova of bees. The eggs would therefore symbolize her function as the goddess of Fertility, while the bee was the symbol of Ephesus and is found on many coins. In this interpretation of the statue, the goddess is seen as the queen bee and the temple as her hive. This agrees with ..........
The head of the cult was a priest (or priests) with the title Megabyxus (Megabysos). This Persian title means 'set free by God'. The candidate for this honored position was always from a non-Greek nation. The Megabyxus and his priests had their male organs removed. The priestesses who served the priests were virgins. They included the priestesses who performed the rites, novices, and the ex-priestess who instructed the novices. One of the orders of priests was ................... The Curates were another sect ...................  Zeus head, 1st century AD. Efes Archaeological Museum, Selçuk. ==> Local Anatolian mythology had a different legend about the Curates. In theirs the Curates caused a similar diversion while Leto was giving birth to Artemis. The birth was taking place in the city of Ephesus, and the diversionary tactics were to keep Hera away from the city. Hera was jealous of Leto and was constantly awaiting the opportunity to harm her. An annual festival was held every year to celebrate the birth of Artemis and to commemorate the Curates' part in the event. One of the functions of the Curates was to .................. |
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The Great Artemis, 1st century AD. Efes Archaeological Museum, Selçuk.
Artemis
Ephesia, 2nd. century AD. Efes Archaeological Museum, Selçuk ==>
