Statuette of Cybele from Philipopolis
THE STATUETTE OF CYBELE from II-III century, discovered during excavations in the northern part of the agora of Philippopolis (Plovdiv), comments Maya Martinova – head of the archaeological study of this site. The marble sculpture was found burned and broken in a late antique layer but with preserved attributes, typical for the goddess – with a tympane in the left hand, sitting on a throne between two lions. Cybele was originally a Phrygian goddess, personification of Mother Nature, worshipped in Asia Minor. Through the Greek colonies the cult to it penetrated into Europe – including in our lands. In Rome they officially celebrated it since BC 204, that is, after the end of the Second Punic War. And during the Roman Imperial era (when the Plovdiv statuette dates back to), the celebrations in honor of Cybele became extremely lavish – because she was already honored as a patron of the well-being of the cities and the whole country. Not surprisingly according to the legends exactly Cybele is the mother of mythical King Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold.
See and listen to details about the statuette, as well as about a new inscription discovered during the same excavations – a fragment of an Emperor’s letter with very interesting content…
