Topics (move over topic to see place in topic list)
06 Visual arts and architecture
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices
12 Assyrian Identity
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices
01 Religious and ideological doctrines and imagery
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices
03 Religious festivals, cults, rituals and practices
02 Religious and ideological symbols and iconographic motifs
Keywords
eunuchs
Hierapolis
Period
2nd century CE
Roman Empire
Channel
Helleno-Roman philosophers and scholars
Text
pseudo-Lucian, De Dea Syria 50-53: On appointed days, the crowd assembles at the sanctuary while many Galli and the holy men whom I have mentioned perform the rites. They cut their arms and beat one another on the back. Many stand about them playing flutes, while many others beat drums. Still others sing inspired and sacred songs. This ceremony takes place outside the temple and none of those who performs it enters the temple. On those days, too, men become Galli. For while the rest are playing flutes and performing the rites, frenzy comes upon many, and many who have come simply to watch subsequently perform this act. … The youth for whom these things lie in store throws off his clothes, rushes to the center with a great shout and takes up a sword, which I believe has stood there for this purpose for many years. He grabs it and immediately castrates himself. Then he rushes through the city holding in his hands the parts he has cut off. He takes female clothing and women’s adornment from whatever house he throws these parts into. This is what they do at the Castration. At death Galli do not receive a burial like other men. Instead, whenever a Gallus dies, his companions lift him up and carry him to the outskirts of the city. They set him down along with the bier with which they carried him. Then they pile up stones upon him and after completing this task they return home. They observe a period of seven days, then enter the sanctuary. If they enter before this time, they commit a sacrilege. In such matters they abide by the following customs: If anyone of them sees a corpse, he does not enter the sanctuary that day. On the following day, after purifying himself, he enters. When the corpse is that of a relative, they observe thirty days, shave their heads and then enter the temple. It is sacrilegious for them to enter sooner.
Attridge, H. W. and R. A. Oden. The Syrian Goddess (De Dea Syria), Attributed to Lucian. Graeco-Roman Religion 1. Missoula: Scholars Press for the Society of Biblical Literature 1976.
