 |
GalliPriests-eunuchs of the Phrygian goddess Cybele
Country:
 Italy |
Content:
Biography of Gallus
Gallus was the name of the king of Gaul, according to Stephanus Byzantinus, an important author of a geographical dictionary. Ovid, a Roman poet, claims that the name originated from the river Gallia in Phrygia. The first Gallus arrived in Rome when the Senate officially recognized Cybele as the "state goddess" in 204 BC. Roman citizens were initially prohibited from becoming Galli, so all priests were originally from the East or were slaves. This ban was lifted during the reign of Emperor Claudius. However, the last Roman emperor from the Flavian dynasty, Domitian, reinstated the prohibition on castration for Roman citizens.
Galli, in a trance-like state induced by barbaric music, would mutilate themselves with clay shards and knives during a festival called "Day of Blood" (Dies sanguinis), which took place on March 24th. On this day, they would wear women's clothing, mostly in yellow, and a type of turban with pendants and earrings. They also wore long, bleached hair and heavy makeup. Together with their followers, the eunuchs would roam the area, begging for money in exchange for predicting the future for generous donors. On the day of mourning for Attis, who, according to one version, mutilated himself under a pine tree and died from blood loss, disheveled Galli would run uncontrollably from all directions. They performed dances to the music of pipes and tambourines, and in a state of ecstasy, lashed themselves until they bled.
Relation to Attis
The relationship between Attis and the Galli in Rome is fundamental to understanding the meaning and function of the myth and ritual itself. The role of the mythological Attis, who underwent castration, is emphasized to some extent in the establishment of the "priestly" norms of the Galli. Scholars have attempted to draw a parallel between the episode of Attis' self-mutilation, followed by his death under a pine tree, and the ritualistic excesses of the Galli, considering Attis' action as either the primary basis or a secondary cause for the ritual. However, this interpretation seems too simplistic, as it does not take into account the fact that this connection served different purposes in different periods. For example, Attis' castration in the "Phrygian" version of the myth became the basis for the institution of priests in the city of Pessinus, known as "non-kings," who were not ordinary Galli.
The Galli in Ancient Times
The earliest mentions of the Galli come from the Greek "Anthologia Palatina" ("Palatine Anthology"), but they do not mention the ritual of castration. More interesting is a fragment of Callimachus' work, in which the term denoting the castration of priests is already used. Much is known about the high priests from archaeology. In Pessinus, the center of Cybele's cult, there were two high priests during the Hellenistic period. One was called "Attis," and the other was named "Battakes." Both of them were eunuchs. During this period, the high priests wielded significant political influence; inscriptions from Attis to the kings of Pergamon, Eumenes II and Attalus II, have been found carved on stones. Later, during the Flavian period, there was a community of ten priests who were not castrated but held the same title of "Attis."
In Rome, the head of the Galli was known as the archigallus, at least during the reign of Claudius. Archaeological findings suggest that archigalli wore luxurious and extravagant attire.
