AR Cybele – Great Mother

Archaeological and historical documentation about Cybele is digitalized and presented through augmented reality to the new digital audience.

The mother of all Gods and entire nature, Great Mother, supreme female ancient deity. Originating from the mountain heights of the distant Phrygia in the Asia Minor (Middle Anatolia in today’s Turkey). Supreme female lunar principal of nature renewal and earth fertility. She is a mighty woman, whose chariots are drawn by lions and panthers. She helds a tympanum, scissors, cymbals, larophorus in her hands. Her faithful companion, lover and favourite is Athis, an ancient Oriental deity of vegetation. According to tradition, Athis grew into a beautiful young man, fell in love with the nymph Sagaritide, but jealous Cybele muted his mind. In his madness Attis castrated himself under one pine, died shortly after, and from his blood grew violets. The mighty Goddess took pity and brought back to life her favourite, so nature began to regenerate again. Romula, the mother of the Emperor Galerius, who built this magnificent palace, was a worshiper of mountain deiities of Dacia and maybe even a priest of the Goddess Cybele. After the death and apotheosis, Romula was celebrated in the Cybele’s temple, as Diva Romula.