Attis Died For 3 Days & Resurrected On March 25th... BEFORE Jesus!

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Claudius, in the 40sAD is credited with instituting a significant festival dedicated to Attis, formalizing its inclusion in the Roman religious calendar. This event, called the Entry of the Tree (arbor intrat), began the holy week of Attis.

On March 15, another group, the Cannophori (reed-bearers), processed through the streets. They carried reeds from the Almo River, accompanied by a six-year-old bull that the high priest sacrificed to ensure the fertility of the fields.

The festival initiated nine days of penitence, likened to a form of Lent.

Participants abstained from eating bread, pomegranates, quinces, pork, fish, and wine. Only milk was consumed, reinforcing a sense of purity and restraint.

On March 22, the Dendrophori (woodcutters’ guild) carried a pine tree in a grand procession to the Palatine Temple. Attis was fastened to the pine tree and was buried 6 feet underground, followed by mourning for the death of Attis. A pine tree was cut down, and a ram was sacrificed, its blood poured onto the roots of the tree in a sacred wood dedicated to Cybele. This dramatic procession (pompa), resembling a funeral march, traversed the streets of Rome with solemn music, marking one of the most important rituals in Cybele’s worship.

On March 23, a day of mourning known as the Day of Violets (dies violae) took place. Worshippers paid homage to the god Attis, symbolized by a sacred pine tree adorned with violets, which were said to have grown from his spilled blood.

The next day, March 24, marked the Day of Blood (dies sanguinis), the emotional and ritual peak of the festival. The high priest, along with the galli (eunuch priests), initiated a frenzied dance around the sacred pine tree. During this intense ceremony, the high priest used a whip embedded with knucklebones to flagellate himself. The air was filled with the sound of clarinets, cymbals, and furious tambourines, creating a chaotic and intense atmosphere.

On the third day, the rituals shifted to honor the burial of the pine tree, representing Attis. This was a solemn event where the tree, decorated with cloth and flowers, was buried, reflecting Cybele's actions in the myth when she cared for the body of Attis. Prayers were offered by the high priest for the protection of the emperor and the Roman Empire.

Tertullian, a Christian writer, later mocked these rituals, criticizing the priests for their dramatic displays and equating the festival's emotional excesses with the practices of the Montanists, a sect known for ecstatic prophecy. Day of Blood remained one of the most vivid and impactful ceremonies within the cult of Cybele and Attis.

According to ancient Christian sources like Firmicus Maternus, these ceremonies included prayers and mourning chants, performed in near darkness. At a pivotal moment, a light was revealed, symbolizing divine salvation. The priest would then anoint the chest of participants while reciting words of hope:

"Have faith, O believers: God is saved! And for us, salvation will emerge from his suffering."

The context of these rituals strongly connects them to the Egyptian god Osiris, who also symbolized rebirth. On March 25, the resurrection of Attis was celebrated. A carving from Ostia shows a small figure of Attis standing beside his own dead form under a pine tree, symbolizing his return to life. This day was called Hilaria or the day of rejoicing, marking the equinox when daylight becomes longer than night.

The striking thing about March 25 being the Day of Attis resurrection, is that it comes after 3 days from the Day of Attis Burial, showing a clear 3 day death and resurrection motif, PRE-DATING Christian influence on Roman religion by at least a century. March 25, the Roman Spring equinox date for the Julian Calendar, is also the day that Christians in the 3rd century calculated to be the exact day of Jesus Death, and his conception. One has to wonder if Roman Religion played a role in these calculations.

Following the intense celebrations, March 26 was observed as a day of rest, called Requietio. The next day, March 27, featured the Bath Procession (Lavatio), a day added to the Holy Week by Marcus Aurelius, symbolizing cleansing and renewal. This ceremonial washing of sacred objects reinforced the themes of purification and rebirth that defined the Attis and Cybele cult.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Great Mother Cybele
00:04:40 - Spring Frenzy
00:10:40 - Julio-Claudian Attians
00:13:28 - Attis Holy Week (Hilaria) Resurrection of Attis
00:24:25 - Megalesia Festival
00:29:49 - Egyptian Hilaria (Osiris)
00:32:25 - Serapia (April 25)
00:53:25 - Salvation of Isis
01:08:30 - Pompeii Mysteries


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