Taurobolium

During the Roman Empire, the taurobolium referred to practices involving the sacrifice of a bull, which after mid-2nd century AD became connected with the worship of the Great Mother of the Gods; though not previously limited to her cult, after 159 AD, all private inscriptions mention Magna Mater (the Roman name for the goddess Cybele). Originating in Asia Minor, its earliest attested performance in Italy occurred in 134 AD.

Ritual
At the taurobolium ritual, the high-priest would stand inside a pit made specifically for the purpose of the ritual, a bull would be led above the pit and sacrificed above him, the blood of the bull would pour down onto the priest, showering him in the blood. After this, the bull's meats are ritually butchered and cooked and eaten and offered and given as a sacrifice to Cybele and the bull's remaining testicles were removed and taken to the sanctuary as an offering to her. This ritual was done as a replacement for the castration of high-priests, this was because castration of male Roman citizens was forbidden in Rome.

Related pages

 Animal sacrifice, the ritual sacrifice of an animal 

Category:Religion in ancient Rome
Category:Paganism