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How did Cybele’s cult reach Rome in 204 BCE?
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In 204 BCE, during Hannibal’s invasion of Italy, the Roman state brought the cult of Cybele to Rome following a Sibylline prophecy.
This prophecy stated that the enemy could be expelled and conquered if the "Idaean Mother" were brought to Rome, accompanied by her sacred symbol—a small stone believed to have fallen from the heavens. By incorporating the goddess into their religious framework, the Romans sought divine assistance to secure victory during a critical period of the Second Punic War.1