The Corybantes served Cybele in her ecstatic rites, which commemorated Attis's death and return. Their clashing cymbals and wild dances accompanied the annual festivals mourning and celebrating the youth.
The Corybantes of Cybele were frequently conflated with the Curetes who protected the infant Zeus on Crete. Both groups were armored dancers whose clashing weapons produced ecstatic noise, strengthening the identification of Cybele with Rhea.
The Corybantes were Cybele's ecstatic attendants who danced in armor, clashing shields and weapons during her rites. Their frenzied dances accompanied her processions and were believed to induce divine possession.
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