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Agyrtee

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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(ἀγυρέω , to congregate) was a name given to priests of the goddess Cybele, who wandered up and down, attracting crowds of people, by pretending suddenly to be inspired by the goddess, roused into a divine fury, slashing and cutting themselves with knives. They generally carried about with them an image of Cybele, which they placed upon the back of an ass, and deceived the people by fortune-telling, persuading them to give presents to the goddess in return for the information which by her inspiration had been imparted to them as to their future fate.