Ὁ περσικὸς ὄρνις: The symbology of the rooster in the cult of Kabiroi

The cult of Cabiri and Great Gods has in his diachronic development a great number of regional differences and syncretisms with local cults, but some elements seems to confirm a substantial original uniformity. The aim of this paper is to show the symbology of the birds within the cabiric cult, above all roosters and swans: these animals were depicted like votive gifts on vases and terracotta figurines. The principal feature of this iconographic elements is on the one hand the relationship with the homosexual and ephebic sphere, and on the other hand with the Hieros Gamos ritual. This paper concern the symbology of these animals as votive gifts in the Cult of Cabiri. We find roosters on reliefs of heroon of Diodoros Pasparos in Pergamon too: this cultic place show features and structures, which seems to be connected with the cult of Cabiri and Great Gods. The aim of this paper is to clarify the role of rooster in this cult and to understand the reasons behind the choice of this symbology by the analysis of literary and iconographic sources.