republic.

In the inscriptions of the fourth century, Attis bears the cognomen of
_menotyrannus_. At that time this name was undoubtedly understood to mean
"lord of the months," because Attis represented the sun who entered a new
sign of the zodiac every month.[25] But that was not the original meaning
of the term. "_Men tyrannus_" appears with quite a different meaning in
many inscriptions found in Asia Minor. _Tyrannos_ ([Greek: Turannos]),
"lord," is a word taken by the Greeks from the Lydian, and the honorable
title of "tyrant" was given to Men, an old barbarian divinity worshiped by
all Phrygia and surrounding regions.[26] The Anatolian tribes from Caria to
the remotest mountains of Pontus worshiped a lunar god under that name who
was supposed to rule not only the heavens but also the underworld, because
the moon was frequently brought into connection with the somber kingdom of
the dead. The growth of plants and the increase of cattle and poultry were
ascribed to his celestial influence, and the villagers invoked his
protection for their farms and their district. They also placed their rural
burial grounds under the safeguard of this king of shadows. No god enjoyed
greater popularity in the country districts.

This powerful divinity penetrated into Greece at an early period. Among the
mixed populations of the AEgean seaports, in the Piraeus, at Rhodes, Delos
and Thasos, religious associations for his worship were {62} founded. In
Attica the presence of the cult can be traced back to the fourth century,
and its monuments rival those of Cybele in number and variety. In the Latin
Occident, however, no trace of it can be found, because it had been
absorbed by the worship of _Magna Mater_. In Asia itself, Attis and Men
were sometimes considered identical, and this involved the Roman world in a
complete confusion of those two persons, who in reality were very
different. A marble statue discovered at Ostia represents Attis holding the
lunar crescent, which was the characteristic emblem of Men. His
assimilation to the "tyrant" of the infernal regions transformed the
shepherd of Ida into a master of the underworld, an office that he combined
with his former one as author of resurrection.

A second title that was given to him reveals another influence. A certain
Roman inscription is dedicated to Attis the Supreme ([Greek: Attei
hupsistoi]).[27] This epithet is very significant. In Asia Minor
"Hypsistos" was the appellation