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Corybantes

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Ecstatic armed dancers and priests of Cybele or Rhea who protected the infant Zeus in Crete by clashing their shields and spears to drown his cries from his father Cronus.

Detailed Definition
The Corybantes were ecstatic male attendants of Cybele or Rhea, using noise and dance to shield Zeus from Cronus. They represent ritual frenzy and divine protection. Poets reference them in hymnal or choral contexts to evoke mystery cults, the power of music, and the defense of divine infancy.
Example
Example in poetry:
Corybantes, armed dancers who guarded infant Zeus, appear in Strabo and Ovid; Poets use Corybantes to symbolize ritual frenzy or protective chaos; In hymns, their clashing shields drown Zeus’s cries—ideal for noise-as-sanctuary imagery; “Corybantic rites” evoke ecstatic worship; They bridge martial and mystical energy.
Additional Notes
The Corybantes are armed, dancing attendants of Cybele (or Rhea) who drown out infant Zeus’s cries with clashing shields in Crete—protecting him from Cronus. They embody ritual frenzy and protective noise. Later associated with mystery cults, they appear in Apollonius Rhodius and Nonnus. Poets use them to symbolize chaotic guardianship, the birth of order from noise, or ecstatic worship.
Also Known As
Korybantes
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