This week we are continuing our deep-dive into Attis, a figure assigned male at birth who travelled to Asia and underwent a gender transition. Following the surgery itself, Attis experiences first the manic highs of gender euphoria before falling into a depressive low.
Rather than interpreting the anxiety through the lens of a hero acting shamefully and later regretting their acts, we will read the story through the lens of a woman lamenting a social death in the hours immediately after the change in social status.
Part 3 will focus on Attis' life after transition through other appearances in ancient media.