Adonis seems to be the Greek counterpart — more clearly in cult than in myth — of a Near Eastern dying god. His name is related to the Semitic invocation "adon" (Lord) and appears in other cultures as Dumuzi, Tammuz or Attis. Cybele is rooted in Anatolian culture, and much of Aphrodite's iconography springs from the Semitic goddesses Inanna, Ishtar and Astarte.
Adonis seems to be the Greek equivalent — more distinctly in worship than in legend — of a Near Eastern dying deity. His name is linked to the Semitic invocation "adon" (Lord) and appears elsewhere as Dumuzi, Tammuz or Attis. Cybele originates from Anatolian culture, and much of Aphrodite's iconography stems from the Semitic goddesses Inanna, Ishtar and Astarte.