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Cook, Arthur B.
Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 1): Zeus god of the bright sky — Cambridge, 1914

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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14695#0079

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Zeus identified with Aither 27

was a cult-title at Priene in Karia. A small marble altar found
there and dating from the first century of our era or later is
inscribed :

Aibs Of Zeus

AWplov A ithrios1.

Another altar of similar provenance, period, and size is adorned
with a bay-wreath, beneath which is the inscription:

Qe/juo-TonXrjs Themistokles

Mtvdvdpov son of Menandros

Ait AlOpLau to Zeus AUhrios

evxrjv (in fulfilment of) a vow2.

(c) Zeus identified with Aither (sometimes with Aer)
in Philosophy and Poetry.

Lying at the back of such usages is the half-forgotten belief
that Aither, 'the Burning Sky,' itself is Zeus3. Zoi'sm4 dies
hard ; and this belief can be traced here and there throughout the
whole range of Greek literature. In particular, it has left its
impress on philosophy and poetry.

Pherekydes of Syros, one of the earliest writers of Greek
prose, has preserved for us some exceedingly primitive notions
with regard to Zeus, or Zds as he terms him. Of these I shall
have more to say: for the moment we are concerned with the
tradition that by Zeus Pherekydes understood aither, ' the burning
sky,' or ignis, ' fire5.' He may doubtless have given some such

1 F. Hiller von Gaertringen Inschriften von Pi'iene Berlin 1906 no. 184.

2 Id. ib. no. 185.

0 As Zeus 'A/mptos presupposed ajxapa = Zeus, so Zeus Aidepios presupposes cu#T7p = Zei5s.
Hes. theog. 124 (Cornut. theol. 17 p. 28, 6 f. Lang) makes Aither the brother of Ilemera,
as does Hyg. fab. praef. p. 9, 2 Schmidt (Dies and Aether), cp. Cic. de nat. deor. 3. 44.
Aither and Hemera appear fighting side by side on the frieze of the great Pergamene
altar to Zeus: see Die Skulpturen des Pergamon-Museums in Photographien Berlin 1903
pi. 10, Pergamon hi. 2. 31 ff. Atlas pi. 6. In Cic. de nat. deor. 3. 53 f. Aether is father of
an Arcadian Iupiter, cp. Ampel. 9 loves fuere tres. primus in Arcadia, Aetheris filius, cui
etiam Aetherius cognomen fuit: hie primum Solem procreavit, Lyd. de mens. 4. 67
p. 121, 25 f. Wimsch eVrd 'HpanXels yeuecrdac, irpOnov Aios rod AWepos, ib. 4. 71 p. 122,
22 ff. rpeis A/as elvai fiotiXovrai, eva p.ev Aldepos, top <5e erepov ev 'ApuaSia. Pan was the
son of Oinoe by Aither (Pind. ap. Maxim. liolobol. in Syringem p. 112 b 15 f. Diibner,
Araithosyra^-. 5 ap. schol. Eur. Rhes. 36 = Frag. hist. Gr. iv. 319 Miiller: cp. Gruppe
Gr. Myth. Pel. p. 1390 n. 5), or of Oinei's by Aither (schol. Theokr. 1. 121) or by Zeus
(Aristippos frag. 2 ap. schol. Theokr. 1. 3 and Eudok. viol. i^ — Frag. hist. Gr. iv. 327
Miiller).

4 By zo'ism I mean what Mr J. S. Stuart-Glennie means by 'zoonism' and Mr R. R.
Marett by ' animatism '—the primitive view that things in general, including inanimates,
possess a mysterious life of their own.

5 Hermias irrisio gentilutm philosophorum 12 = H. Diels Doxographi Graeci Berolini
 
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