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

The Blue Nimbus

39

Herakles is present as founder of the Olympic games. The Altis
or ' Grove' is indicated by a couple of tree-stumps to right and
left, while the two doves hovering above them are probably the
equivalent of Aphrodite and Eros in the last design1. It will be
noticed that the four-sided pillar with its altar-base is now topped
by a statue of Zeus, who stands clad in chitdn and himdtion, his
left hand leaning on a sceptre, his right raised as if to hurl a bolt2.
A second krater of the same sort, found in 1790 near Lecce and
known as the ' Cawdor vase' because purchased for a thousand
guineas by Lord Cawdor, is now in the Soane Museum at
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields. It exhibits a somewhat later moment—
the sacrifice by Oinomaos (pi. v)3. Pelops and Hippodameia have
started. But the king still stands at the altar, holding a phidle, a
wreath and a flower in his right hand, a spear in his left, while a
youth (Myrtilos ?) brings up a ram for the sacrifice. On the right
of this group sits a retainer with armour; on the left a female
figure wearing diadem, ear-ring, and necklace (Sterope ?) approaches
with a basket, a fillet, and three epichyseis. The altar is horned,
and above it rises a pillar with moulded top, on which is placed
a small undraped image of Zeus advancing with uplifted bolt.
Between Zeus and Oinomaos a small prophylactic wheel is seen
suspended4.

Similarly on a Campanian amphora from Capua, now at
Dresden, Orestes stabs Aigisthos in the presence of Elektra (fig. 11)5.
Aigisthos has apparently fled for refuge to an altar-base of Zeus6,

1 In Class. Rev. 1903 xvii. 272 I accepted Minervini's contention [Bull. Arch. Nap.
1858 vi. 148 f.) that these doves should be identified with those of the Dodonaean Zeus,
who spoke his oracles SurcrCbv e/c irekeLadcav (Soph. Trach. 172 with schol. ad loc). But,
though Aphrodite's doves are ultimately comparable with those of Zeus, we must not
suppose any such recondite significance here.

2 The opposite side of the same vase, which depicts the capture of Troy, shows inter
alia Neoptolemos stabbing Priamos as he clings to a very similar pillar-altar of Zeus
(pi. iv, 2): infra n. 6.

3 J. B. Passeri Picturae Etruscorum in Vasculis Rome 1775 iii pi. 2826°., H. Moses
A Collection of Vases... London 1814 pi. 23, J. Britton The Union of 'Architecture,
Sculpture, and Painting... London 1827 p. 51 Title-page fig. 1, 6, A general description
of Sir John Soane^s Mvtseum London 1876 p. 5 fig., T. Panofka in the Abh. d. berl.
Akad. 1853 Phil.-hist. Classe pis. 1, 2 no. 5, L. Stephani in the Compte-rendu St Pet.
1863 p. 268 n. 1, 1868 p. 169, A. Conze in the Arch. Zeit. 1864 xxii Anz. p. 165*,
Overbeck Gr. Kunstmyth. Zeus pp. 6, 208 f., 602, A. Michaelis Ancient Marbles in Great
Britain Cambridge 1882 p. 481.

My illustration of the top register (75 inches high) was drawn over photographic blue-
prints taken by Mr W. E. Gray of Bayswater.

4 On these prophylactic wheels see infra ch. i § 6 (d) i (e).

5 G. Treu in the Jahrb. d. kais. detttsch. arch. Inst. 1890 v Arch. Anz. p. 90,
O. Hofer in Roscher Lex. Myth. iii. 969.

6 The scene as conceived by the vase-painter differs from the literary tradition (cp.