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

The Blue Globe

43

throne. The left foot was drawn back till it rested only on its
toes. The himdtion covered the top half of the god's left arm,
and the end of it hung down between his knees. Now all, or
almost all, these traits are to be found in an extant relief, the
consideration of which would have materially strengthened
Michaelis' case—I mean the principal face of the so-called ara
Capitolina. This beautiful monument represents on its four sides
scenes from the life of Zeus, and has by way of climax Zeus
enthroned among the other denizens of Olympos (pi. vii)1. The
form of the god is precisely that described by Michaelis, except
for the unimportant circumstance that the sculptor has here chosen
to bring forward the left rather than the right foot. The com-
paratively low position of the arm holding the sceptre, the
somewhat unusual arrangement of a thunderbolt grasped by the
left hand, the feet thrust forward and drawn back respectively,
the himdtion swathing the whole of the upper arm—all these
characteristics are present, together with a head of would-be
fifth-century type admirably suited to a copy of the Olympian
Zeus2. I take it, therefore, that the seated Zeus of the ara
Capitolina is on the whole our best evidence for the aspect of
Apollonios' Iupiter Capitolinus*. If this be so, it becomes probable
that the latter, like the former, had a large globe placed on the
left hand side of his throne.

Next we have to compare the type of Zeus attested by the
Pompeian wall-painting and the intaglio at Berlin with that of
Iupiter Capitolinus thus determined. The two types have un-
doubtedly much in common. Both show a seated Zeus half-draped
in a himdtion, holding a sceptre in his raised, a thunderbolt in his
lowered hand. The pose of the feet and legs is similar, not to
say identical ; and the Pompeian Zeus at least agrees with the

1 Helbig Guide Class. Ant. Rome i. 379 f. no. 515, Friederichs-Wolters Gipsabgiisse
p. 815 f. no. 2142, Overbeck Gr. Kunstmyth. Zeus pp. 170, 175 ff., Hera pp. 129, 137 ff.,
Atlas pi. 1, 49 (Zeus only), E. Braun Vorschule der Kunstmythologie Gotha 1854 pi. 5,
Baumeister Denkm. iii. 2139 fig. 2397.

2 The substitution of a fillet for a wreath is noteworthy, since Petillius Capitolinus
was accused of carrying off the wreath of Iupiter Capitolinus (Acron and Porphyrion
ad Hor. sat. 1. 4. 94). This accusation was a time-honoured joke (Plaut. Men. 941,
Trin. 83 ff.).

3 The colossal statue of Nerva seated as Iupiter in the Rotunda of the Vatican
(Helbig Guide Class. Ant. Rome i. 217 no. 303) looks like an adaptation of the same
type, as Miss M. M. Hardie of Newnham College pointed out to me. But both arms
with the mantle covering the left shoulder are restorations by Cavaceppi, and the lower
half belongs to another seated male figure. A similar adaptation of the type may be seen
in the Berlin 'Trajan' (Ant. Skulpt. Berlin p. 144 no. 354), a seated emperor of the
first century a.d. (head not belonging; arms, feet, etc. much restored). Cp. also the
Augustus of Ankyra (Gaz. Arch. 1881—1882 vii. 73 ff. pi. 13).