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

The Mountain as the Throne of Zeus 141

any inscription showing to what deity it was dedicated. Never-
theless, in view of the fact that the coin of Antoninus Pius cited
above (fig. 100) actually represents Zeus enthroned upon Mount
Koressos, it will hardly be denied that the Ephesians must have
deemed this rock-cut seat the throne of Zeus. Whether the throne
itself was the work of a Hellenic or of a pre-Hellenic population
remains, as before, an open question. Possibly it had once belonged
to the Amazonian mother-goddess, who continued to be worshipped
at Ephesos as Artemis Prototkronie, ' She of the First Throne1.'

Sometimes the name of the god to whom the Greeks referred
the throne is happily settled by means of an inscription. Off the
west coast of Rhodes lies the little island Chalke, where on a hill-
top are to be seen numerous traces of an ancient Greek Akropolis.
Among these traces F. Hiller von Gaertringen noted a double
rock-cut throne (fig. 106)2. A single step leads up to two seats
with a common arm between them. The seats exhibit a circular
smoothing or polish ; and on their front surface in late and rude
characters is an inscription recording the names of Zeus and

1 Paus. 10. 38. 6 vwep rod /3w/ao0 rrjs Upwrodpovi-qs KaXov/xepr/s' Apre/iidos, cp. Kallim.
h. Artem. 228 itpwToQpove.

2 Arch.-ep. Mitth. 1895 xviii. 3 f. fig. 2. The dimensions are: width about 1.30111,
height 0.95111 ( = back 0.40™ +seat 0.55™), depth of seat 0.55111, height of step 0.14"'.