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

178 Zeus superseded by Saint Elias

Zeus at many, not to say most, of the important cult-centres both
on the mainland (Mount Olympos, Mount Lykaion, Mount
Arachnaion, Mount Taleton, etc.) and in the archipelago (Mount
Kenaion, Mount Oche, Mount Kynados, etc.).

Mr N. G. Polites in a valuable monograph on the sun in
modern Greek folk-tales has argued that Saint Elias represents,
not only the mountain-Zeus, but Helios as well1. There is, to

pavement, where the bloodmarks from its haunch were still to be seen. Its rider put out
his hands to the marble column and his fingers stuck fast in it. He was released by-
prayer and penitence; but his finger-prints remained, and Arculfus had seen them.
Again, a layman on horseback, before starting on an expedition, vowed that, if he
returned in safety, he would present St George with his horse. He did return in safety,
and tried to cheat the saint by depositing 20 solidi of gold as the price of his horse ; but
he found that the horse remained rooted to the spot. A second time he tried, depositing
30 solidi, with the same result. Four times he mounted and dismounted, till 60 solidi lay
before the column. At last he offered the saint the 60 solidi and the horse ; after which
he departed with joy. It seems probable that the column represented St George as
a horseman armed with a lance, and by no means impossible that it portrayed his triumph
over the dragon ; for as early as 346 a.d. an inscription from Ezr'a or Edhr'a in southern
Syria speaks of him as rod koXKlv'lkov ayiou fxdprvpos TewpyLov (Corp. inscr. Gr. iv no. 8627,
7), and, when the race of the Bagratides ascended the throne of Georgia towards the end
of the sixth century, one of the devices that they emblazoned on their arms was that of
St George slaying the dragon (Rev. S. C. Malan A Short History of the Geoi'gian Church
London 1866 p. 15 n. 10, p. 28 n. 19): see the Rev. G. T. Stokes in Smith-Wace Did.
Chr. Biogr. ii. 646. If the column at Diospolis was of this type, it must have resembled
the ' Jupiter-columns' of Germany, Belgium and France, which are commonly surmounted
by a sky-god, probably Ziu, conceived as a warlike Iupiter on horse-back spearing a
serpent-legged giant (E. Wagner 'Neptun im Gigantenkampf auf romischen Monument en'
in the Westdeutsche Zeitschrift 1882 i. 36 ff., F. Hettner 'Juppitersaulen' ib. 1885 iv.
365 ff., Haug 'Die Wochengottersteine ' ib. 1890 ix. 17 ff., id. 'Die Viergbttersteine' ib.
1891 x. 9 ff., 125 ff., 295 ff., A. Prost ' Les travaux consacres au groupe de l'Anguipede et
du Cavalier jusqu'en 1891 ' in the Memoires de la Socie'te des Antiquaires de France 1891
pp. 15—54, Friedhof Die sogen. Gigantensaulen (Beilage zum Jahresbericht des Lyzeums
Metz 1892), G. A. Miiller Die Reitergruppe auf den rbmisch-germanischen Giganten-
Sdulen Strassburg and Biihl 1894, A. Riese ' Tiber die sogen. Juppitersaulen' in the
Jfahrbuch der Gesellschaft fiir lothringische Geschichte und Altertumskunde 1900 xii.
3248"., Forrer Reallex. p. 389 f. s.v. ' Jupitersaulen,' and especially F. Hertlein Die
Juppitergigantensaulen Stuttgart 1910). However that maybe, the legend of St George
and the dragon suggests comparison with that of Zeus and Typhoeus, and furnishes a
fresh point d'appui for the conjecture that St George is a modification of Zeus Georgos.

I may here note one or two recent works bearing on the subject. The monograph by
E. Siecke Drachenkdmpfe: Untersuchungen zur indogermanischen Sagenkunde Leipzig
1907 must be used with the greatest caution (see R. Wiinsch in the Archiv f Rel. 1911
xiv. 561 ff.). C. S. Hulst St. George of Cappadocia in Legend and History London 1909 is
chiefly of value for its list of monuments (pp. 135—149) and bibliography (pp. 150—156).
J. F. Campbell The Celtic Dragon Myth with additions by G. Henderson Edinburgh 1911
includes many Celtic folk-tales. The most important contribution of late years is that of
Dr J. G. Frazer Golden Bough?: The Dying God pp. 105—112 'The Slaughter of the
Dragon' (a suggested reconciliation of the totemic with the cosmological interpretation).

1 N. G. Polites'O'TJAtos Kara tovs 5r)p,w5eis fxtidovs Athens 1882 p. 45 ff., cp. MeXer?7
iiri rod fiiov t&v New-re/sow 'YAX-qvwv Athens 1871 i. 19 ff. Others too have held that
St Elias is the successor of Helios (e.g. T. Trede Das Heidentum in der romischen Kirche