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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#0254

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Direct identifications of Zeus with the Sun 187

A century later Arnobius describes the identification of Zeus with
the sun as a tenet of the philosophers1. The emperor Julian, a
neo-Platonist of the Syrian school, who wrote his remarkable
oration in praise of The Sovereign Sun for the Saturnalia of
361 A.D., is a case in point2. He notes that the Cypriote priests
had common altars and common precincts for the Sun and for
Zeus3; nay more, that Apollon himself had declared—

Zeus, Hades, Helios Sarapis—one4.

About 400 A.D. Macrobius, an equally enthusiastic advocate of
solar cult, devotes a whole chapter to proving that Zeus must
be the sun5. Ioannes Laurentius the Lydian in his work on
the Roman calendar, which was written in the early part of the
sixth century, repeatedly takes that view6. And Eustathios, arch-
bishop of Thessalonike, who lived during the latter half of the
twelfth century, does the same in his iearned commentary on
the Iliad and Odyssey1. These authors and others like them
attempt to justify their opinion by citing certain passages from
Homer8, Hesiod9, Orpheus10, Pherekydes11, Sophokles1'2, and Platon13.
But it is obvious that speculations of this sort, whether ancient
or modern, deserve no credence whatever unless they are supported
by evidence of actual cult.

1 Arnob. adv. nat. 3. 30.

2 See Ioul. or. 4. 136 a, 143 d, 144 c, 149 b and c.

3 Id. ib. 135 d, 143 d.

4 Id. ib. 135 d f. eh Tietis, eh 'Ai'St/s, ets "HXtos £<ttc 2apa7rts. Cp. the Orphic verse eh
Zeus, eh 'ALSrjs, eh "HXtos, eh Aiovvcros [frag. 7, 1 Abel ap. Ioustin. cohort. 15 and frag.
169 Abel ap. Macrob. Sat. 1. 18. 18).

5 Macrob. Sat. 1. 23. iff.

6 Lyd. de metis. 3. 10 p. 45, 20 f. Wiinsch, ib. p. 47, 8 and 10 f., 4. 3 p. 67, 3 f. and 10.

7 Eustath. in II. pp. 40, 29, 128, 14ft., 728, 16, id., in Od. pp. 1387, 26, 1713, 14 f-,
1726, 61 f.

8 //. 1. 423 ft". (the visit of Zeus, escorted by the other gods, to the Aithiopes) is
interpreted in this sense by Macrob. Sat. 1. 23. if., somn. Scip. 2. 10. 10f., Eustath. in
II. p. 128, 14ft". //. 13. 837 t/cer' aidepa /cat Alos avy&s (on which see supra p. 7 n. 2) is
similarly understood by et. mag. p. 409, 9 : cp. infra ch. i § 6 (g) ix. //. 2. 134 Atos
p.eya\ov ivtavroi has schol. B. L. Aids 8e rod 7/Xtou rj rod dLepxojaevov Xf>°P0Vi schol. T. tov
rfklov 7) tov xpbvov.

9 Macrob. Sat. 1. 23. 9 explains Hes. 0. d. 267 iravra idibv Alos ocpdaX/xbs /cat irdvTa
vorjo-as {infra p. 196 n. 6) by 77. 3. 277'HeXtos 6' ds ttclvt' i<popas /cat tt6.vt e7ra/cot/ets : cp.
infra ch. i § 6 (g) ix.

10 Macrob. Sat. 1. 23. 22 cites Orph. frag. 235 Abel, of which the last couplet runs :
-(ryAae Zeu ALovvae, irarep ttovtov, irarep at'7/j, | "HXte Trayyeuerop, iravTaioke, xpvcreocpeyy^s.
•Cp. infra p. 197 n. 2 f.

11 Lyd. de mens. 4. 3 p. 67, 3 f. Wiinsch rip All—/cat yap "HXtos avrbs Kara ^epeKijdrju.

12 Soph. frag. 1017 Nauck2: see infra ch. i § 6 (g) ix.

13 Arnob. adv. nat. 3. 30, Macrob. Sat. \. 23. 5, Eustath. in Od. pp. 1713, 14 f-, 1726,
61 f., schol. Od. 12. 62 cite Plat. Phaedr. 246 k 6 [xev 517 /meyas Tjye/xlof ev ovpavco Zevs,
*i\avvLov Trrrjvbv ap/bLa.
 
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