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

ig4 Direct identifications of Zeus with the Sun

Obviously these and other such identifications1 do not suffice to

prove that Zeus himself, the
Greek Zeus, was essentially solar
in character. At most they show
that his attributes permitted of
his being identified roughly and
for practical purposes with a
variety of barbaric sun-gods. The
only example of Zeus being wor-
shipped as the Sun on Greek soil
is to be found at Kastri, on the
site of Arkesine, in Amorgos,
where a very early rock-cut in-
scription reads (fig. 143):

Zevs Zeus
r/HX[to]s the Sun2.

If the second word has been rightly deciphered by Monsieur Dubois3,
we are driven to conclude that at least as early as the fifth century
B.C. the inhabitants of Amorgos recognised a solar Zeus. This
isolated case must then be due, as Dr Farnell saw, to 'some peculiar

['HXt'y] and so illustrates Acts 14. 12 Barnabas = Zeus, Paul = Hermes (The Times Nov.
ir, 1909, A711. [ourn. Arch. 1910 xiv. 102).

1 Zeus Adados (lupiter Heliopolitanns), Zeus Dolichaios (Iupiter Dolichenus), Zeus
Talaios, Tallaios, Taletitas, Zeus Ammon, Zeus Askraios, etc. will be separately con-
sidered in later sections.

A seated Zeus radiate occurs on silver coins of Antialkidas (Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins
Greek and Scythic Kings p. 25 f. pi. 7, 9, 14) and Hermaios (id. p. 62 pi. 15, 1, 2, 3, 5)
and on copper coins of Manes (ib. p. 70 pi. 16, 9) and Spalirises (id. p. 101 pi. 22, 2); a
standing Zeus radiate on silver coins of Heliokles (id. p. 21 pi. 7, 3; p. 23 pi. 7, 5 f.),
Azes (ib. p. 73 pi. 17, 8—11), Spalahores with Vonones (ib. p. 98 pi. 21, 7f.), Spalaga-
dames with Vonones (ib. p. 99 pi. 21, 10), and Spalirises (ib. p. 100 pi. 22, 1). The
majority of these are described as laureate, not radiate, by Prof. P. Gardner locc. citt.: he
admits, however, that pi. 17, 8 Azes and pi. 22, 2 Spalirises are radiate, and such may
well be the character of them all.

Iupiter Capitolinus has a rayed crown on a terra cotta lamp from Herculaneum now
at Naples (Antichita di Ercolano Napoli 1792 viii (Le Lucerne ed i Candelabri d'Ercolano)
1 f. pi.). Doubtful examples of a radiate Iupiter in wallpaintings are Helbig Wandgem.
Camp. p. 22 no. 67 Atlas pi. 2 = Overbeck Gr. Kunstmyth. Zeus p. 189 fx. Atlas pi. 1, 42,
and E. Gerhard Hyperboreisch-Rdmische Siudien fur Archdologie Berlin 1833 p. 106 = L.
Stephani Nimbus und Strahlenkranz p. 14 no. 3. Denarii of the gens Egnatia show a
distyle temple in which are two standing deities, Iupiter with sceptre and radiate head,
and Libertas ; above the former is a thunderbolt, above the latter a Phrygian cap (so
Babelon Monn. rep. rom. i. 474 f. fig. after Cavedoni, cp. H. A. Grueber in the Brit. Mus.
Cat. Rom. Coins Rep. i. 399 n. 3, 400 pi. 42, 16 : on the temple of Iupiter Libertas see
H. Jordan—C. Hiilsen Topographie der Stadt Rom im Alterthum Berlin 1907 i. 3. 167).

2 H. Roehl Imagines inscriptionum Grcecarum antiquissimarum2 Berolini 1898 p. 55
no. 28, E. S. Roberts An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy Cambridge 1887 i. 191
no. 160 f. 3 Bull. Corr. Hell. 1882 vi. 191.