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

Temple Wheels

265

same consideration disposes of an allusion to the iynx in a supposi-
titious fragment of Zoroastres1. The Rev. W. Houghton, who has
minutely studied the birds of the Assyrian monuments and records,
discusses no fewer than fifty-seven species; but the wry-neck is not
among them2. Clearly, then, we cannot without further proof assert
that the wry-neck was a sacred bird in Babylonia and Persia. At
most we might maintain that the bird-like solar wheel or disk or
ring of Assyrian and Persian art3 originated in the custom of
binding a bird, some bird, not necessarily the wry-neck, upon a
revolving wheel to serve as an imitative sun-charm.

(£) Isis, Nemesis, Tyche, Fortuna.

The ijynx-wheels suspended at Delphoi suggest comparison with
other temple-wheels. Aristotle in his treatise on Mechanics alludes
to certain revolving wheels of bronze and iron as dedicated in
sanctuaries4. Dionysios the Thracian (c. 170-90 B.C.) wrote a book
on the symbolism of wheels; and Clement of Alexandreia cites
from it a passage in which mention is made of '.the wheel that turns
in the precincts of the gods, being derived from the Egyptians5.'
Plutarch too has a reference to these Egyptian wheels. By way of
explaining Numa's precept that men should turn round when they
pay adoration to the gods, he remarks: 'The turning round of the
worshippers is said to be an imitation of the rotatory movement of
the world. But the meaning would rather seem to be as follows.
Since temples face the east, the worshipper has his back to the
sun-rise. He here changes his position and turns round towards
the (sun-) god, completing the circle, and with it his prayer, by
means of both deities (i.e. by turning from the sun-god to the god
of the temple again). Unless indeed the Egyptian wheels have a
hidden significance and this change of position in like manner
teaches us that, inasmuch as no mortal matter stands still, it is
right to accept with contentment whatever turns and twists God
gives our life*5.' Still more explicit is Heron, an Alexandrine
mathematician of the third century B.C., who twice describes the
wheels in question. 'In the sanctuaries of the Egyptians,' he says,

1 Pseudo-Zoroastres frag. 54 Cory2 voov^evai cvyyes irarpbdev voeovai /ecu avrai' |
(3ov\ais a<pdeyKTOt.<Ti Kivou/xevai uxrre vomeral.

2 W. Houghton in the Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archeology 1885 viii.
42—142.

3 Supra p. 207 ff.

4 Aristot. mech. 1. 848 a 24 f.

5 Dion. Thrax ap. Clem. Al. str. 5. 45. 4 p. 356, 9 ff. Stahlin.

6 Plout. v. Num. 14.