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

Nemesis

281

Kypros (pi. xxiii, 2)1, which has Zeus enthroned as its obverse,
Nemesis standing as its reverse type. In the former J. P. Six
detected a modification of the masterpiece at Olympia; in the
latter, a copy of the cult-statue at Rhamnous. The god has a
phidle (?) in his right hand, a sceptre in his left. The goddess is
wearing a head-dress, which may no doubt be a mere wreath but
is possibly2 the Rhamnusian crown of stags and small Victories.
The fibula on her right shoulder is decorated with the head of a
griffin, her favourite animal. In her lowered left hand she holds
the apple-branch3; in her extended right, a piddle with a thymia-
terion beneath it.

The final proof that Nemesis was near akin to Diana Nemorensis
may be found in a consideration of the term Nemesiaci. Com-
modianus, a Christian poet of the fifth4 century, describes the
devotees of Diana as Nemesiaci* or ' followers of Nemesis'—a

1 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Cyprus pp. lxxiv f. 43 pi. 8, 7, J. P. Six 'Aphrodite-
Nemesis' in the Num. Chron. Third Series 1882 ii. 89—102 pi. 5 (enlarged photograph),
id. in the Rev. Num. iii Serie 1883 i. 287 ff. no. 24 pi. 6, 13, id. in the Zeitschr. f. Num.

1887 xiv. 144 n. 1, id. in the Num. Chron. Third Series 1888 viii. 130, P. Gardner Types
of Gk. Coins p. 170 pi. io, 27, Head Hist, num.2 p. 741. Besides the specimen in the
British Museum, there is said to be one in the collection of the late W. H. Waddington
at Paris (J. P. Six in Num. Chron. Third Series 1883 i. 288). The legend on the reverse
was read by J. P. Six {Zeitschr. f. Num. 1886 xiv. 144 and Num. Chron. Third Series

1888 viii. 130) (3a<rt.\efos TL/noxapcfos. G. F. Hill {Brit. Mas. Cat. Coins Cyprus
p. lxxiv f.) prefers Tt • jxo ' xa ' PV ' f° ' °"e (CP- pavikrjfos etc.) and dates the coin c. 385 b.c.
{id. p. 43 Paphos no. 45).

2 G. F. Hill id. p. lxxv.

3 G. F. Hill id. p. 43 'a branch (of apple).' J. P. Six in the Num. Chron. Third
Series 1882 ii. 90 n. 3 says : ' Sur le statere les feuilles et les fieurs font penser a ceux du
grenadier.' For fxrjXop = ' pomegranate ' see infra ch. ii § 9 (h) ii (X).

4 See the Class. Quart. 1911 v. 268.

5 Commod. insfructiones 1. 19 an acrostic nemesiacis vanis—

N on ignominium est uirum seduci prudentem

E t colere tale(a)m aut Dianam dicere lignum ?

M ane ebrio, crudo, perituro creditis uno,

E x arte qui fincte loquitur quod illi uidetur ;

S euere (diuinum) dum agit, sibi uiscera pascit.

I ncopriat ciues unus detestabilis omnes

Adplicuitque sibi similis collegio facto,

Cum quibus historian! fingit, ut deum adornet.

I pse sibi nescit diuinare, ceteris audet.

S uccollat, quando libet, eum, et quando, deponit ;

Vertitur a se(se) rotans cum ligno bifurci,

A c si putes ilium adflatum numine ligni.

N on deos uos colitis, quos isti false prophetant :

1 psos sacerdotes colitis in uano timentes.

S ed si corde uiges, fuge iam sacraria mortis.

I print the poem as it stands in the latest edition, that of B. Dombart {Corpus scriptorum