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

296 Zeus and the Solar Disk

a mere pattern (figs. 214—217)1, and end by vanishing altogether
(fig. 218)2.

Whether the disks or shields suspended in temples3 and palaces4
were ever regarded as apotropaia, we do not know. But at least
they afford a close parallel to the wheels hung in
like positions, which we took to be iynges*.

On an early silver coin of the Thraco-Macedonian
region a disk is borne through the sky by a winged
and long-haired figure in the attitude of Knielauf*
or speedy flight (fig. 219)7. This figure is best inter-
preted as that of the local sun-god8. Its nearest

VArt gre"co-bouddhique du Gandhdra Paris 1905 p. 241 ff. figs. 119—123, 125). I surmise
that this practice originated in the representation of a solar disk with a snake on either
side of it. Artistic convenience may have dictated that the snakes should turn towards
the disk, not away from it. But the device was from the first intended to serve a practical
purpose, that of safe-guarding the edifice.

1 Fig. 214 is from an Apulian peltke at Naples, which depicts the rape of the Pallddion
from the temple of Athena (Heydemann op. cit. p. 529 ff. no. 3231, Ann. d. Inst. 1858
xxx. 246 ff. pi. M).

Fig- 215 is from an Apulian krate'r in the British Museum {Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases iv.
142 f. no. F 284, Inghirami Vas.fitt. i. 41 ff. pis. 19, 20).

Fig. 216 is from an Apulian kdlpis at Cambridge (E. A. Gardner Cat. Vases Cambridge
p. 83 no. 247 pi. 39).

Fig- 217 is from another Apulian kraUr in the British Museum {Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases
iv. 143 f- no. F 286 unpublished : cp. an Apulian hydria id. iv. 174 no. F 351 unpublished).

2 Furtwangler—Reichhold Gr. Vasenmalerei ii. 161 ff. pi. 90 the Medeia-vase at
Munich, on which see supra p. 251 f. Many other examples could be cited, e.g.
Furtwangler—Reichhold op. cit. i pi. 10, Mon. d. Inst, x pi. 27, Bullettino Italiano
1862 i pi- 7, Lenormant—de Witte El. mon. ce'r. iv pi. 27.

In numismatic art too a similar sequence of types could be made out: a good collection
of materials is in Anson Num. Gr. v pis. 4—13, cp. Stevenson—Smith—Madden Diet.
Ro?n. Coins pp. 128, 458, 485, 526f., etc.

The pediment of the Ionic propylon at Magnesia was ornamented with a round shield
{Magnesia am Maeander p. 133 with p. 127 fig. 133).

3 E.g. Comptt-rendu St. Pdt. 1863 p. 2518". Atlas pi. 6, 5 (temple of Apollon at
Delphoi), supra p. 40 fig. 11 (precinct of Zeus at Mykenai).

4 E.g. Furtwangler—Reichhold op. cit. ii pi. 90 (palace of Kreon at Corinth), Mon. d.
Inst, viii pi. 9 (palace of Hades).

5 Supra p. 259 ff.

6 E. Schmidt ' Der Knielauf und die Darstellung des Laufens und Fliegens in der
alteren griechischen Kunst' in the Munchener archaologische Studien Mtinchen 1909
pp. 249—397.

7 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Macedonia etc. p. 136 fig., Babelon Monn. gr. rom. ii. 1.
1257 f. pi- 59, 6. B. V. Head's suggestion {Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Macedonia etc.
pp. xix f., xxv ff.; but see Hist, num.2 p. 203) that the object carried by the running figure
maybe O, the initial of the town Therma, is most improbable (Imhoof-Blumer Monn.
gr. p. 106 ff.). E. Babelon loc. cit. describes it as ' une couronne ' : but this is ruled out
by the central dot.

A silver coin at Paris nearly related to the foregoing shows a similar figure clad in a
long chiton (Babelon op. cit. ii. 1. 1255 ff. pi. 59, 5).

8 So P. Gardner in the Num. Chron. New Series 1880 xx. 58.