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

328

The Fire-drill

aithe'r, 'the burning sky,' etc. are formed1. It thus appears that
Prometheus was essentially a 'Fire'-god—a conclusion that suits
well his relations to Hephaistos and the Kabeiroi2. But his name
Ithax can hardly be dissociated from Ithake3, the home of Odysseus
Ithakesios or Ithakos4-. In short, I suspect that behind Odysseus the
hero stands an older and more divine personage akin to Prometheus
the fire-god. It is surely significant that Odysseus, when pressed
by Penelope on his return to declare his lineage, gives himself
out as the grandson of the Cretan Minos and says totidem verbis:

My famous name is Aithon5.

Further, I would suggest that this is the reason why the art-type
of Odysseus, e.g. on coppers of Ithake (fig. 258)6, is indistinguishable

Fig. 258. Fig. 259. Fig. 260.

from the art-type of Hephaistos, e.g. on coppers of Methana
(fig. 25c/)7, and virtually identical with that of the bearded Kabeiros8,
e.g. on coppers of Birytos (fig. 260)9.

1 On this point our philological authorities are unanimous: see L. Meyer Handb. d.
gr. Etym. ii. 47 and Prellwitz Etym. Worterb. d. Gr. Spr? p. 194 s.v. idapbs, Boisacq
Diet. e'tym. de la Langue Gr. p. 23 s.vv. aidrjp, aWoj.

Hyg. fab. 31 gives the name of Prometheus' eagle as Aithon (cp. 77. 15. 690).

2 Roscher Lex. Myth. iii. 3040 f.

3 Akousileos frag. 30 {Frag. hist. Gr. i. 103 Mviller) ap. schol. Od. 17. 207 states that
Ithake was named after Ithakos—UrepeXdov 7rcui5es"I0<XKOs /cat N-^ptros, airb Aids ^x0VT€S
rb yfros, u)kovv tt]v KecpaXrjviav. k.t.X. Cp. Eustath. in II. p. 307, 8, in Od. p. 1815, 44 ff.,
Steph. Byz. s.v. 'Idaicri, et. mag. p. 470, 7 f.

4 Steph. Byz. s.v. 'Ida,Kr]'..!'IdaKos 'Odvacrevs bp.o<p(bvws ry oiKLcrrrj, Eustath. in II. p. 307,
9 f. So Eur. Cycl. 103"Ida/cos 'Obvcrcrevs, cp. Aristoph. vesp. i8$"IdaKos 'ATrodpao-Linridov.

5 Od. 19. 183 i/xol 5' oVo/xa k\vtoi> Mduv, cp. Lyk. A I. 432 with Tzetz. ad loc,
Eustath. in Od. p. 1861, 36 ff. F. F. Zielinski in Philologus 1891 1. 146 ff. argues that
Odysseus assumed the name Mdwv because his mother Antikleia, daughter of Autolykos
and Mestra (Ov. met. 8. 738), was granddaughter of Mestra's father Aithon (Nik. ap.
Ant. Lib. 17) son of Helios (Souid. s.v. Mdwv) : see Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. i. 1106.
It has been conjectured that Achaios' satyric drama Aithon (Trag. Gr. frag. p. 747 ff.
Nauck2) had reference to Odysseus: but?

6 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Peloponnesus p. 105 f. pi. 21, 8, 9, 11, 13 (my fig. 258),
Head Hist, num."2, p. 428.

7 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Peloponnesus p. 163 pi. 30, 10, 11 (my fig. 259), Head
Hist, num."1 p. 442.

8 A votive vase from the Theban Kabeirion is inscribed 'OAixrceuJas Kaj3ipoi (Ath.
Mitth. 1890 xv. 399).

9 Brit. Mies. Cat. Coins Troas etc. p. 40 f. pi. 8. 4 f., Head Hist, num.* p. 542.
I figure a specimen in my collection. See also Roscher Lex. Myth. iii. 680.

Other points of resemblance between the hero of the Kyklops-tale, Prometheus, and