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

348 The Ram and the Sun in Egypt

last, when Herakles was importunate, Zeus thought of this device. He flayed a
ram, cut off" its head, donned the skin, held the head in front of him, and so
showed himself to Herakles. From this circumstance the Egyptians make the
statue of Zeus ram-faced ; and the Ammonians have got it from the Egyptians,
since they are settlers of the Egyptians and Ethiopians and speak a patois of
both languages. In my opinion, the Ammonians took their name too from the
same event, Amoiin being the Egyptian term for Zeus. The Thebans for the
reason I have stated do not sacrifice rams but treat them as sacred. However,
once a year, on the festival of Zeus, they, like their god, cut up and flay a ram :
they thus clothe the statue of Zeus and then bring before it another statue, that
of Herakles. When they have so done, all who are round about the temple
beat themselves in mourning for the ram and then bury it in a sacred
sarcophagus1.'

The rite implied by this myth has not hitherto been found
represented on the monuments2. But it is by no means improbable
that Amen-Ra (Zeus Thebaieiis) was annually confronted with
Shu (Herakles), who is often called 'the son of Ra3' and as god
of the atmosphere ' draws the air before Ra4,' ' brings the sweet
breath of life to the nose of Osiris5,' etc. The great hymn to
Amen-Ra in the Oasis of El-Charge even identifies that god with
' the soul of Shu6.'

(7) Amen and Zeus Ammon.

Herodotos, therefore, did not hesitate to identify the Greek
Zeus with Amen-Ra, the Theban ram-god and sun-god. Doubtless,
when Lucian in the second century of our era makes Momos, the

1 licit. 2. 42, cp. 4. 181. Zeus Qrjfiaietjs had a human consort, who slept in his
temple (Hdt. 1. 182): she was a woman chosen for good looks and good birth; and she
gave her favours to whom she would till she was past the age for child-bearing, when
lamentation was made for her and she was bestowed upon a husband (Strab. 816). The
journey of Zeus to Aithiopia (//. 1. 423 f.) and his union with Hera {supra p. 154 ff.) were
localised at Thebes. Every year the shrine of Zeus was taken across the river into Libye,
returning after certain days, as though the god had come from Aithiopia ; and on the
occasion of great public festivals two shrines, presumably for Zeus and Hera, were carried
up a mountain, which was strown by the priests with all kinds of flowers (Diod. 1. 97,
schol. //. 1. 425). Thebes had a temple dedicated to the parents of Zeus and Hera; and
two golden shrines of Zeus, the larger of which belonged to Zeus the sky-god, the smaller
to Ammon the former king and father of the people (Diod. 1. 15). On account of this
popular cult Thebes came to be called AiocnroXts or At6<r7ro\ts fieyd\7] (Pauly—Wissowa
Real-Enc. v. 1144 f.).

On the connexion between Amnion and Herakles see Arrian. 3. 3. r, Eustath. in
Dionys. per. 11, interp. Serv. in Verg. Aen. 4. 196, Vopisc. Aur. 22 ff. (the name
Heraclammon), and Gruppe Gr. Myth. Ret. p. 1506 n. 1.

2 H. Brugsch cited by H. Stein on Hdt. 2. 42.

3 Lanzone Dizion. di Mitol. Egiz. p. 1163 f.

4 E. Naville Book of the Dead ch. 55 and 38 B, 1. For these and the following
references I am indebted to Roeder in Roscher Lex. Myth. iv. 571.

5 Pap. Salt. 825, Lanzone Dizion. di Mitol. Egiz. p. 1167 pi. 386, 4.

6 H. Brugsch Reise nach der grossen Oase El Khargeh in der Libyschen Wiiste
Leipzig 1878, pi. 15, 5.