Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
Metadaten

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

DOI Seite / Zitierlink: 
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14695#0500

DWork-Logo
Überblick
loading ...
Faksimile
0.5
1 cm
facsimile
Vollansicht
OCR-Volltext
422

The Fleece of Zeus

the ages of five and ten, selected for the purpose, acted as bears
before the goddess and in that capacity wore saffron robes1. For
we are thus enabled to complete the correspondence of the Attic
with the Thessalian cults. The parallel traits are as follows :—

Thessaly Attike

Ram-cult. Bear-cult.

Zeus, once regarded as himself a ram, Artemis, once regarded as herself

wears the golden fleece belonging a bear2, is called Chitone or 'She

to the ram. who wears the chiton?'?

Men clad in new fleeces honour Zeus Girls clad in saffron robes honour

with a procession. The skins of Artemis with a mimicry of bears,

white victims (rams?) slain for Zeus The festival takes place apparently

are sold on Artemision the six- on Mounichion the sixteenth,
teenth.

Solar significance probable. Lunar significance probable..

On this showing the saffron robes of Artemis' devotees would
hold to the cult of the moon-goddess the same relation that the
newr fleeces of Zeus' worshippers held to the cult of the sun-god.
It seems possible that in both cases the colour of the ritual-garb
was determined by the colour of the celestial body. However,
other views are tenable4, and the point cannot be pressed.

ix. Zeus Meilfchios, Zeus Ktesios, and the Fleece

of Zeus.

The skin of a victim sacrificed to Zeus was used by the Greeks
in various purificatory rites. Individuals, who wished to be puri-
fied, stood upon it supporting themselves on their left foot only5:
When a multitude or a locality was to be cleansed, it is more
probable that the skin was carried round in procession6. This
was done towards the close of the month Maimakteridn, the victim
having been slain for Zeus Meilzchios''. Further, the skins of

1 Aristoph. Lys. 645 with schol., Souid. s.v. apKTos 7} Bpavpooviois.

2 Harrison Myth. Mon. Anc. Ath. p. 402 ff., Frazer Pausanias ii. 284, iv. 224, and
especially Fai-nell Cults of Gk. States ii. 4346°. See also Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 942
n. 8 sub fin.

?' Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. ii. 1401 f., Farnell op. cit. ii. 444, 568.

4 See e.g. Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 44 n. 4.

5 Hesych. s.v. Aids Kwdiov, cp. Bekker anecd. 1.7, 18 f., Souid. s.v. Atos kio8lov.

6 So P. Stengel in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. v. 1084 (relying on Eustath. in Od.
p. 1935, 8ff), E. Pfuhl de Atheniensium pompis sacris Berolini 1900 p. 93 n. 7.

7 Eustath. in Od. p. 1935, 8 ff. Kai oi to 8ioirofxirelv be epfxr)vevovTes (paaiv otl diou
€ko\ovp Kiidiov iepeiov rid^vros (leg. rvdevros) Ad MctXtxty ev tocs K<xOapp.oh cpQivovros
MaLp:aKT7ipLu>uos p.r)v6s, ore yfyovTO rd iropL7raia. Kai Kadap/uLWP €Kj3o\al els ras rpiodovs
iyivovTo. elx°v de ixerd xe^Pa^ iroixirbv 6irep t]v, cpaai, nrjpviaov, crej3as'Ep/n,ov. Kai e/c rod
tolo6tov to/xttou Kai rod ptjOevros diov to diOTro/uLTreip. Kai tovto fxev ovrois e£ icrTopias.
ctAXws 5£ KOLvorepov SioTTo/nre'tv Kai airo8LOirop.Tre?v icpaivero to Atos 'AXeljiKaKov einKKrjaei
iKwepLireiv ra (pavXa.
 
Annotationen