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

Ritual Horns

transformed into spit-rests (krateutaz)1, andirons, or altar-fenders
by successive generations of practical folk (figs. 3792, 3803).

Fig. 384. Fig. 385. Fig. 386.

writes: ' The temptation is strong to see in the table and triangle a horned altar, but the
hatched triangle is frequently used to fill vacant spaces, and appears for that purpose on
this very vase, while the band of chequers lower down, makes it doubtful if the table had
any more significance.' Miss Harrison Themis p. 76 ff. fig. 10 b has, however, gone far
towards proving that the scene represented two rain-makers working their rattles before
a sacred shield placed on an altar. If so, the interpretation of the triangles as horns
becomes highly probable.

1 Terra-cotta spit-rests from Thessaly of neolithic date have been described and figured
by Ch. Tsountas At irpoiaTopiKcil aicpoiroXeis Aifxyviov /cat 2e<r/c\oi; Athens 1908 p. 222 ff.
fig. 120 f. pi. 30, 1, 2 ; p. 345 f. figs. 276 f., A. J. B. Wace—M. S. Thompson Prehistoric
Thessaly Cambridge 1912 p. 43 fig. 19; pp. 60 f., 73; p. 85. For bronze examples of the
Hallstatt period, decorated with horned ox-heads etc. at either end, see M. Hoernes
Urgeschichte der bildenden Kunst in Europa Wien 1898 p. 443 fig. 137, p. 501 f.
fig. 165.

2 Detail of black-figured pyxis-lid or kylix-hd found at Cuma in 1908 (E. Gabrici in
the Rom. Mitth. 1912 xxvii. 124 ff. pi. 5), to which Miss Harrison kindly drew my
attention.

3 Detail of an Apulian amphora from Ruvo (Heydemann Vasemamml. Neapel
p. 517 f. no. 3223, Mon. d. Inst, ii pi. 43, E. Braun in the Ann. d. Inst. 1837 ix. 198 ff.,
O. Jahn ib. 1848 xx. 204 ff., Overbeck Gall. her. Bildw. i. 735 f. Atlas pi. 30, 4, J. H.
Huddilston Greek Tragedy in the light of Vase Paintings London 1898 p. 127 ff. fig. 18).
Archaic altars of this type have been found in south Italy and Sicily, e.g. the great ash-
altar of Demeter at Selinous (R. Koldewey—O. Puchstein Die griechischen Tempeln in
Unteritalien und Sicilien Berlin 1899 p. 84, F. Studniczka in the [ahrb. d. ka'is. deutsch.
arch. Inst. 1911 xxvi. 94 f. fig. 30).