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

532 Marriage of the Sun and Moon in Crete

However that may be, it seems clear that the Gortynian coins
represent Europe as a willow goddess. At first she sits pensively
in her bare tree, leaning her head on one hand (figs. 391, 392)1.
Then, as the branches begin to leaf, by a subtle change of gesture
she raises her head and fingers her fine-spun chiton (figs. 3932, 394s).
Next a strange thing happens. The lines of the tree-trunk shape
themselves afresh, and there comes into sight the head of a mighty
eagle, betokening the presence of Zeus (fig. 395)4. At his advent
the tree bursts into bloom. He is on the branch now, an eagle still,
but small enough not to scare Europe, who is once more sunk in a
reverie heedless of his approach (fig. 396)5. A moment later, and
the great bird with a glorious spread of wings is in full possession
of his lover. With one hand she clasps him to her; with the other
she raises her drapery to form a bridal veil (figs. 3976, 3987). As
the consort of Zeus she is henceforward a second Hera. Enthroned
on the tree-trunk with the eagle at her side, she borrows the stephdne
and the cuckoo-sceptre of the Argive goddess (fig. 399)8. Hera
herself did not disdain the title Europia*.

Sundry details of this remarkable series have yet to be explained.
The reverse of every coin shows the divine bull now moving across
a grassy plain (fig. 393), now treading on rough ground (fig. 394),
now again accompanied by a fly (figs. 392, 397, 399). The fly is
hardly to be viewed as a meaningless adjunct. Remembering the
gad-fly that pursued the heifer Io10 and the bees that were believed
to issue from the buried bull11, we might even suppose that the fly
was an emanation of Zeus himself12.

1 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 39 pi. 10, 4 (my fig. 391), J. N. Svoronos
Numismatique de la Crete ancienne Macon 1890 i. 161 pi. 13, 4 (Paris), 5 (Munich).
Fig. 392 is from a specimen in my collection.

2 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 38 pi. 9, 5, Svoronos op. cit. i. 162 pi. 13, 9,
P. Gardner Types of Gk. Coins p. 165 pi. 9, 20, Class. Rev. 1903 xvii. 405 fig. r.

3 In my collection. Svoronos op. cit. i. 164 pi. 14, 3 (Loebbecke) is from the same dies.

4 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 38 pi. 9, 9, O. Jahn Die Entfiihrung der
Europaauf antiken Kunstwerken Wien 1870 p. 26 pi. g,f, M tiller—Wieseler Denkm. d. alt.
Kunst i. 32 pi. 41, 186.

5 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 39 pi. 10, 5, Svoronos op. cit. i. 166 pi. 14, 16,
P. Gardner Types of Gk. Coins p. 165 pi. 9, 19.

6 From a specimen in the McClean collection at Cambridge.

7 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 40 pi. 10, 8, Svoronos op. cit. i. 168 pi. 15, 7.

8 Svoronos op. cit. i. 166 pi. 14, 17 (Imhoof-Blumer), cp. lb. pi. 14, 18, Class. Rev. 1903
xvii. 405 fig. 2 (British Museum), P. Gardner Types of Gk. Coins p. 165 pi. g, 18 (Paris).

9 Hesych. JZvpwwia " 77 Hpa.

10 Supra p. 439 ff. If Zeus accompanied Io on her wanderings (Souid. s.v. 'Icrts), it may
be conjectured that the famous olcrrpos (Roscher Lex. Myth. ii. 266) was but Zeus in the
shape of a gad-fly. Another possible case of the soul as a fly is noted supra p. 469 n. 7.

11 Supra p. 514.

12 Ants, bees, butterflies etc. were often regarded as the soul in insect form (Gruppe