DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14695#0628
Zeus and the Bull in Cretan Myth 545
The conclusion to which these facts point is tolerably clear.
At Knossos, where sun, moon and stars were essential, Zeus was
not. At Gortyna, where Zeus was essential, sun, moon and stars
were not. It follows that at Knossos and Gortyna Zeus had
originally nothing to do with sun, moon and stars. Those writers
that distinguish a Cretan solar Zeus from the ordinary Hellenic
sky-god1 must look elsewhere for arguments. The Gortynian Zeus
was indeed, like Apollon at Athens, called Hekatombaios; but he
shared that title with the Arcadian Zeus2. And the oxen slain on
his altar need not imply that he was solar. They would be equally
appropriate to any fertilising god3.
It remains, of course, both possible and probable that sooner or
later the Zeus of Gortyna took on a solar complexion. If Europe
under Phoenician influence became the moon4, there was every
inducement for Zeus to become the sun. Now Byzantine scholars
actually mention a Gortynian cult of Zeus AsteriqsK There is
therefore much to be said for Dr Farnell's conjecture that Zeus
12, Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 44 pi. 11, 9), I should prefer to regard it as a
glory suitable to any divine personage. It is hardly to be classed as a 'purely decorative
border' (G. F. Hill A Handbook of Greek and Roman Coins London 1899 p. 158).
1 E.g. Gilbert Gr. Gotterl. p. 459: 'die Zeusmythologie von zwei vollig verschiedenen
Ausgangspunkten sich entwickelt hat, indem der kretische Zeus, Zeus Kronion, ein
durchaus and'erer ist als der Zeus Pelasgikos der Achaeer: ist jener ein Sonnengott, so
ist dieser ein Himmelsgott,' cp. ib. 293 'Die Geburt des Zeus auf Kreta ist ein
feststehendes Dogma des hellenischen Glaubens und der hier geborene Sonnen-Zeus.
ist ein vollig anderer als der hellenische Himmelszeus,' alib.
2 Hesych. 'E/caTOyU/3atos ' 6 'AiroXXcov ivapa 'Adrjvaiois' /cat Zei)s ev Toprivrj /cat irap
'ApK&cri /cat Kprjcriv.
3 That Zeus at Gortyna was a rain-god appears from Kallim. frag. ioof no. 37 -
Antig. hist. mir. 163 /cat 7rept tov /card ttjv KprjTyv vScltlov, ov ot virepKadi^ovTes, 6tolv
verbs 77, dicLTeXovaiv aj3poxot, irapadedoaOai Se tois Kprjaiv, a7r' ineivov Xovaaadai ttjv
JZvpibinjv diro ttjs tov Aios /a'^ews, Sotion frag. 4 p. 183 Westermann e"v K077V77 6%6tos
vdaTos eo~TLv, 8v oi diaflaivovTes vovtos tov Atos afipoxoi diafiaivovaiv e<p' 8crov ev t<$
dxery eiaiv.
4 Supra pp. 524 ff., 537 ff.
5 Kedren. hist. comp. 124 a (i. 217 Bekker) aurds 8e 6 MeveXaos dp.a tols avyyevecriv
evdiis eiri KprjTrjv dweTrXeL cos 'AaTepiip Ad ev TopTvvy 7r6Aet dvcridaiov, Io. Malal. chron.
5 p. 94 Dindorf ev tu be didyeiv tov MeveXaov eiri tj\v KprjTriv dvaid^ovTa Ad 'AcrTepicp
/cat 7-77 Eupu>7r?7 & TV To privy irbXeL avve^Tj k.t.X., Tzetz. antelwm. 99 ff. 6s MeveXaos
toco Se8eyp.evos dyXad 8Qpa \ 'e'-irXeev is KprjTr/v, Ad elo irpoTvaTopi pe^cov | 'AaTepLcp,
(3acriXT]i ~Kpy)Tdcov irep eovTi. | ot irplv yap re Atas Tra^ms KaXeov (3aaiXrjas, \ ovvexd puv
KaXbs Atos do~Tr)p o~Kr)TTTpov oTrdfet, | ^o%a 5' ad /xoiprjaL irapai Ne^oto XeovTos, \ iv iriparTri
8e p,dXio~Ta ' to yap ^acnXeiJTaTov aXXcov, \ rjeXioiO Zrjva Trap' aKTLveaai (paeiveiv, chil. 1.
473 ff. Mtpws 6 K/3?7S virripxe irats Atos tov ' Ao~Tepiov ■ | tovs /3aat\ets 5' dviKade Atas
eKaXovv wdvras, \ ibs tov daTepos tov Atos, ev XeovTaiais pLoipats \ (hpo8pop:ovvTos /cat KaXQs
neipcevov yevedXiois, | epya'^opcevov /3acrt\ets /cat OTep.p.aT-r)(popovvTas. \ tov 'AcrTepiov Tocyapovv
Atos davbvios Tovde, \ 6 Mivus k.t.X., in Lyk. Al. 1301 ouros 8e 6 AvKocppwv tov 'AaTepiov
Xeyei Ata warepa elvai tov 'Lapirydbvos, MtVcoos /cat *¥adap.dvdvos.
c 35
The conclusion to which these facts point is tolerably clear.
At Knossos, where sun, moon and stars were essential, Zeus was
not. At Gortyna, where Zeus was essential, sun, moon and stars
were not. It follows that at Knossos and Gortyna Zeus had
originally nothing to do with sun, moon and stars. Those writers
that distinguish a Cretan solar Zeus from the ordinary Hellenic
sky-god1 must look elsewhere for arguments. The Gortynian Zeus
was indeed, like Apollon at Athens, called Hekatombaios; but he
shared that title with the Arcadian Zeus2. And the oxen slain on
his altar need not imply that he was solar. They would be equally
appropriate to any fertilising god3.
It remains, of course, both possible and probable that sooner or
later the Zeus of Gortyna took on a solar complexion. If Europe
under Phoenician influence became the moon4, there was every
inducement for Zeus to become the sun. Now Byzantine scholars
actually mention a Gortynian cult of Zeus AsteriqsK There is
therefore much to be said for Dr Farnell's conjecture that Zeus
12, Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 44 pi. 11, 9), I should prefer to regard it as a
glory suitable to any divine personage. It is hardly to be classed as a 'purely decorative
border' (G. F. Hill A Handbook of Greek and Roman Coins London 1899 p. 158).
1 E.g. Gilbert Gr. Gotterl. p. 459: 'die Zeusmythologie von zwei vollig verschiedenen
Ausgangspunkten sich entwickelt hat, indem der kretische Zeus, Zeus Kronion, ein
durchaus and'erer ist als der Zeus Pelasgikos der Achaeer: ist jener ein Sonnengott, so
ist dieser ein Himmelsgott,' cp. ib. 293 'Die Geburt des Zeus auf Kreta ist ein
feststehendes Dogma des hellenischen Glaubens und der hier geborene Sonnen-Zeus.
ist ein vollig anderer als der hellenische Himmelszeus,' alib.
2 Hesych. 'E/caTOyU/3atos ' 6 'AiroXXcov ivapa 'Adrjvaiois' /cat Zei)s ev Toprivrj /cat irap
'ApK&cri /cat Kprjcriv.
3 That Zeus at Gortyna was a rain-god appears from Kallim. frag. ioof no. 37 -
Antig. hist. mir. 163 /cat 7rept tov /card ttjv KprjTyv vScltlov, ov ot virepKadi^ovTes, 6tolv
verbs 77, dicLTeXovaiv aj3poxot, irapadedoaOai Se tois Kprjaiv, a7r' ineivov Xovaaadai ttjv
JZvpibinjv diro ttjs tov Aios /a'^ews, Sotion frag. 4 p. 183 Westermann e"v K077V77 6%6tos
vdaTos eo~TLv, 8v oi diaflaivovTes vovtos tov Atos afipoxoi diafiaivovaiv e<p' 8crov ev t<$
dxery eiaiv.
4 Supra pp. 524 ff., 537 ff.
5 Kedren. hist. comp. 124 a (i. 217 Bekker) aurds 8e 6 MeveXaos dp.a tols avyyevecriv
evdiis eiri KprjTrjv dweTrXeL cos 'AaTepiip Ad ev TopTvvy 7r6Aet dvcridaiov, Io. Malal. chron.
5 p. 94 Dindorf ev tu be didyeiv tov MeveXaov eiri tj\v KprjTriv dvaid^ovTa Ad 'AcrTepicp
/cat 7-77 Eupu>7r?7 & TV To privy irbXeL avve^Tj k.t.X., Tzetz. antelwm. 99 ff. 6s MeveXaos
toco Se8eyp.evos dyXad 8Qpa \ 'e'-irXeev is KprjTr/v, Ad elo irpoTvaTopi pe^cov | 'AaTepLcp,
(3acriXT]i ~Kpy)Tdcov irep eovTi. | ot irplv yap re Atas Tra^ms KaXeov (3aaiXrjas, \ ovvexd puv
KaXbs Atos do~Tr)p o~Kr)TTTpov oTrdfet, | ^o%a 5' ad /xoiprjaL irapai Ne^oto XeovTos, \ iv iriparTri
8e p,dXio~Ta ' to yap ^acnXeiJTaTov aXXcov, \ rjeXioiO Zrjva Trap' aKTLveaai (paeiveiv, chil. 1.
473 ff. Mtpws 6 K/3?7S virripxe irats Atos tov ' Ao~Tepiov ■ | tovs /3aat\ets 5' dviKade Atas
eKaXovv wdvras, \ ibs tov daTepos tov Atos, ev XeovTaiais pLoipats \ (hpo8pop:ovvTos /cat KaXQs
neipcevov yevedXiois, | epya'^opcevov /3acrt\ets /cat OTep.p.aT-r)(popovvTas. \ tov 'AcrTepiov Tocyapovv
Atos davbvios Tovde, \ 6 Mivus k.t.X., in Lyk. Al. 1301 ouros 8e 6 AvKocppwv tov 'AaTepiov
Xeyei Ata warepa elvai tov 'Lapirydbvos, MtVcoos /cat *¥adap.dvdvos.
c 35