546 Zeus and the Bull in Cretan Myth
Asterios was a sun-god of Phoenician character1. Only, we must
suppose that this solarisation of the Gortynian Zeus took place at a
comparatively early date. The relevant facts are these. The
Cnossian Minotaur, who in some sense represented the sun-god2,
was called Asterios or Asterion^. At Gortyna too the sun-god
must have been worshipped; for here he had herds of cattle4.
Fig. 414.
Hesiod, Bakchylides and others state that Zeus, having consorted
with Europe, bestowed her upon the Cretan king Asterion* or
1 Farnell Cults of Gk. States i. 44, citing the opinion of W. Robertson Smith
{Lectures on the Religion of the Semites'1 London 1907 p. 292) that Zeus 'Acrrtpios was the
male counterpart of Astarte.
2 Supra p. 490 ff.
3 Supra pp. 492, 495.
4 Supra pp. 410 n. 9, 471 n. 4.
5 Hes. frag. 209 Flach and Bakchyl. frag. 47 Jebb ap. schol. II. 12. 292, Apollod.
3. 1. 2 {supra p. 464), Nonn. Dion. 1. 353 ff., 2. 693 ff., el. mag. p. 588, 24 ff.
Asterios was a sun-god of Phoenician character1. Only, we must
suppose that this solarisation of the Gortynian Zeus took place at a
comparatively early date. The relevant facts are these. The
Cnossian Minotaur, who in some sense represented the sun-god2,
was called Asterios or Asterion^. At Gortyna too the sun-god
must have been worshipped; for here he had herds of cattle4.
Fig. 414.
Hesiod, Bakchylides and others state that Zeus, having consorted
with Europe, bestowed her upon the Cretan king Asterion* or
1 Farnell Cults of Gk. States i. 44, citing the opinion of W. Robertson Smith
{Lectures on the Religion of the Semites'1 London 1907 p. 292) that Zeus 'Acrrtpios was the
male counterpart of Astarte.
2 Supra p. 490 ff.
3 Supra pp. 492, 495.
4 Supra pp. 410 n. 9, 471 n. 4.
5 Hes. frag. 209 Flach and Bakchyl. frag. 47 Jebb ap. schol. II. 12. 292, Apollod.
3. 1. 2 {supra p. 464), Nonn. Dion. 1. 353 ff., 2. 693 ff., el. mag. p. 588, 24 ff.