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

Zeus Dolichaios and Iupiter Dolichenus 631

and implies chalybeate springs is insufficiently supported by the
analogy of the word Staal for Staalwater1 and the discovery of
an effigy of the god in the baths at Carnuntum2. F. Cumont
is content to surmise that the phrases in question correspond
with some Semitic epithet and imply a Commagenian myth now
lost3.

But this after all is only to explain ignotum per ignotius.
A clue to the meaning of the words is, I venture to think,
furnished by the fact that the same description is elsewhere
given of the Chalybes. Greek lexicographers describe them as
'a Scythian tribe, where iron is born4.' These iron-working
Chalybes are located by different authorities at various points
along the southern shore of the Black Sea5. Strabon, who places
them near Pharnakia, states that in his time they were called
Chaldaioi and that in former days they worked silver as well as
iron6. Whether he was justified in thus identifying the Chalybes
with the Chaldaioi, whom others termed Chaldoi7, may well be
doubted. But his assertion that they formerly worked silver is
of interest, since the Homeric Catalogue describes the Halizones
(after the Paphlagonians and before the Mysians) as coming—

From far-off Alybe, where silver's born8.

Timotheos too at the court of Archelaos sang of 'earth-born
silver9.' On the whole it seems clear that in Pontos, where, as
Strabon says, the great mountain-ranges are 'full of mines10,' iron
and silver were regarded as the offspring of Mother Earth. This
belief, natural enough in itself, had very possibly come down from
the days of the Hittites, who worshipped a great mountain-mother.
But Iupiter Dolichenus was near akin to this same mother. For,
if his bull is that of the Hittite father-god11, his double-axe is that

1 Id. ib. p. 26 n. 2. 2 Id. ib. pp. 28, 47 no. 38.

3 F. Cumont in the Rev. Philol. N.S. 1902 xxvi. 7 and in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc.
v. 1279.

4 Et. mag. p. 805, 22 f. XdXu/3es edvos eicrl ~LKvdi.Kbv £vda 6 aid-qpos tlkt€to,l, Souid. s.v.
XdXu/3es* Zdvos liKvdLas ZvBev 6 a'idrjpos TLKreraL, cp. schol. Ap. Rhod. 1. 1323 cod. Paris.
edvos de oi XdXu/3es HkvOikov oirov 6 cridTjpos ylveraL.

5 W. Ruge in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Euc. iii. 2099 f.

6 Strab. 549.

7 Steph. Byz. s.v. XaXSi'a, Eustath. in Dionys. per._ 767. See further Baumstark in
Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. iii. 2061 f.

8 77. 2. 856 f. avrap'AXifavwv 'OStos /cat 'YtTrlcrTpocpos r]PX0V \ rrfKodev e£ 'AXv^s, odev
apytipov ecrri yeve6\r]. On the ancient variants e£ 'AXotttjs, it, 'AX6/3t?s, e£ 'AXvfiwv, e/c
XaXt//3??s, 4k Xa\vj3wv see Strab. 549 f., Steph. Byz. s.vv. 'AXoirr], 'AXv^rj, XdXi//3es>
Eustath. in II. p. 363, 12 ff., and A. Ludwich ad loc.

9 Timoth. frag. 14 Bergk4 cru 8e rbu yriyeverav dpyvpou aiveis.

10 Strab. 549. 11 Supra p. 604 ff.