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

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Goat instead of Bull

in the goatish figures of the vases we should recognise the Satyrs
of the primitive Satyr-play.

This conclusion is not at variance with fifth-century repre-
sentations of more advanced Satyric plays. Of such the earliest
specimen (c. 450 B.C.) is perhaps the krater from Altemu.ra, now
in the British Museum (pi. xxxviii)1, which shows a goat-chorus
dancing round a flute-player2. It is by no accident that in juxta-
position with the goat-dancers the vase-painter has placed the
decking of Pandora, herself but another form of the earth-goddess,
'Giver of All3.' Of the same date, or but little later, is a group
of vases including a krater at Deepdene (pi. xxxix, i)4, a dinos
at Athens5, and sundry fragments at Bonn6, which presuppose
a larger and better original, possibly a fresco by Polygnotos,

1 Supra p. 698 n. 1 no. (12).

2 Pratinas of Phlious, who irpwros eypa^e Sarupous (Souid. s.v. Uparbas), in a
scathing lyrical fragment (r Bergk4, 1 Hiller) ap. Athen. 617 B—F derides the intro-
duction of flute-music into the i-ites of Dionysos.

3 See e.g. P. Weizsacker in Roscher Lex. Myth. iii. 1520ff.

4 I am indebted to my friend Mr E. M. W. Tillyard, Fellow of Jesus College,
Cambridge, for the photograph of this vase, hitherto unpublished, and for the following
description of it:

'Attic Bell-Krater. Height *27m. The preservation is perfect except for two small
chips in the rim. The shape is early, the body being broad and heavy, the base taper-
ing little and the foot being a plain disc. Above, on a higher plane than the body of the
vase, is a myrtle-wreath pattern; below, is a band of double maeanders in threes,
divided by saltire-squares. At the handle-bases are egg-and-dot patterns.

On the obverse is a dramatic scene with three figures. On the right is a small
stool-like platform on which stands a silen in the attitude known as the oklasma. He
seems to wear a black loin-cloth, of which only part is visible and above it a band with
a mock erect phallos and a large horse's tail. This, of course, shows that he is repre-
sented as an actor, but the face, beard, pointed ears and hair seem to be natural and
not, as one would expect, to form a mask. This confusion of mimic and real silen is
probably a mere slip on the artist's part. On the left stands Dionysus [or, more prob-
ably, a choregos A. B. O] dressed in a long, sleeved chiton and himation above. He is
bearded, wears a fillet in his hair and holds a small-headed thyrsus in his right hand.
In the middle stands a bearded man fronting us and with his head turned towards
Dionysus. He wears a short, girded chiton. In his right hand he holds a small,

-shaped object [perhaps a double flute with phorbeid attached. A. B. C.].

The reverse shows three Manteljiinglinge, one of whom holds a strigil.

The vase, now in the Hope Collection and hitherto unpublished, would date from
about the middle of the fifth century. The composition is very harmonious and the
style, though not strong, is skilful and easy.'

5 Nicole Cat. Vases (V Athenes Suppl. p. 226 f. no. 1055 pi. 17 ('Repetition d'un
drame satyrique ?'), M. Bieber in the Ath. Mitth. 1911 xxxvi. 269 ff. pis. 13, if.,
14, 4 f.

B M. Bieber in the Ath. Mitth. 1911 xxxvi. 272 ff. pis. 13, 3, 14, 1—3.