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

The Satyric Drama

believed to take shape as a goat, his cult would almost inevitably
be amalgamated with the aboriginal goat-dances. Now we
have in point of fact found the Satyrs or goatish dancers of the
fifth-century vases sometimes cutting capers by themselves, but
sometimes also associated with Hermes, Pherephatta, and the
equine followers of Dionysos1, in short with a whole posse of
fertility-powers. Moreover, we have seen Dionysos himself wor-
shipped as Eriphos in Lakonike'2, as Eriphios at Metapontum3;
and we have had reason to conjecture that his Thraco-Phrygian
devotees identified themselves with him and hence took the name
of e'riphoi*. Finally, we have observed that Thespis the reputed
founder of Greek 'tragedy' came from Ikaria, where men danced
round a trdgos*. These facts suggest that the tragic chorus in
pre-literary days consisted of men dressed as trdgoi in order to
personate a goat-Dionysos. They must have sung then, as in
northern Greece they still sing6, of an annual birth, death, and
resurrection. It is not therefore to be wondered at, if such a
performance attracted to itself and absorbed into itself those
primitive goat-dances that had subsisted in south Europe from
palaeolithic times. The tragic chorus thereby acquired a Satyric
supplement. Tragedy led up to the Satyr-play. And the revel-
rout may well have served, as Prof. Murray acutely divined7, to
represent the joyous arrival of the re-born god.

Museum at Athens (F. Hiller von Gaertringen and H. Lattermann in the Abh. d. berl.
Akad. 1911 Phil.-hist. Classe p. 41 pi. 13, 3 a, b). Probably in Boiotia the goat-dances
were absorbed into the cult of the Kabeiros just as at Athens they were absorbed into
that of Dionysos.

Fig. 517. Fig. 518. Fig. 519. Fig. 520.

1 Supra p. 698 f. 2 Supra p. 674 n. 2. 3 Supra p. 674 n. 3.

4 Supra p. 675 ft". 5 Supra p. 678. fc' Supra p. 694 f.

7 Stipra p. 695 f.