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

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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14695#0809

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Talos in Crete

third version said that he was shot in the ankle by Poias and
thus came by his death1.

Silver coins of Phaistos, struck in the fourth century B.C.,
exhibit Talos as a youthful winged figure striding towards the
left; he hurls one stone with his right hand and holds another
ready in his left: the reverse type is that of a charging bull
(fig. 534)2. Third-century bronze coins of the same town show
Talos in a similar attitude hurrying to the right (fig. 535)3: the
reverse here has a hound on the scent, probably the golden hound
of Crete4. The resemblance of the stone-throwing Talos on coins

Fig- 534- Fig. 535. Fig. 536.

of Phaistos to the stone-throwing Minotaur on coins of Knossos
(fig. 536)5 is noticeable: the stones in either case may represent

1 Apollod. 1. 9. 26, Zenob. 5. 85. According to Ap. Rhocl. 4. 1651 ff., Medeia fixed
her evil glance on Talos, who in trying to raise his heavy stones struck his ankle with a
projecting fragment of rock. Thereupon his ichor ran out like so much molten lead, and
he fell. Cp. Agatharchid. de mart Erythr. 1. 7 {Geogr. Gr. min. i. 115 Muller) ap.
Phot. bibl. p. 443 b 24 f. tt]v de fyiqv jxbvov tQv ifxxpvxui' tovtov ev (t(pvp(f KenTrjcrdai.

2 J. N. Svoronos Numismatique de la Crete ancienne Macon 1890 i. 264 pi. 24, 24,
Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 64 pi. 15, 11, Hunter Cat. Coins ii. 194 pi. 42, 15,
P. Gardner Types of Gk. Coins p. 163 f. pi. 9, 9, Head Coins of the Ancients p. 47
pi. 23, 40. The legend at the feet of Talos in the specimen figured is T A A fl(N).
The Hunterian specimen extends the left hand without a stone, and reads Nfl A AT.

3 J. N. Svoronos op. cit. i. 264 f. pi. 24, 25 f., Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Crete etc.
p. 64 pi. 16, 6, Hunter Cat. Coins ii. [94. Fig. 535 is from a specimen in my collection.

4 A golden hound was set by Rhea to guard the goat that nurtured the infant Zeus in
Crete. Zeus afterwards made the goat immortal, and its image is still to be seen among
the stars. The hound he caused to guard the holy place (to lepov) in Crete. Pandareos,
son of Merope, stole it, brought it to Sipylos, and gave it to Tantalos, son of Zeus and
Plouto, to keep. After a time Pandareos returned to Sipylos and claimed the hound ;
but Tantalos denied that he had received it. Zeus punished Pandareos for his theft by
turning him into a stone where he stood, Tantalos for his perjury by hurling him down
and placing Sipylos above his head (Ant. Lib. 36). Variants are collected and discussed
by W. H. Roscher in his Lex. Myth. iii. 15026°. See also P. Perdrizet in the Bull.
Corr. Hell. 1899 xxiii. 584 ff. and Miss J. E. Harrison in her Proleg. Gk. Bel.2 p. 299 f.,
who illustrate the myth from a black-figured pyxis at Athens. Probably the golden
hound was a theriomorphic epiphany akin to the golden lamb of Atreus {supra p. 405 ff.),
the golden ram of Athamas (supra p. 414 ff.), the dazzling bull of Minos (supra p. 467 ff.).

5 J.N. Svoronos op. cit. i. 65 ff. pi. 4, 23—32, Babelon Monn. gr. ram. ii. 1. 1331 ff.
pi. 62, 21—23, Brit. Mits. Cat. Coins Crete etc. p. 18 pi. 4, 7—9, Head Coins of the
Ancients p. 11 pi. 6, 32.
 
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