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

7

4.8 Zeus Oromdsdes

representing the ancestors of Antiochos had been set up, each with
its own small altar before it1.

The west terrace also had two base-walls for the erection of
similar stelai. These were placed along its western and southern
sides2. The line of the seated statues was here continued north-
wards by means of a third base-wall, the reliefs of which were
fairly preserved. They represented, from left to right, the following
figures—Antiochos receiving a bunch of grapes, apples, corn etc.
from Kommagene, Antiochos greeted by Apollon Mithras Helios
Hermes, Antiochos greeted by Zeus Oromdsdes, Antiochos greeted
by Artagnes Herakles Ares, the horoscope of Antiochos in the
form of a star-spangled lion. Of these five reliefs the first four
bore dedicatory inscriptions on their backs, the last was inscribed
in front. The whole series was flanked by an eagle and a lion at
either end, arranged as in the case of the seated colossi*.

The central and largest relief (fig. 545)* portrays Zeus Oromdsdes
in Commagenian dress giving the right hand of fellowship to
Antiochos, who is similarly attired. The god sits on a gorgeous
throne, decorated above with a pair of eagles, on either side with
oak-leaves and acorns, below with Chimaira-heads and leonine
claws. He holds a sceptre in his left hand. His tiara has a pearled
edge and a diadem with upright winged thunderbolts on it: it is

1 Huinann—Puchstein op. cit. pp. 245—250, Hamdy Bey—Osgan Effendi op. cit.
pp. 11 —15.

2 Humann—Puchstein op. cit. pp. 292 f., 298 ff., Hamdy Bey—Osgan Effendi op. cit.
pp. 19 f., 24—28.

3 Humann—Puchstein op. cit. pp. 317—336, Hamdy Bey—Osgan Effendi op. cit.
pp. 20—24.

4 Humann—Puchstein op. cit. pp. 324—327 pi. 39, 1 and ia ( = myfigs. 545, 546),
Hamdy Bey—Osgan Effendi op. cit. p. 23 f. pi. 27 f., F. Cumont Textes et monuments
figures relatifs aux mysteres de Mithra Bruxelles 1896 ii. 187 f. fig. 11 and in Roscher
Lex. Myth. iii. 1054 f. fig. 2, R. Eisler Weltenmantel und Himmelszelt Munchen 1910
i. 64 fig. 12, Reinach Rip. Reliefs i. 195, 3. The slab has a maximum height of 3.04111,
and is 2.17'" broad and 0.28111 thick (exclusive of the relief). When first discovered by

O. Puchstein, it was lying on its face with stones heaped upon
it. He copied the inscription on its back and replaced the stones.
Hamdy Bey dug it up again and, since it lay with the foot-end still
resting on the base-wall, tilted it over on its head. The result is
that it now lies upside down exposed to the weather. Worse
than that, the lower part of the relief has broken off, and the two
parts do not accurately fit together. A fragment (fig. 546) found by
a Turk in 1884 and brought by him to F. von Luschan is now at
Berlin : it shows part of the diadem together with the left brow of
Zeus : height 0.22111. The inscription chiselled on the back of the slab is: BacriXevs
fxiyas 'AptLoxos Qebs At/ccuos | 'Ei7ri(p[a~\v7)s ['P^iXopcofj.aTos /ecu QiXeWrji', j 6 ey /3acrtAew[s]
Mt^paSdrou KaXXii'ifcoi' | kclI (3acri\i[(rcr]7}s Aao5iK7)s Qeas <Pi\ad€\(pov, | At'a 'iipo/adadT]
(Humann—Puchstein op. cit. p. 325, Dittenberger Orient. Gr. inscr. set. no. 384).