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

The Dioskouroi as Stars

stars as an epiphany of the Dioskouroi1. This late tale with its
confusion of the Samothracian Kabeiroi- and the Dioskouroi need
not detain us. It may be pure invention on the part of Dionysios,
whose credit was none of the best3. But in any case the concep-
tion of the Dioskouroi with stars hovering over their heads was a
natural development from the earlier conception of the Dioskouroi
as stars themselves4: the progress of anthropomorphism, every-
where dominant in Greek religion, could have led to no other
issue.

In passing I would draw attention to a little-noticed series of
Etruscan mirrors (s. iii—ii B.C.), on which the Dioskouroi are asso-
ciated with a star or stars. The simplest variety of the type
(fig. 556)5 shows them as two youths facing one another with a star
between them. Each is clad in Phrygian cap, short chiton, and
belt, has one arm only visible and that resting on his hip, and
stands beside his shield, which is grounded. Their attitude of
arrested motion suggests an original group by Polykleitos or some
other sculptor of the Argive school. Further examples unite the
twins by means of one? (fig. 557)6, two (fig. 558)T, or three (fig. 559)8
cross-bars, sometimes omitting star or shields or both. These
designs recall the dokana or 'beams' of the Dioskouroi as described
by Plutarch9 and figured on Spartan reliefs10. And, whatever may

1 Diod. 4. 43, cp. 4. 48.

2 L. Bloch in Roscher Lex. Myth. ii. 2530 f., E. Bethe in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc.
v. 1097 f., H. Graillot in the Rev. Arch. 1904 i. 345 ft'., K. Jaisle op. cit. pp. 22—25.

3 E. Schwartz ib. v. 929.

4 The older notion lingers in Kallim. lavacr. Pall. 24 f. ota irap' Evpwra rol AaKeSai-
[xbviot. I darepes, Hoy. od. 1. 3. 2 sic fratres Helenae, lucida sidera, Loukian. navig. 9 rat
Two. Xajxirpbv darepa, ALOcrfcbpuv rbv erepov, e7rtra#to"cu ra; rapx^trtw /c.r.X.

5 Gerhard Etr. Spiegel iii. 33 f. pi. 45, 4 (Berlin).

6 Id. ib. iii. 35 f. pi. 46, 2 (Bologna, two specimens). Gerhard supposes that the
connexion here consists of two bars touching each other.

7 Id. ib. iii. 35 f. pi. 46, 3 (from the Thorwaldsen collection).

8 Id. ib. iii. 35 f. pi. 46, 6 (Berlin).

9 Plout. de frat. am. 1 rd iraXaid rQiv Aioo-Kovpwv d<pi8pvp.ara ot ^irapnarai dbnava
KcCkovcTLv • eo~ri be duo tyXa TrapdWrjXa 5vo~i 7r\ayiois eTrefevyp.e'pa, rat 5o/cet rip <pt\a8e\(pcp
tG)v de&v oiKeiov eivai rod avaOrj^aros to kolvov rat ddiaiperov, cp. Eustath. in II. p. 1125,
59 ff. irapdywyov 8k 8okou rat rd irapd rots iraXaiois Soicava, i3i> xp^trts'rat wapd HXovrdpxip
(Favorin. lex. p. 524, 9f.). Tjaav de ai/rd AioaKoijpcji' d(pL8pvjuaTa, ws eKeiPos rat iaropeL rat
eK<ppd£ei, et. mag. p. 282, 5 ff. "(copied by Zonar. lex. s.v. 8oKava, interp. Souicl. s.v.
SoKava, and Favorin. lex. p. 523, 23 f.) SoKava ' rd<poi rives ev AaKeSaipuovia, irapd rb
Se^aadaL rds (leg. rovs) TvvSapiSas, (pavracriav exovaas (leg. e'x0VTes) Ta<pup dveioyp.evwv.
7} irapd rb 8oKelv, dbnavov. The curious statement that the doKava looked like opened
tombs perhaps refers to the juxtaposed amphorae of the Dioskouroi, which sometimes
have snakes coiled about them and might suggest graves of the ' Dipylon' type.

10 M. N. Tod and A. J. B. Wace A Catalogue of the Sparta Museu7?i Oxford 1906
p. 113 f. fig. 14 and p. 193 no. 588.

For gems possibly representing the dbnava see (1) Furtwangler Geschnitt. Steine