DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0061
i4
Zeus Kataibdtes
a learned treatise cited most of the evidence both literary and
monumental, and triumphantly demonstrated the essential con-
nexion of the title Kataibdtes with the lightning-cults of the ancient
world1.
The question has, however, been reopened of late by O. Gruppe,
who propounds a wholly fresh solution of the problem2. Kataibdtes—-
we are to suppose—was originally the name of an ancient deity
dwelling in the depths of the earth and invoked by those who
desired to conjure up rainy or stormy weather : hence he came to
be compared with Zeus the lightning-god, and was ultimately
regarded as himself the hurler of the thunderbolt. In other words,
a subterranean Kataibdtes preceded the celestial Zeus Kataibdtes.
In support of this suggestion, Gruppe points out that a Cilician
inscription of the second century A.D. mentions ' the god Kataibdtes
and Phersephone' together3; that in Rhodes and at Athens,
according to a scholiast on Aristophanes, Hermes was not only
Chthdnios but also Kataibdtes*; that the same epithet is applied to
the river Acheron5 ; and that katabdsion was a word used of an
underground cavern or chasm at Eleusis6, Lebadeia7, Aigialos8,
Hierapolis in Phrygia9, etc.10 Indeed, it cannot be denied that the
title Kataibdtes would be perfectly appropriate to any deity who
descended into the underworld. Nevertheless, it will be observed
that the only direct evidence for Kataibdtes as a separate chthonian
divinity is a Cilician inscription of Roman date, whereas the light-
ning-flash of Zeus is called kataibdtes by Aischylos as early as
467-458 B.C.11 Zeus Kataibdtes himself appears in Greek literature
1 The letter of E. Holthenus (Trajecti ad Rhenum pridie Id. Maj. MDCXCIX) is
reprinted from the Bibliotheca novorum librorum 1699 P* 344 m the second edition of
P. Burmannus Vectigalia populi Roviani et Zei)s KaTai/3dr^s Leidae 1734 p. 217 ff.
Holthenus had relied on Ov. met. r. 211 ff., id. 230f., fast. 3. 327 ff.
2 Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 148 n. 3, p. 810, p. 1111 n. 3, p. 1677.
3 L. Deubner in the Ath. Mitth. 1902 xxvii. 263 cites an imperfectly deciphered
inscription over a rock-cut tomb in a mountain behind Anazarba [Journ. Hell. Stud. 1890
xi. 239), line 5 reading deov Karai/3droi; /cat $ep<je<p6vrjs. He comments: 'damit gelangen
wir in die Unterwelt, der auch der im Blitze niederfahrende Gott (Zeus) angehort.'
4 Schol. Aristoph. pax 650.
5 Eur. Bacch. 1360 f., cp. Lyk. Al. 90 f. 'Axepovaia Tpi(3os \ KaTai(3d.Ti.s, Ap. Rhod.
2. 353 f. 'ivda. /xev eis 'Aidao Karai[3aTis eari KeXevdos, \ aKp-q re irpo[3\r]s 'Ax^povcnas vtf/odi
reiVei.
6 Asterios homil. 10 (xl. 324 Migne), cp. Athen. 496 B.
7 Schol. Aristoph. nub. 508.
s Souid. S.Z>. TTOpd/J.HllOI>.
9 Damask, v. hid. ap. Phot. bibl. p. 344 b 35 ff. Bekker.
10 See Stephanus Thes. Gr. Ling. iv. 1024 c s.v. Ka.Tafiaai.ov.
11 Aisch. P.v. 358 f. ct\X' rfkdev avr<^ Zrjvbs aypvirvov /3e\os, | KaTaifi&Tip Kepavvos
ifCTrvewv <p\6ya. So Orph. h. Ker. 19. 11 f. TrprjcrTrjpos \ ovpaviov j3e\os oijv KaraifiaTov
aidaXoevTos, Lyk. Al. 382 f. Karai/3dr7;s | aKTjTrros, schol. Aristoph. eq. 696 twv yap
Zeus Kataibdtes
a learned treatise cited most of the evidence both literary and
monumental, and triumphantly demonstrated the essential con-
nexion of the title Kataibdtes with the lightning-cults of the ancient
world1.
The question has, however, been reopened of late by O. Gruppe,
who propounds a wholly fresh solution of the problem2. Kataibdtes—-
we are to suppose—was originally the name of an ancient deity
dwelling in the depths of the earth and invoked by those who
desired to conjure up rainy or stormy weather : hence he came to
be compared with Zeus the lightning-god, and was ultimately
regarded as himself the hurler of the thunderbolt. In other words,
a subterranean Kataibdtes preceded the celestial Zeus Kataibdtes.
In support of this suggestion, Gruppe points out that a Cilician
inscription of the second century A.D. mentions ' the god Kataibdtes
and Phersephone' together3; that in Rhodes and at Athens,
according to a scholiast on Aristophanes, Hermes was not only
Chthdnios but also Kataibdtes*; that the same epithet is applied to
the river Acheron5 ; and that katabdsion was a word used of an
underground cavern or chasm at Eleusis6, Lebadeia7, Aigialos8,
Hierapolis in Phrygia9, etc.10 Indeed, it cannot be denied that the
title Kataibdtes would be perfectly appropriate to any deity who
descended into the underworld. Nevertheless, it will be observed
that the only direct evidence for Kataibdtes as a separate chthonian
divinity is a Cilician inscription of Roman date, whereas the light-
ning-flash of Zeus is called kataibdtes by Aischylos as early as
467-458 B.C.11 Zeus Kataibdtes himself appears in Greek literature
1 The letter of E. Holthenus (Trajecti ad Rhenum pridie Id. Maj. MDCXCIX) is
reprinted from the Bibliotheca novorum librorum 1699 P* 344 m the second edition of
P. Burmannus Vectigalia populi Roviani et Zei)s KaTai/3dr^s Leidae 1734 p. 217 ff.
Holthenus had relied on Ov. met. r. 211 ff., id. 230f., fast. 3. 327 ff.
2 Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 148 n. 3, p. 810, p. 1111 n. 3, p. 1677.
3 L. Deubner in the Ath. Mitth. 1902 xxvii. 263 cites an imperfectly deciphered
inscription over a rock-cut tomb in a mountain behind Anazarba [Journ. Hell. Stud. 1890
xi. 239), line 5 reading deov Karai/3droi; /cat $ep<je<p6vrjs. He comments: 'damit gelangen
wir in die Unterwelt, der auch der im Blitze niederfahrende Gott (Zeus) angehort.'
4 Schol. Aristoph. pax 650.
5 Eur. Bacch. 1360 f., cp. Lyk. Al. 90 f. 'Axepovaia Tpi(3os \ KaTai(3d.Ti.s, Ap. Rhod.
2. 353 f. 'ivda. /xev eis 'Aidao Karai[3aTis eari KeXevdos, \ aKp-q re irpo[3\r]s 'Ax^povcnas vtf/odi
reiVei.
6 Asterios homil. 10 (xl. 324 Migne), cp. Athen. 496 B.
7 Schol. Aristoph. nub. 508.
s Souid. S.Z>. TTOpd/J.HllOI>.
9 Damask, v. hid. ap. Phot. bibl. p. 344 b 35 ff. Bekker.
10 See Stephanus Thes. Gr. Ling. iv. 1024 c s.v. Ka.Tafiaai.ov.
11 Aisch. P.v. 358 f. ct\X' rfkdev avr<^ Zrjvbs aypvirvov /3e\os, | KaTaifi&Tip Kepavvos
ifCTrvewv <p\6ya. So Orph. h. Ker. 19. 11 f. TrprjcrTrjpos \ ovpaviov j3e\os oijv KaraifiaTov
aidaXoevTos, Lyk. Al. 382 f. Karai/3dr7;s | aKTjTrros, schol. Aristoph. eq. 696 twv yap