DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0094
The Sky-Pillar in Italy 45
facilitate the transition to his ensuing image—the ' spindle of
Ananke.' Rather we may surmise that it was based upon popular
belief with ritual usage behind it.
(/3) The Sky-Pillar in Italy.
In seeking the antecedents of a Pythagorean or ^/^/-Pytha-
gorean doctrine we turn first to south Italy, where the order planted
by Pythagoras took root and flourished. It would not be surprising
if somewhere in the neighbourhood of Kroton and Metapontum we
came across a definite cult of Zeus conceived as residing in or on a
pillar. If I am not mistaken, we find such a cult at Tarentum. For
here was a colossal bronze statue of Zeus, made by Lysippos, with
a notable pillar beside it1. And here too sacrifices were offered on
pillars to the lightning-god Zeus Kataibdtes—a practice which, as
we saw, had probably been inherited from 'Minoan' times2. Apulian
and Campanian vases, also, represent Zeus fulminant on the top of
a pillar3. Altogether, it looks as though there were in south Italy
an old belief that Zeus with his lightnings dwelt on high above an
obvious tangible pillar, his vehicle and support.
A similar belief with regard to Iupiter seems to have prevailed
at Rome during republican days. In 152 B.C. a column standing
before the temple of Iupiter on the Campus was blown down with
its gilded statue. The diviners predicted the death of magistrates
and priests: whereupon all the magistrates abdicated in a body4.
1 Supra i. 35 f. This statue, with sides reversed, furnished Theodoras, the designer
or copyist of the tabula Iliaca, with an interesting scene. In the uppermost register of his
composition Thetis pleads before Zeus (//. 1. 498 ff.), who is seated in the same pensive
attitude beside a pillar (O. Jahn—A. Michaelis Griechische Bilderchroniken Bonn 1873
pp. 12 f., 26 pi. 1, A. Baumeister Denkm. i. 717 pi. 13 tig. 775, Stuart Jones Cat. Sculpt.
Mus. Capit. Rome p. 166 no. 83 pi. 41
(bibliography ib. p. 172)). Fig. 17 is from
J. N. Svoronos in the Joum. Intern. et'Arch.
Num. 1912 xiv. 28of. fig. 25. Svoronos
says : "Otricrdev 5e rod Aios tovtov, eir' avrf/s
tt)s Kopvcprjs rou 'OXu/attov, vipovTCLL 7reA(±jpios
kLuv <pepuw tov ovpaviov doKov, but C. Robert
in the Arch. Zeit. 1874 xxxii. 107 expressly
warns us that the supposed arch over Zeus
is 'nur eine Verletzung des Marmors,' and
StuartJonesprintsIEYS,notIOY. Afresh p:_ I7
inspection of the marble is much to be de-
sired. Vide Addenda in /tunc loc. For Theodoras' utilisation of past models see A. Briining
in the Jahrb. d. kais. deutsch. arch. Inst. 1894 ix. 136 ff.
2 Supra p. 29 ff. 3 Supra i. 36 ff., 409, 520 n. 2.
4 M. Obs. 18 M. Claudio Marcello L. Valerio Flacco coss. turbinis vi in Campo
columna ante aedem Iovis decussa cum signo aurato; cumque aruspices respondissent
magistratuum et sacerdotum interitum fore, omnes magistratus se protinus abdicaverunt.
facilitate the transition to his ensuing image—the ' spindle of
Ananke.' Rather we may surmise that it was based upon popular
belief with ritual usage behind it.
(/3) The Sky-Pillar in Italy.
In seeking the antecedents of a Pythagorean or ^/^/-Pytha-
gorean doctrine we turn first to south Italy, where the order planted
by Pythagoras took root and flourished. It would not be surprising
if somewhere in the neighbourhood of Kroton and Metapontum we
came across a definite cult of Zeus conceived as residing in or on a
pillar. If I am not mistaken, we find such a cult at Tarentum. For
here was a colossal bronze statue of Zeus, made by Lysippos, with
a notable pillar beside it1. And here too sacrifices were offered on
pillars to the lightning-god Zeus Kataibdtes—a practice which, as
we saw, had probably been inherited from 'Minoan' times2. Apulian
and Campanian vases, also, represent Zeus fulminant on the top of
a pillar3. Altogether, it looks as though there were in south Italy
an old belief that Zeus with his lightnings dwelt on high above an
obvious tangible pillar, his vehicle and support.
A similar belief with regard to Iupiter seems to have prevailed
at Rome during republican days. In 152 B.C. a column standing
before the temple of Iupiter on the Campus was blown down with
its gilded statue. The diviners predicted the death of magistrates
and priests: whereupon all the magistrates abdicated in a body4.
1 Supra i. 35 f. This statue, with sides reversed, furnished Theodoras, the designer
or copyist of the tabula Iliaca, with an interesting scene. In the uppermost register of his
composition Thetis pleads before Zeus (//. 1. 498 ff.), who is seated in the same pensive
attitude beside a pillar (O. Jahn—A. Michaelis Griechische Bilderchroniken Bonn 1873
pp. 12 f., 26 pi. 1, A. Baumeister Denkm. i. 717 pi. 13 tig. 775, Stuart Jones Cat. Sculpt.
Mus. Capit. Rome p. 166 no. 83 pi. 41
(bibliography ib. p. 172)). Fig. 17 is from
J. N. Svoronos in the Joum. Intern. et'Arch.
Num. 1912 xiv. 28of. fig. 25. Svoronos
says : "Otricrdev 5e rod Aios tovtov, eir' avrf/s
tt)s Kopvcprjs rou 'OXu/attov, vipovTCLL 7reA(±jpios
kLuv <pepuw tov ovpaviov doKov, but C. Robert
in the Arch. Zeit. 1874 xxxii. 107 expressly
warns us that the supposed arch over Zeus
is 'nur eine Verletzung des Marmors,' and
StuartJonesprintsIEYS,notIOY. Afresh p:_ I7
inspection of the marble is much to be de-
sired. Vide Addenda in /tunc loc. For Theodoras' utilisation of past models see A. Briining
in the Jahrb. d. kais. deutsch. arch. Inst. 1894 ix. 136 ff.
2 Supra p. 29 ff. 3 Supra i. 36 ff., 409, 520 n. 2.
4 M. Obs. 18 M. Claudio Marcello L. Valerio Flacco coss. turbinis vi in Campo
columna ante aedem Iovis decussa cum signo aurato; cumque aruspices respondissent
magistratuum et sacerdotum interitum fore, omnes magistratus se protinus abdicaverunt.