Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 2,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (thunder and lightning): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1925)

46 The Sky-Pillar in Italy

The list of portents for the year 96 B.C. includes an owl killed on
the Capitol, many things destroyed by lightning, and gilded statues
of Iupiter overthrown with capital (?) and column to boot1. A third
incident of like character is recorded with somewhat greater detail.
It appears that in 65 B.C. an appalling thunderstorm burst over
Rome. ' On the Capitol,' says Dion Cassius2, ' many statues and
images were melted by thunderbolts, among others one of Iupiter
set on a column, while a likeness of the she-wolf with Remus and
Romulus fell from its pedestal.' The diviners, hastily summoned
from all parts of Etruria, foretold the end of Rome. At their advice
desperate efforts were made to placate the gods. Games were held
for ten days, and a larger3 statue of Iupiter was erected on a yet
loftier column with its face turned towards the east. Two years
later—for the work progressed slowly—this statue was being placed
in position at the moment when Cicero was delivering his third
speech against Catiline ; and the speaker was quick to profit by
the coincidence. Surely the detection and punishment of the great
conspiracy were due to Iupiter himself, whose penetrating gaze was
even now directed upon the Forum and the Senate House4.

Pighius cj. in Capitolio for in Campo. But the change is unnecessary ; for there was an
ancient hypaethral sanctuary of Iupiter Fulgur in the Campus (E. Aust in Roscher Lex.
Myth. ii. 656, Wissowa Rel. Kult. Rom? p. 121 f., H. Kiepert et C. Huelsen Formae
urbis Romae aniiquae1 Berolini 1912 p. 20). Besides, the temple of Iupiter Slator in the
Porticus Metelli (H. Jordan—C. Huelsen Topographie der Stadt Rom im Alterthn?>i Berlin
1907 i. 3. 538 ff., H. Kiepert et C. Huelsen op. cit. p. 22) was perhaps in existence before
147 B.C. (S. B. Platner The Topography and Monuments of Ancient Rome Boston 1904
p. 330). It should, however, be noticed that Iul. Obs. 18 does not definitely describe the
ruined monument as a statue of Iupiter. J. Scheffer ad loc. took it to have been the
portrait of some magistrate.

1 Iul. Obs. 49 Cn. Domitio C. Cassio coss____bubo in Capitolio occisus. fulmine

pleraque decussa. signa aurata Iovis cum capite columnaque disiecta. O. Jahn cj. statua
for capite. But O. Rossbach ad loc. understands caput as the ' capital' of a column, not
as the 'head' of a statue. The meaning is not beyond doubt, since (a) the plural signa
accords ill with the singulars capite, columna, and (6) it is known that two capita, in the
sense of colossal 'heads,' were dedicated on the Capitol by P. Lentulus (Plin. nat. hist.
34- 44)-

2 Dion Cass. 37. 9 ev yap Ka7rirwXtw avdpiavres re noWol vtto Kepavvwv avvex^vev-
8rj<jav Kai aydX/nara aXXa re Kai Atos eVi kLovos Idpu/j.^vov, eiKuv tls XvKaivrjs avv re rco
'Pdip-ip Kai aiiv tu 'Pw/j.v\w I5pvfj.ev7] iireae, k.t.\, Cp. ib. 37. 34.

'J On the principle involved see Folk-Lore 1903 xiv. 270 f., supra i. 563 f. In 293 B.C.
Sp. Carvilius made the breastplates, greaves, and helmets of the vanquished Samnites
into a statue of Iupiter, which he set up on the Capitol,—a statue large enough to be
visible from the temple of Iupiter Latiaris on the Alban Mount. From the filings he
made a statue of himself, to stand at the feet of the god (Plin. nat. hist. 34. 43 j but Liv.
10. 46 does not mention this group).

4 Cic. in Cat. 3. 19 ff. (20 simulacrum Iovis facere maius et in excelso collocare et
contra, atque ante fuerat, ad orientem convertere), de consulatu suo 2. 33 ff. (60 Iupiter
excelsa clarabat sceptra columna) ap. de div. r. 19 ff., 2. 45 f., Quint, inst. or. 5. 11. 42
utitur eo Cicero...in contione contra Catilinam, cum signum Iovis columnae impositum