DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0165
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114 The Pillar of Light
(t) The Pillar of Light and the Soul-Ladder.
So, then, the Irminsiil, the pillar of the sky-god Er or Irmin1
was a familiar sight to dwellers on the Thracian frontier. And
Platon—it will be remembered—conceives of Er son of Armenios
as standing on 'a straight light like a pillar2.' I have already
ventured to connect the Germanic cult with the Greek myth3: I
would now add the conjecture that the link between Germany and
Greece was Thrace, and that the myth in question reached Platon
through Orphic channels. If so, we might look to find either among
the Thracians or among the Orphists some trace at least of the
'light like a pillar' and of the allied belief in a soul-path leading up
to the summit of the heavenly vault. In point of fact there is
evidence of both.
In Krastonia we hear of 'a sanctuary of Dionysos, large and
fine, where during the festival and sacrifice, if the god is about to
cause a good year, there appears a great gleam of fire seen by all in
the precinct, if a bad season, the light does not appear but darkness
covers the place as on ordinary nights4.' It would seem that in this
Thracian5 cult the presence of the god wras betokened by a great
figs. 805—807, Reinach Rep. Reliefs i. 428 — 442, F. Llibker Reailexikon des klassiseheii
Altertums* Leipzig-Berlin 1914 p. 9, A. Reinach in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. v.
513 f. fig. 7123. The tropaeum Trajani (the name is certified by inscriptions for the
neighbouring town, which was presumably called after this famous monument) stands in
the Roumanian district of Dobroudja not far from the site of Tomis (Kostendje), on the
coins of which it appears in a simplified form (Rasche Lex. Num. ix. 1394 a 'third brass'
of Trajan with rev. TO AAI Til N ' tropaeum in cippo,' Head Hist, num.- p. 276'Trophy
between captives,' F. Imhoof-Blumer Die antiken Miinzen Nord-Gr iecheulands i Dacien
und Moesien von B. Pick und K. Regling Berlin 1910 ii. 635, 680 f. nos. 2600 pi. 7. r,
2601—2603). It was erected probably in 103 A.D. by Trajan, and it was dedicated to Mars
Ultor possibly on the spot where in 87 A.n. Cornelius Fuscus had been defeated and slain
by the Dacians (C. G. Brandis in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Euc. iv. 1966). From a circular
stepped base rises a cylindrical drum (20111 in diameter, 8m high) formerly adorned with
triglyphs and 50 sculptured metopes, a frieze of arms, and a projecting cornice, which
supported a crenelated parapet. The 50 battlements have reliefs representing barbarian
prisoners with lions as gargoyles between them. Higher up comes a truncated cone, once
covered with scaledike tiles and topped by a hexagonal plinth (8m high), on which rested
a huge trophy (8m high) facing east with a barbarian standing before it and two female
captives seated to right and left of it. The dedication {Corp. inscr. Lat. iii no. 12467)
was on the eastern side of the hexagon.
1 Supra p. 50 ff. 2 Supra p. 44. 3 Supra p. 54.
4 Aristot. mir. ausc. 122 eari be Kai aWo avrodi. (se. ev rfj KpaoTUvia irapo, rr\v
BtcraXrcSi' yjlipav) iepbv Aiovvaov fieya Kai ko\6v, ev y rr/s eopTrjs Kai ttjs dvaias ovo~t]S
\eyerai, orav p.ev 6 8e6s everripiav /J.e\\y iroielv, ewitpa'iveffdai p.eya ae\as nvpos, Kai tovto
wavras bpav rovs irepi to re/xevos 5iarpLj3ovras, orav 5' aKapiriav, /j.rj (paiveadai tovto to <p£>s,
d\Xa ctkotos eirexel-v tov tottov dianep Kai rets a\Xas vvKTas.
5 Steph. Byz. s.v. KprjffTWv ■ woXis QpaKrjs (cp. ib. s.v. VpriaTicvia' xcupa Qpq.Kris irpbs Trj
MaKeSovia), Tzetz. in Lyk. Al. 937 Kp^crrci^<77> -koKls QpaKTjs. KpyaTwvT] 8e 77 Op&Krj
114 The Pillar of Light
(t) The Pillar of Light and the Soul-Ladder.
So, then, the Irminsiil, the pillar of the sky-god Er or Irmin1
was a familiar sight to dwellers on the Thracian frontier. And
Platon—it will be remembered—conceives of Er son of Armenios
as standing on 'a straight light like a pillar2.' I have already
ventured to connect the Germanic cult with the Greek myth3: I
would now add the conjecture that the link between Germany and
Greece was Thrace, and that the myth in question reached Platon
through Orphic channels. If so, we might look to find either among
the Thracians or among the Orphists some trace at least of the
'light like a pillar' and of the allied belief in a soul-path leading up
to the summit of the heavenly vault. In point of fact there is
evidence of both.
In Krastonia we hear of 'a sanctuary of Dionysos, large and
fine, where during the festival and sacrifice, if the god is about to
cause a good year, there appears a great gleam of fire seen by all in
the precinct, if a bad season, the light does not appear but darkness
covers the place as on ordinary nights4.' It would seem that in this
Thracian5 cult the presence of the god wras betokened by a great
figs. 805—807, Reinach Rep. Reliefs i. 428 — 442, F. Llibker Reailexikon des klassiseheii
Altertums* Leipzig-Berlin 1914 p. 9, A. Reinach in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. v.
513 f. fig. 7123. The tropaeum Trajani (the name is certified by inscriptions for the
neighbouring town, which was presumably called after this famous monument) stands in
the Roumanian district of Dobroudja not far from the site of Tomis (Kostendje), on the
coins of which it appears in a simplified form (Rasche Lex. Num. ix. 1394 a 'third brass'
of Trajan with rev. TO AAI Til N ' tropaeum in cippo,' Head Hist, num.- p. 276'Trophy
between captives,' F. Imhoof-Blumer Die antiken Miinzen Nord-Gr iecheulands i Dacien
und Moesien von B. Pick und K. Regling Berlin 1910 ii. 635, 680 f. nos. 2600 pi. 7. r,
2601—2603). It was erected probably in 103 A.D. by Trajan, and it was dedicated to Mars
Ultor possibly on the spot where in 87 A.n. Cornelius Fuscus had been defeated and slain
by the Dacians (C. G. Brandis in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Euc. iv. 1966). From a circular
stepped base rises a cylindrical drum (20111 in diameter, 8m high) formerly adorned with
triglyphs and 50 sculptured metopes, a frieze of arms, and a projecting cornice, which
supported a crenelated parapet. The 50 battlements have reliefs representing barbarian
prisoners with lions as gargoyles between them. Higher up comes a truncated cone, once
covered with scaledike tiles and topped by a hexagonal plinth (8m high), on which rested
a huge trophy (8m high) facing east with a barbarian standing before it and two female
captives seated to right and left of it. The dedication {Corp. inscr. Lat. iii no. 12467)
was on the eastern side of the hexagon.
1 Supra p. 50 ff. 2 Supra p. 44. 3 Supra p. 54.
4 Aristot. mir. ausc. 122 eari be Kai aWo avrodi. (se. ev rfj KpaoTUvia irapo, rr\v
BtcraXrcSi' yjlipav) iepbv Aiovvaov fieya Kai ko\6v, ev y rr/s eopTrjs Kai ttjs dvaias ovo~t]S
\eyerai, orav p.ev 6 8e6s everripiav /J.e\\y iroielv, ewitpa'iveffdai p.eya ae\as nvpos, Kai tovto
wavras bpav rovs irepi to re/xevos 5iarpLj3ovras, orav 5' aKapiriav, /j.rj (paiveadai tovto to <p£>s,
d\Xa ctkotos eirexel-v tov tottov dianep Kai rets a\Xas vvKTas.
5 Steph. Byz. s.v. KprjffTWv ■ woXis QpaKrjs (cp. ib. s.v. VpriaTicvia' xcupa Qpq.Kris irpbs Trj
MaKeSovia), Tzetz. in Lyk. Al. 937 Kp^crrci^<77> -koKls QpaKTjs. KpyaTwvT] 8e 77 Op&Krj