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)

and the Soul-Ladder 129

and correspond with the seven or eight steps of the Mithraic ladder1
or, for that matter, with the Sabian ladder of the seven planets2.

Fortified by these examples of the soul-ladder as conceived in
other parts of the Mediterranean world—to go no further afield3—
we return to Thrace and the Orphists. Otos and Ephialtes, who
essayed to pile Ossa on Olympos and Pelion on Ossa, ' that the

astrology. Gudea describes the zikkurat at Lagash known as E-Pa as the "house of the
seven divisions1" pThureau-Dangin, Sumerisch-Akkadische Inschriften, pp. 76, 84, 86,
etc.]; and from the still fuller designation of the tower at Borsippa as the "seven
divisions of heaven and earth,'*' it would appear that in both cases there is a symbolical
reference to the "seven planets," as the moon, sun, and five planets were termed by the
Babylonians themselves'2 [2Rawlinson, ill. Plate 57, No. 6, 65.].' Etc. Cp. id. The
Religion of Babylonia and Assyria Boston etc. 1898 pp. 618 ff., 639.

1 Orig. c. Cels. 6. 21 f. etttcl Se ovpavovs rj oXcos Trepiwpio~p.evov dpidpibv avruiv at <f>epo-
fievai ev rats eKKXrjaiaLS tov deov ovk dwayye'XXovffi ypatpai, dXX' ovpavovs, e'ire rds acpa'ipas
twv Trap "EX\t]o~i Xeyop.evwv TrXavqTwv etVe /cat dXXo rt d?roppr/Torepov ioixacri 8i5do~k(Lv ot
XoyoL. Kai to bSbv de elvai rats i^vxals is yrjv /cat a7ro yrjs KeXcros p.ev Kara llXarwud (prjcn
yiveadat did t&v irXavfjTuV Mawcr?)? Se, 6 dpxatoraros tj/jllov rrpocprjTrjS, ev 6\pei tov rrar-
pidpxov ijp.{ov \aKwfi (prjaiv eojpdaflai delov evuirviov, /cXt/xa/ca "et's ovpavov" tpddvovaav Kai
dyyeXovs "toO deov' avajBaivovras Kai KarafiaivovTas err' avrrjs, tov Se Kvpiov erreaT-rj-
pi.yp.evov eiri rots aKpois avTrjs, et're TavTa ei're Tivd fxet^'ova tovtojv aiviTTOfxevos ev Tip wepi
tt)s /cAt/m/cos Xoyip ' rvepi r)s Kai Tip Q'CXiovi avvTeTaKTai [3i{3\iov, ai;iov <ppovip.ov /cat avveTrjs
rrapd rots fpiXaXr)deaiv eferdcretos (cp. Philon de somniis 1. 22 (i. 641 f. Mangey)). e^r)s Se
tovtols (3ov\6fj.evos 6 KeXaos woXvpiddeiav eavTov emSet^affdaL ev Tip Kad i)p.<2iv Xoyip
eKTideTai Tiva Kai HepcriKa p.vo~Tr)pia iv ols cprjcriv aivirTeTai TavTa Kai 6 UepcrQv Xoyos, Kai
7) tov ^Slidpov TeXeTj], rj (rj ins. Keim) nap' aiiTois eaTiv. eari yap tl ev avTrj o~vp,(3oXov tQiv
Mo tQ>v ev ovpavip rrepioSwv, Trjs re dTrXai'oOs /cat t'qs et's tovs 7rXac7jras av vevep.r\p.evr)s, Kai Trjs
Si avTtjjv Trjs ipvxvs Sie^oSov. ToiovSe to avufloXov ' /cXt/xa| v^'nrvXos (ewTaTrvXos cj. Koetschau
post Boherellum), eirl 0 av-rj rrvXr) oySorj (err' ai/Trj Se ttvXcu. ewTa cj. Guiet). i) irpibTt] tQv
ttvXQv /xoXi^Sov, k.t.X. cited supra i. 626 n. o). The Mithraic doctrine is discussed by
F. Cumont Textes et monuments figuris relatifs aux mysteres de Mithra Bruxelles 1899 i.
37 ff., 1896 ii. 243 ff. fig. 77, id. in Roscher Lex. Myth. ii. 3057, id. in Daremberg—Saglio
Diet. Ant. iii. 1953, id. Die Mysterien des Mithra'2 trans. G. Gehrich Leipzig 1911
p. 129 b See further Lobeck Aglaophamus ii. 934, G. Kroll De oraeulis Chaldaicis
Vratislaviae 1894 pp. 63 (citing from Psellos i^rjyrjo-Ls et's rd XaXoat/cd Xbyia (cxxii. 1132B
Migne) the lines p.-q<5e> k6.tw vevar/s' Kpr/pvbs /card 777s t;7r6/cetrat [ eTrTarropov cvpwv /card
fiadpidos' + V(P' Vv 0 TVS 'A-vdyKr/s dpbvos eo~Tiv (an leg. r)v vtt' A.vdyKrjs \ 'eo~Ti dpovos?),
where the eirTaTropos j3adp.is is equivalent to Origen's KXip.a£ eirTaTrvXos), 76 Add., Gruppe
Cult. Myth, orient. Rel. i. 665, id. in the Jahresbericht iiber die Fortsehritle der classischen
Alterthumswissenschaft 1896IXXXV. 266., id. Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 1599 b, W. KwzZur Frage
nach dem Ursprung des Gnostizismus Leipzig 1897 p. 86 ff., W. Bousset 'Die Himmels-
reise der Seele' in the Archiv f. Rel. 1901 iv. 160 ff.

2 D. Chwolsohn Die Ssabier und der Ssabismus St Petersburg 1856 ii. 610 cites from
Makrisi (1364—1441 a.d.) the following statement: ' Unter diesen geistigen Wesen
verstehen sie die Engel, von denen sie glauben, dass sie die Leiter der sieben Planeten in
deren Himmelskreisen seien,' etc.

3 A pilaster-relief from the stiipa of Bharhut, now at Calcutta, shows 'the great
Ladder by which Buddha descended at Sankisa from the Trayastrinsas heavens' as 'a
triple flight of solid stone steps, similar in all respects to the single flight of steps which
was found at the Western Gateway of the Stupa ' (A. Cunningham The Stupa of Bharhut
London 1879 p. 91 ff. pi. 17 railing-pillars of West Gate, middle relief of right side;
A. della Seta Religion Art trans. Mrs A. Strong London 1914 p. 306 fig. 167).

c. 11. 9