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)

190 The Delphic Omphalos

It is therefore of importance to observe that the Cretans too had a
holy centre called Omphalos, where it was said that the navel-string
of the infant Zeus had fallen to the ground. Kallimachos, having
told how Rhea entrusted the babe to the arms of Neda, continues :

When bearing thee from Knossos, father Zeus,
The Nymph left Thenai (Thenai near to Knossos),
There, lord, fell off thy navel; wherefore now
Cydonians call that spot the Omphalian Plain1.

Diodoros tells the same tale in substantial agreement with Kalli-
machos :

'The story goes that, when he (Zeus) as an infant was being carried by the
Kouretes, his navel fell off near the river named Triton, and that the place was
consecrated and called Omphalos after the occurrence, the surrounding district
being likewise known as the Omphalian Plain2.'

This narrative was denounced by K. Hoeck as a piece of late

Monographs: .Monograph Series xiii) Bryn Mawr 1913 pp. 22 ff., 41 f., 62 ft.). The
leader of these Cretan settlers was Kastalios (et. gen. s.v. AeXcpivios, et. mag. p. 255, 18 ff-,
Orion p. 46, 22 ft'., Tzetz. in Lyk. Al. 207). After the slaughter of Python Apollon was
purified in Crete by Karmanor (Paus. 2. 7. 7, cp. 10. 6. 7, 10. 7. 2, 10. 16. 5), the father
of Euboulos whose daughter Karme became by Zeus the mother of Britomartis (Paus.
2. 30. 3, cp. Uiod. 5. 76, Ant. Lib. 40, Verg. Ciris 220 ff.). According to others, Apollon
was purified in Crete by Chrysothemis (schol. Pind. Pyth. argum. 3). This son of
Karmanor is said to have won the prize in the earliest hymnic contest at Delphoi (Paus.

10. 7. 2). On another occasion the prize was secured by Eleuther (Paus. 10. 7. 3), perhaps
the eponym of Eleutherna in Crete (so J. N. Svoronos in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1896
xx. 8). Koretas, the reputed discoverer of the oracle (Plout. de clef. or. 42, 46), bears a
name suggestive of Crete (so J. N. Svoronos loc. cit.). And Pteras, the eponym of the
Cretan Aptereoi, was supposed by some to have built the second temple at Delphoi
(Paus. 10. 5. 10).

A leonine head in limestone, part of a ritual rhyton, found beneath the temple of
Apollon {Fouilles de Delphes iv. 1. 3 fig. 2 a, b, v. 1. 3fif. figs. 13, 13 a) resembles closely
the famous lioness-ray/on in marble found at Knossos (J. de Mot in the Rev. Arch. 1904

11. 217, G. Karo ' Minoische Rhyta' in the Jahrb. d. kais. dentsch. arch. Inst. 1911 xxvi.
254 ff. figs. 6f., F. Poulsen Delphi trans. G. C. Richards London 1920 p. 15 f. figs. 1—3,
p. 59). A bronze axe from Delphoi, which is engraved with ' Minoan' characters, will be
figured later (infra § 3 (c) i (p.)). And 'Minoan' pottery etc. has come to light in the
Delphic precinct {Fouilles de Delphes v. 1. 5 f., 8 ff. figs. 26—51, 15 ff. figs. 62—90, 20 f.
figs. 91—97, v. 2. 133).

1 Kallim. h. Zeus 42 ff. evre Qevas direXenrev diro (so J. A. F. A. Meineke for MSS. eirl)
\\vLaaaoio (pepovcra, \ Zed Trdrep, rj vvfx<p~c) ere [Qeval 5' 'iaav eyyvdi Kvincrcrov), \ tovtlxki tol
ireae, baipov, a7r' ofupaXos' 'ivBev eKelvo \ ''0p.(pdXiov p-eTeireiTa irebov KaXeovai KiJSwj'es,
cp. schol. Nik. a/ex. 7 ttpKTov inr' dp,(pa\beirerav ...dXXoc de tt\v KprjriKrjv 'Opt.<pa\bs yap
tottos tv Kpr)T7], cljs Kdl KaWt^axos ■ ireae, Scufiov, air' 6/j.<pa\6s, 'ivBev eKeivo | 'Op-ipakiov
fxereTreLra irebov KaKeovcn \s.v5wves, Steph. Byz. s.v. '0/jl(pd.\iov ■ tottos Kp^r?;s, Tv\rj<jiov
QevGiv Kai Kvuffcrov. 'icri icai GerraXt'a? (id. s.v. Hapavaioi, cp. Ptol. 3. 13. 5). to edviKov
'Op*<pa\iTr)s (cp. Rasche Lex. Num. vi. 127).

2 Diod. 5. 70 (pepofxevov piev yap vtto tGiv Kovprjrwv avrov vrjiriov cpaalv aTroireaelv tov
6p.<pa\bv wept tov iroTafxbv tov KaXoijLievov Tplruva, Kai to %coptoj' re (so L. Dindorf for MSS.
de. P. Wesseling cj. 5id) tovto Kadiepwdev airo tov Tore avLij3dvTos 'OfupaXbv Trpocrayopev-
OrjvaL Kai to TrepiKeifxevov irebLov b/aoius 'OpupaXewv.