DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0286
Pythagoras as Apollon reborn 225
with some assurance conclude that the Crotoniates knew of a myth
in which Apollon Hyperboreos was slain, boiled in a caldron, and
pieced together again—the missing portion being replaced in gilded
ivory. Pythagoras, who claimed to be the god come to life once
more, must needs make good his claim by displaying a golden thigh.
Seven centuries later Alexandras the impostor of Abonou
Teichos1 aped the pretensions of Pythagoras and provided a butt
for the satire of Lucian2:
'The torch'ceremony with its ritual shippings often enabled him to bestow
a glimpse of his thigh, which was thus discovered to be of gold ; it was pre-
sumably enveloped in cloth of gold, which glittered in the lamp-light. This
gave rise to a debate between two wiseacres, whether the golden thigh meant
that he had inherited Pythagoras's soul, or merely that their two souls were
alike; the question was referred to Alexander himself, and King Glycon:J
relieved their perplexity with an oracle4:
Waxes and wanes Pythagoras' soul : the seer's
Is from the mind of Zeus an emanation.
His Father sent him, virtuous men to aid,
And with his bolt one day shall call him home.'
But, if Pythagoras posed as Apollon resurgent, resurrection im-
plies a previous death and burial. When did Apollon die? Where
was he buried ? The great crisis of his life had been his contest
with Python. Pythagoras not unnaturally asserted that Apollon had
been slain by Python5 and buried in the Delphic tripod. His fol-
lowers probably felt it to be significant that the principal coin-type
of Kroton was, from first to last, a tripod-//^ (figs. 155 — 1 57)6.
1 Infra Append. L.
2 Loukian. Alex. 40 trans. H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler.
3 Jnfra Append. L.
4 Tlvdayopov Tore p.ev cpdivei, aXXore 5' av^ei- | 17 oejrpocpiqTeLT) Air/s (ppevos karw
dnoppd)^. I ko.1 fJ.iv iirepwpe Trarr/p ayad&v a.v5pQ>v twapLoybv • \ /ecu 7rd\ii' e? Aios elffi Aios
(3\-qde?(ra Kepaw^ (Cougny Anth. Pal. Append. 6. 310).
5 Yet Iambi, v. Pyth. 52 states tbat'Pythagoras told the boys assembled in the Pythion
at Kroton rbv.. .Hvdixbv (sc. dyQva redrjvai) KpaTiqOevTos rod IIvOuvos inrb iraibbi. This
tells against my view, or would do so were Iamblichos a more reliable author.
6 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Italy p. 342 ff. figs., Hunter Cat. Coins i. 128 ff. pi. 9,
11 —19, Garrucci Mon. It. ant. p. 147 ff. pi. 108, 26—37, pi. 109, 1—33, 35, pi. no, 11,
13 f., 16—18, 20, 29, Head Hist, num.2 p. 94 ff. figs. 52—54, Anson Num. Gr. i. 100 ff.
nos. 963—1008, 122 no. 1210, 129 nos. 1274—1280, 130110s. 1282—1287 pis. 17 f., 23 f.
I figure three specimens in the McClean collection. B. V. Head op. cit. p. 99 f. rightly
rejects the view advanced by Honore d'Albert, due de Luynes in the Nouv. Ann. 1836
i. 372 ff. (cp. J. de Witte in the Rev. Num. 1844 p. 1496°.) and F. Lenormant la Grande-
Grecepaysages et histoire Paris 1881 ii. 96—101 (cp. G. Macdonald Coin Types Glasgow
1905 p. 12 ff., G. F. Hill Historical Greek Coins London 1906 p. 23 ff., A. W. Hands
Coins of Magna Grcecia London 1909 p. 158 ff.) that the coin-types of Kroton were
throughout inspired by the religious ideas of the Pythagoreans, the tripod symbolising
Apollon Pytliios, the eagle Zeus, etc. The eagle, which occurs first as a reverse type
incuse, was very possibly (supra i. 602 n. 5) suggested by the reverse type incuse of the
C II.
IS
with some assurance conclude that the Crotoniates knew of a myth
in which Apollon Hyperboreos was slain, boiled in a caldron, and
pieced together again—the missing portion being replaced in gilded
ivory. Pythagoras, who claimed to be the god come to life once
more, must needs make good his claim by displaying a golden thigh.
Seven centuries later Alexandras the impostor of Abonou
Teichos1 aped the pretensions of Pythagoras and provided a butt
for the satire of Lucian2:
'The torch'ceremony with its ritual shippings often enabled him to bestow
a glimpse of his thigh, which was thus discovered to be of gold ; it was pre-
sumably enveloped in cloth of gold, which glittered in the lamp-light. This
gave rise to a debate between two wiseacres, whether the golden thigh meant
that he had inherited Pythagoras's soul, or merely that their two souls were
alike; the question was referred to Alexander himself, and King Glycon:J
relieved their perplexity with an oracle4:
Waxes and wanes Pythagoras' soul : the seer's
Is from the mind of Zeus an emanation.
His Father sent him, virtuous men to aid,
And with his bolt one day shall call him home.'
But, if Pythagoras posed as Apollon resurgent, resurrection im-
plies a previous death and burial. When did Apollon die? Where
was he buried ? The great crisis of his life had been his contest
with Python. Pythagoras not unnaturally asserted that Apollon had
been slain by Python5 and buried in the Delphic tripod. His fol-
lowers probably felt it to be significant that the principal coin-type
of Kroton was, from first to last, a tripod-//^ (figs. 155 — 1 57)6.
1 Infra Append. L.
2 Loukian. Alex. 40 trans. H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler.
3 Jnfra Append. L.
4 Tlvdayopov Tore p.ev cpdivei, aXXore 5' av^ei- | 17 oejrpocpiqTeLT) Air/s (ppevos karw
dnoppd)^. I ko.1 fJ.iv iirepwpe Trarr/p ayad&v a.v5pQ>v twapLoybv • \ /ecu 7rd\ii' e? Aios elffi Aios
(3\-qde?(ra Kepaw^ (Cougny Anth. Pal. Append. 6. 310).
5 Yet Iambi, v. Pyth. 52 states tbat'Pythagoras told the boys assembled in the Pythion
at Kroton rbv.. .Hvdixbv (sc. dyQva redrjvai) KpaTiqOevTos rod IIvOuvos inrb iraibbi. This
tells against my view, or would do so were Iamblichos a more reliable author.
6 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Italy p. 342 ff. figs., Hunter Cat. Coins i. 128 ff. pi. 9,
11 —19, Garrucci Mon. It. ant. p. 147 ff. pi. 108, 26—37, pi. 109, 1—33, 35, pi. no, 11,
13 f., 16—18, 20, 29, Head Hist, num.2 p. 94 ff. figs. 52—54, Anson Num. Gr. i. 100 ff.
nos. 963—1008, 122 no. 1210, 129 nos. 1274—1280, 130110s. 1282—1287 pis. 17 f., 23 f.
I figure three specimens in the McClean collection. B. V. Head op. cit. p. 99 f. rightly
rejects the view advanced by Honore d'Albert, due de Luynes in the Nouv. Ann. 1836
i. 372 ff. (cp. J. de Witte in the Rev. Num. 1844 p. 1496°.) and F. Lenormant la Grande-
Grecepaysages et histoire Paris 1881 ii. 96—101 (cp. G. Macdonald Coin Types Glasgow
1905 p. 12 ff., G. F. Hill Historical Greek Coins London 1906 p. 23 ff., A. W. Hands
Coins of Magna Grcecia London 1909 p. 158 ff.) that the coin-types of Kroton were
throughout inspired by the religious ideas of the Pythagoreans, the tripod symbolising
Apollon Pytliios, the eagle Zeus, etc. The eagle, which occurs first as a reverse type
incuse, was very possibly (supra i. 602 n. 5) suggested by the reverse type incuse of the
C II.
IS