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)

at Delphoi

255

oratory traditionally ascribed to Menandros the rhetorician of Lao-
dikeia on the Lykos (c, 270 a.d.)1, but more probably composed
by an anonymous rhetorician of Alexandreia in the Troad2, con-
cludes with an appeal to Apollon Sminthios :

'But, Sminthian and Pythian god,—for with thee my discourse began, and
with thee shall it end—by what titles shall I address thee? Some name thee
Lykeios, some Delios, others Askraios, others again Aktios. At Sparta men
call thee Amyklaios, at Athens Patrdios, at Miletos Branchidtes. Every town
and country and nation thou dost traverse. Yea, even as thou dost dance round
the sky with the choruses of the stars about thee, so dost thou traverse the
whole world of men. The Persians name thee Mithras, the Egyptians Horos —
for thou bringest round the seasons {hdrat) in their circuit—, the Thebans
Dionysos ; and the Delphians honour thee with a twofold title, calling thee at
once Apollon and Dionysos. About thee are the Muses (?), about thee the
Maenads. From thee the moon too gets her radiance, and the Chaldaeans name
thee leader of the stars. Whether, then, thou carest for these titles, or for others
better than these, grant that our city may ever enjoy full prosperity, and that
this festival may for ever be held on thy behalf. Give grace, moreover, to the
words that are spoken ; for of thee come speech and city alike3.'

(i. 441 Bekker) carries the confusion further by asserting that Commodus decapitated the
colossus of Rhodes and placed its head on his own statue !). But these accessories were
afterwards removed (Lamprid. v. Commod. 17. 9), and in the fourth century a.d. the
Neronian image once more had a rayed crown {Curiosum urbis regionum xiv reg. iv
= Notilia regionum urbis xiv reg. iv (H. Jordan Topographie der Stadt Rom im Alterthum
Berlin 1871 ii. 546)). Its base of brickwork is still in situ (II. Jordan—C. Huelsen
op. cit. Berlin 1907 i. 3. 320 ff.). The probability is that from first to last the colossus was
recognised as the sun-god. If it bore the features of a Nero or a Commodus, we must
remember that the former had posed as the Rhodian Helios and the latter at least as
Hercules (R. Peter in Roscher Lex. Myth. i. 2987 ff., Class. Rev. 1906"xx. 418).

1 W. Christ Geschichte der griechischen Litteralurz Munchen 1898 p. 755 f.

- C. Bursian 'Der Rhetor Menandros und seine Schriften' in the Abh. d. bayer.
A had. 1882 Philos.-philol. Classe xvi. 3. 17 ff.

3 Id. ib. p. 151 prints the passage ( = C. Walz Rhetores Graeci Stuttgartiae et Tubingae
1836 ix. 329 f., L. Spengel Rhetores Graeci Lipsiae 1856 iii. 445 f.) thus : dXX' iZ ~Sp.iv6ie
Kai Hvdie, &tto o~ov yap ap^a/xevos 6 Xoyos ets ere Kai KaTavrrjcrei {TeXevTr)aei M. m.), Trolais
ai Trpoariyopiais irpoaepdey^op.ai ; oi p,ev ere AvKeiov (Xvklov p.) Xeyovenv, oi 8e ArjXiov, dWoi
(oi M. m.) 8e 'AtjKpcuov, aXXoi 8e "Aktlov, AaKeoaip-bvioi 8e 'ApLVKXaiov (dXXoi 8e *Aktlov—
'ApLVKXaiov om. M.), 'Adrjvaioi rrarpuov, 'Bpayx'-dTrjv MiX^cncn- vdaav ttoXlv Kai irderav
X&pav Kal irav idvos SteVets Kal Kaddwep tov ovpavbv irepixopeveis £xwv Kepi ereavrbv tovs
XOpovs TtDe aefTepeov (dcrrpuv M. m.), ovtu Kal ttjv irderav oiKOvp.ivr)v (oikov/j.^vt]v irderav M. m.)
SteVeis- "Slidpav ere Hepaai Xeyovenv, Tilpov AiyvTTTioi—erv yap xas upas eh kvkXov (eis
kvkXov xas uipas M. m.) d'Yeis—Aibwcrov Qijfiaioi, AeXcpol Se 8LwXrj Trpoarjyopia tl/xuictl tov
[avrov] ' AnoXXcova (*TifxCocn' tov 'AwoXXwva p. TifxwcrLv 'AirbXXwva M. m.) Kal Aibvverov
XeyovTes- irepl ue idovpat (dovpai p. ('die Buchstaben sind mit neuerer Tinte nachgezogen,
iiber dem at erkennt man noch uber der Zeile ein a von erster Hand '). dvpala M. m.
C. Walz cj. dr/pia, L. Spengel p-ovaai, C. Bursian Tfl/)cu. But cp. Hesych. dovpiSes- vv/acpai.
fj.ovtrai. 'MaKeSoves, supra i. 111 n. 2 f.), -wepl ere dvddes- irapa (rod Kal aeXrjvr] ttjv aKT?va
Xa/mpavei- XaXScuot Se (8i om. p. C. Bursian cj. ere XaXSaiot) darpecv r;yefj.bva Xeyovcriv
etr' odv TavTais xa<-Peis (xaipois m.) raZs irpocrriyopiaLS (ietfr'—irpocr-qyopiaLs om. M.), etre
tovtuv dfj.eivocn, erv {crol M. eri m.) p.ev aKp-d^eiv del rats ev8aip.oviais tt\v irbXiv SiSov,
eerael Se rrjvSe crvyKpoTelcrQai aoi (dK/j.d£eiv rats ev8aip.oviais tt)v irbXiv del rrjvSe Sidov Kai aoi