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)

Apollon and Artemis

471

names derived from the light-coloured under-surface of its leaves1.
The striking effect of light combined with dark was, at least in part,
the reason why the tree was assigned to the limbo between the
Upperworld and the Underworld. As having no fruit, also, it was
appropriate to the realm beyond2. It was 'chthonian3,' 'sacred to
Hades4,' 'dedicate to the dead5.' Hence, according to Harpokration6
(^.ii(?)7 A.D.), its use in the rites of the chthonian Dionysos8. A similar
explanation might be given of the fact that, at Olympia, persons
wishing to sacrifice to Pelops had to obtain wood of the white-
poplar from the ' woodman ' (xyleusy attached to the cult of Zeus10.
When Idmon, son of Apollon and seer of the Argonauts, died, his
brows were bound with its white leafage11. Aquites the Colchian,
'consecrated to the waters of the land and priest of the mighty
Phasis,' wore a wreath of white-poplar1-, perhaps because poplars
fringed the river where it flowed past Phrixos' tomb to the sea13.
Finally, Polyphemos, son of the Lapith Elatos, who married

I O. Hoffmann Die Makedonen, ihre Sprache und ihr Volkstum Gbttingen 1906 p. 42 :
' Die " Silberpappel" flihrte im Griechischen ihren Namen nach der " weiss schimmernden "
Farbe ihrer Blatter: sie hiess Xsvkt], dXcpivia [Hesych. aXcpivia- 77 Xevuri. lhppaifioi] (von
dX<po- "weiss," &X<pos "weisser Fleck," lat. albus), Xvydij [Hesych. Xv^St]' to devopov,
i] XeuKri'] (Xvk- schwache Form zu Xevx-), (pavX'ia [Hesych. <pavXia' eidos iXaias. ol 8e ras
XevKas. (pavXia' /.itjXo. ra /uey&Xa] (von (pav- " glanzen " in (pav-uts, Tri-<pav-<TK<j) etc.).
Weni) also ihr makedonischer Name &Xi£a ■ t] XevKTj to devdpov Hes[ych]. (iiberl. twv
devdpwv : verbessert v. Guyetus) griechisch ware, so vviirden wir seinen Stamm in der
Bedeutung " schimmern " im Griechischen zu finden erwarten. Das ist bis jetzt nicht
der Fall.'

J. Britten—R. Holland A Dictionary of English Plant-names London 1884 iii. 600
have compiled the following list: 1 Populus alba, L. Abbey, Abbey-tree, Abel, Abele,
Arbeal, Arbell, Asp (White), Aspen (Great), Awbel, Beech (Dutch), Dutch Arbel,
Peplar (White), Poplar (White, Silver), White-bark.' Abele and its various deformations
are derived from the late Latin albellus, a diminutive of albus (J. A. H. Murray A New
English Dictionary Oxford 1888 i. 15). 2 Schol. Od. 10. 510.

3 Harpokr. s.v. Xevnt)'...avToxdbviov {leg. 5t& to x^bviov) fj.ev dvai to (pVTOv = Souid.
s.v. XevKT)',. .5id to [e-mail] p.ev elecu to <pvTov.

4 Eustath. in II. p. 938, 64 f. ws aKapiros 8£ 17 dxepwis Tip "Aidy avaKetrai.

5 Schol. L. //. 16. 482 (supra p. 467 n. 4).

6 Harpokr. s.v. XevK7] = Souid. s.v. XevKrj.

7 Sir J. E. Sandys A History of Classical Scholarship'1 Cambridge 1906 i. 325 f.

8 Supra i. 392 n. 4.

9 Cp. Olympia v. 143 ff. no. 62, 12 f. '0\i7/U7rtxos 2 ( = '0\vjii7ri'xou) | £vXevs, 147 ff.
no. 64, 31 f. (= Dittenberger Syll. inscr. Gr.- no. 612, 31 f.) £iAei/s | Evdv/xos "Zwrliovos
Me., 221 ff. no. hi, 27 f. i^vXevs \ 'Avsiktitos, 223 f. no. 122, 23 ^vXevs ' 'Aveii<r)Tos, 225 f.
no. 124, 9 f. [£u]\ei;s I........s At[6s].

10 Paus. 5. 13. 3. The Pelopion had been founded by Herakles, who sacrificed into
the pit (bothros) for Pelops. The annual magistrates kept up the sacrifice, the victim being
a black ram, the neck of which was given to the woodman (xyleus). Whoever, either of
the Eleans or of strangers, ate the flesh of the victim sacrificed to Pelops might not enter
the temple of Zeus (ib. 2—3). See further Sir J. G. Frazer ad loc.

II Val. Flacc. 5. 10 f. 12 Val. Flacc. 6. 294 ff. 13 Val. Flacc. 5. 184 ff.