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)

The double axe and Zeus Labrdyndos 561

Plutarch's statement that this labrys was a sacred heirloom of
the Lydian kings, introduced into Karia in the time
of Gyges (716—678 B.C.) and there placed in the hand
of Zeus, is to some extent confirmed by the coin-types
of Lydia and Karia. At Thyateira in Lydia the double
axe appears by itself on bronze coins of Seleucid and
imperial date (fig. 437)1. But on other bronze pieces Fig. 437.
of the same town, referred to the time of Trajan or
Hadrian, it is shouldered by a young man on horseback inscribed
Tyrimnos (fig. 438)2. This youthful rider represents the Thyatirene
hero3, whose precinct4 and temple3 stood before the city". He was

Fig. 438. Fig. 439. Fig. 440.

known as 'the forefather Tyrimnos7' or 'the forefather god Ty-
rimnos8,' and gave his name to the local festival of the Tyrimneia9.
As a youthful athletic god he was equated with Apollon under the

1 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Lydia pp. 292 f. pi. 29, 3f., 302 f., Hunter Cat. Coins ii.
468 nos. 1, 2, 469 no. 12, F. Imhoof-Blumer Lydische Stadtmiinzen Genf—Leipzig 1897
p. 148 pi. 6, 6, p. 149 nos. 7, 7a, p. 151 n. 2. I figure a specimen, struck under Nero,
from my collection.

2 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Lydia p. 294 pi. 29, 6, F. Imhoof-Blumer Lydische Stadt-
miinze7i Genf—Leipzig 1897 p. 149 f. pi. 6, 9 ( = my fig. 438), Head Hist, num.2 p. 658.

3 F. Imhoof-Blumer op. cit. p. 150 f., Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. pp. 1241 n. 5, 1249 n. 2.

4 G. Radet' Inscriptions de Lydie' in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1887 xi. 478 f. no. 57, 14ff.
{Kirk-A gat sell) dyoov ode[rri] [(rjafra KaXtDs k[cu /ca,]'[Ta]<xKevdaavra t[o Trpo][Tr]v\aiov tov
t[€/j.€]\[vo]vs tov Tvpi/j.vov.

5 G. Radet loc. cit. p. 459 f. no. 22, 2 ff. (Thyateira) with the corrections of P. Stouraites
in 'Ap/JLOvia, June 24, 1894 = Alh. Mitth. 1894 xix. 535 f. ivpQiTov dywvoderTjv rrjs Trp(ib)\Tws
dxde'iarjs bird rrjs 7r6Xews | ^e(3acrTeLov Kai Tvpifivr/ov ira\i>7)yvpem. Cp. infra n. 7.

6 Corp. inscr. Gr. ii no. 3493, 1 ff. (Thyateira) dyo3voQeTf]<jav\Ta tov irph ir6\eus Tvpi-
fxvov iv\d6£u)s Kai iirLtpavQ^. Cp. infra p. 562 n. I.

7 M. Clerc 'Inscriptions de Thyatire et des environs' in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1886
x. 420 f. no. 29, 2 f. (Meder) eh to [iepbv tov wpoiraTopos^ \ Ivp^^vov (the stone has

TYPHNOY).

8 Corp. inscr. Gr. ii no. 3497, 22 f. (Thyateira) tov iepe'a tov Trpo\Tr&Topos deov Tvpi/xvov.

9 A. Wilhelm in the Ath. Mitth. 1891 xvi. 132 no. 5, 5 f. = W. R. Paton in Inscr. Gr.
ins. ii no. 388, 5 f. (Mytilene) /c(cti) iv Gearecpois (Wilhelm has 9eiareipois) Tv\pifj.veia, P.
Foucart in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1887 xi. 1046°. no. 26, 5 ff. (Se'lendi) a.yu)vodeTT}o-av\\ra
Ttov] fxeyakwv "Le^auTCov | lTvpi~]p.vriuv aywvuv.

C II. 36