DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0665
The double axe and Zeus Labrdyndos 591
as in primis a fighter, brought his old wooden effigy up to date by
means of an added sword, and saluted him as Strdtios, the ' Lord
of Hosts1.' This title occurs in several inscriptions from Mylasa'2.
But the martial aspect of the deity worshipped by Carian mercenaries
from generation to generation never really eclipsed the original con-
ception of him as a storm-god and fertilising power. Labranda is
liable to rain of .exceptional severity, as Sir Charles Fellows3 found
to his cost. He reached Mylasa on March 20, 1840, 'in a violent
storm,' and here he was detained by the rain falling 'in such torrents'
that, when he attempted an excursion to Ayakli, it completely soaked
his pockets, portfolios, and carefully copied inscriptions. He com-
plains that 'the thick branches of a group of evergreen oaks did not
even afford shelter from the deluging rain.' After this we are not
surprised to learn from Aelian4 that Zeus Labrandeus got his name
from the 'heavy downpour' that he sent. Modern man is apt to
grumble at a shower. But the ancients knew better, and welcomed
it as proof of the sky-god's gendering force.
If the sky-god was the fertiliser, the earth-goddess was the ferti-
1 Ail. de nai. an. 12. 30 to de aya\p.a £i'0os irap-qprriTai, Kai ri/xarat KaXov/xevos Kapios
re nai 2,Tpa.Tios. But Strab. 659 (supra p. 576 f.) expressly distinguishes the cult of Zeus
Kdpcos from that of Zeus Aafipavd-qvos or ~Zrpd.TLos. Xo doubt Aelian has blundered ;
probably because, as C. Robert in J. Schaefer De love apud Cares culto (Dissertationes
philologicae Halenses xx. 4) Halis Saxonum 1912 p. 357 n. 1 suggests, he is mixing the
contents of Hdt. 1. 171 with those of Hdt. 5. 119.
2 Lebas—Waddington Asie Mineureno. 342 (a dedicatory inscription of s. i B.C., with
a representation of a double axe above it) QeopivrjcrTov tt\v eiKo\va Qeop.v] [tjJcttos AeovTOs
Kara de vode<r\i.av AioK\eiovs tov] | UoXvuXeiTov, iepevs Aids ^rpariov, [(pi.\offT]\op~/ias Hveicev
Kai evvoias, \_dfe6rjKe] [v] Aii Zrpariwi.
W. Judeich in the Ath. Mitth. 1890 xv. 267 ff. no. 20 (a decree of s. i B.C.), 3 ff.
eoo^ev tt) Tapfteavrwv (pvXrj yvihp.r)v \ [drro(pri]i>ap.evov Qeop.vr](TTOv tov AeovTos Kara Se \
[viod]effiav AlokXeiovs tov UoXvkXeitov, iepeus Aids | [2r]paTet'ou Kai "Upas, 'Ayavirov
apXOVTOS. 07t0js k.t.X.
Lebas—Waddington Asie Mineure no. 415 (supra p. 579 n. o no. (2) bis), 12 ft.
evefiifiaaev de avrovs ivdvTi\[ov pC\aprvpwv tQiv dp-opuf, Aeovtos tov Qeo/j-vtio-tov tov AeovTos,
Ai/ivaiov tov Qeofj.vy]crTov, | [/cai JH]vttoXe/j.ov tov Qeofxvr/o~Tov iepews Aids "Kapiov, Kai 'laaovos
Kai Qeo/j.vr)aTov vi&v QeofjLvrjo~[[Tov], //era Kvpiov tov waTpbs avTuov Qeop.vrjO'TOV rod Aeovtos
Kara Se viodeaiav AlokXelovs j [tov] IIoXvkXeitov, iepeus Albs Sxpariou /cat
"Upas.
Lebas—Waddington Asie Mineure no. 343 (a dedication of s. i B.C.)
Ad "^.TpaTLLO.
3 C. Fellows An Account of Discoveries in Lycia London 1841
pp. 67, 69.
4 Ael. de nai. an. 12. 30 Zei)s de Aafipavdevs vcras Xdf3pcp Kai ttoXXco
Trjv eirwvvp.iav T-qvde TjveyKaTO.
C. Fellows op. cii. p. 75 fig. ( = my fig. 495) noticed four keystones
decorated with a double axe in relief, which were built into various
walls at Mylasa. One of them, here shown, was in situ over a fine
arched gateway carrying an aqueduct. We may perhaps infer that the water-supply was
under the special protection of the rain-god.
as in primis a fighter, brought his old wooden effigy up to date by
means of an added sword, and saluted him as Strdtios, the ' Lord
of Hosts1.' This title occurs in several inscriptions from Mylasa'2.
But the martial aspect of the deity worshipped by Carian mercenaries
from generation to generation never really eclipsed the original con-
ception of him as a storm-god and fertilising power. Labranda is
liable to rain of .exceptional severity, as Sir Charles Fellows3 found
to his cost. He reached Mylasa on March 20, 1840, 'in a violent
storm,' and here he was detained by the rain falling 'in such torrents'
that, when he attempted an excursion to Ayakli, it completely soaked
his pockets, portfolios, and carefully copied inscriptions. He com-
plains that 'the thick branches of a group of evergreen oaks did not
even afford shelter from the deluging rain.' After this we are not
surprised to learn from Aelian4 that Zeus Labrandeus got his name
from the 'heavy downpour' that he sent. Modern man is apt to
grumble at a shower. But the ancients knew better, and welcomed
it as proof of the sky-god's gendering force.
If the sky-god was the fertiliser, the earth-goddess was the ferti-
1 Ail. de nai. an. 12. 30 to de aya\p.a £i'0os irap-qprriTai, Kai ri/xarat KaXov/xevos Kapios
re nai 2,Tpa.Tios. But Strab. 659 (supra p. 576 f.) expressly distinguishes the cult of Zeus
Kdpcos from that of Zeus Aafipavd-qvos or ~Zrpd.TLos. Xo doubt Aelian has blundered ;
probably because, as C. Robert in J. Schaefer De love apud Cares culto (Dissertationes
philologicae Halenses xx. 4) Halis Saxonum 1912 p. 357 n. 1 suggests, he is mixing the
contents of Hdt. 1. 171 with those of Hdt. 5. 119.
2 Lebas—Waddington Asie Mineureno. 342 (a dedicatory inscription of s. i B.C., with
a representation of a double axe above it) QeopivrjcrTov tt\v eiKo\va Qeop.v] [tjJcttos AeovTOs
Kara de vode<r\i.av AioK\eiovs tov] | UoXvuXeiTov, iepevs Aids ^rpariov, [(pi.\offT]\op~/ias Hveicev
Kai evvoias, \_dfe6rjKe] [v] Aii Zrpariwi.
W. Judeich in the Ath. Mitth. 1890 xv. 267 ff. no. 20 (a decree of s. i B.C.), 3 ff.
eoo^ev tt) Tapfteavrwv (pvXrj yvihp.r)v \ [drro(pri]i>ap.evov Qeop.vr](TTOv tov AeovTos Kara Se \
[viod]effiav AlokXeiovs tov UoXvkXeitov, iepeus Aids | [2r]paTet'ou Kai "Upas, 'Ayavirov
apXOVTOS. 07t0js k.t.X.
Lebas—Waddington Asie Mineure no. 415 (supra p. 579 n. o no. (2) bis), 12 ft.
evefiifiaaev de avrovs ivdvTi\[ov pC\aprvpwv tQiv dp-opuf, Aeovtos tov Qeo/j-vtio-tov tov AeovTos,
Ai/ivaiov tov Qeofj.vy]crTov, | [/cai JH]vttoXe/j.ov tov Qeofxvr/o~Tov iepews Aids "Kapiov, Kai 'laaovos
Kai Qeo/j.vr)aTov vi&v QeofjLvrjo~[[Tov], //era Kvpiov tov waTpbs avTuov Qeop.vrjO'TOV rod Aeovtos
Kara Se viodeaiav AlokXelovs j [tov] IIoXvkXeitov, iepeus Albs Sxpariou /cat
"Upas.
Lebas—Waddington Asie Mineure no. 343 (a dedication of s. i B.C.)
Ad "^.TpaTLLO.
3 C. Fellows An Account of Discoveries in Lycia London 1841
pp. 67, 69.
4 Ael. de nai. an. 12. 30 Zei)s de Aafipavdevs vcras Xdf3pcp Kai ttoXXco
Trjv eirwvvp.iav T-qvde TjveyKaTO.
C. Fellows op. cii. p. 75 fig. ( = my fig. 495) noticed four keystones
decorated with a double axe in relief, which were built into various
walls at Mylasa. One of them, here shown, was in situ over a fine
arched gateway carrying an aqueduct. We may perhaps infer that the water-supply was
under the special protection of the rain-god.