DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0701
626 The axe carried by priests and priestesses
St Genevieve collection (fig. 532) represents Athena armed with the
double axe amid a group of Egyptising deities1.
Traces of the Cretan axe might also be sought in the complex
of myths relating to Theseus. For Theseus, though he became the
Fig- 532-
national hero of Athens, had originally—as O. Gruppe2 has shown
in detail—much to do with Crete and Cretan cult. Accordingly, we
observe that in fifth-century art he constantly handles the double
axe. The cycle of Thesean exploits told how Damdstes* the
' Crusher,' otherwise styled Prokrotisiesi the ' Hammerer' or Pro-
serie 1874 xv. 27 ff. pi. 1, 17 Trajan ( = my fig. 529), 18 Hadrian ( = my fig. 530), 19
Hadrian (=my fig. 531), G. Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini Cairo 1901 p. 417 f. nos.
6334 pl- 33> 633? Domitian ; 6336 pi. 34 Trajan ; 6337, 6338 pi. 35, 6339 (axe only)
pi. 35 Hadrian; 6340 pl. 36, 6341 Antoninus Pius. W. Drexler in Roscher Lex. Myth.
iii. 442 follows J. de Rouge loc. cit. in identifying this Athena with the Egyptian Tefenet
(on whom see G. Roeder in Roscher Lex. Myth. iv. 156 ff.).
1 C. du Molinet Cabinet de la Bibliotheque de Ste Genevieve Paris 1692 p. 130 pl. 30,
i-—2 ( = my fig. 532), Montfaucon Antiquity Explained trans. D. Humphreys London
1721 ii. 237 pl. 53, 1, J. Matter Histoire critique du gnosticisme Paris 1828 iii pl. 7, 4.
2 Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 581 ff. Supra i. 467, 474 ff., 481 f., 492 ff.
3 Apollod. epit. 1. 4, Plout. v. Thes. 11, Hesych. s.v. Aa/j-aarris (sic). See C. Robert
in Hermes 1898 xxxiii. 149.
4 Diod. 4. 59 twp 5' eKaTToviov robs irodas irpoeKpovev, a<p' oinrep HpoKpotiffTrjs thvofxaaOrj.
St Genevieve collection (fig. 532) represents Athena armed with the
double axe amid a group of Egyptising deities1.
Traces of the Cretan axe might also be sought in the complex
of myths relating to Theseus. For Theseus, though he became the
Fig- 532-
national hero of Athens, had originally—as O. Gruppe2 has shown
in detail—much to do with Crete and Cretan cult. Accordingly, we
observe that in fifth-century art he constantly handles the double
axe. The cycle of Thesean exploits told how Damdstes* the
' Crusher,' otherwise styled Prokrotisiesi the ' Hammerer' or Pro-
serie 1874 xv. 27 ff. pi. 1, 17 Trajan ( = my fig. 529), 18 Hadrian ( = my fig. 530), 19
Hadrian (=my fig. 531), G. Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini Cairo 1901 p. 417 f. nos.
6334 pl- 33> 633? Domitian ; 6336 pi. 34 Trajan ; 6337, 6338 pi. 35, 6339 (axe only)
pi. 35 Hadrian; 6340 pl. 36, 6341 Antoninus Pius. W. Drexler in Roscher Lex. Myth.
iii. 442 follows J. de Rouge loc. cit. in identifying this Athena with the Egyptian Tefenet
(on whom see G. Roeder in Roscher Lex. Myth. iv. 156 ff.).
1 C. du Molinet Cabinet de la Bibliotheque de Ste Genevieve Paris 1692 p. 130 pl. 30,
i-—2 ( = my fig. 532), Montfaucon Antiquity Explained trans. D. Humphreys London
1721 ii. 237 pl. 53, 1, J. Matter Histoire critique du gnosticisme Paris 1828 iii pl. 7, 4.
2 Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 581 ff. Supra i. 467, 474 ff., 481 f., 492 ff.
3 Apollod. epit. 1. 4, Plout. v. Thes. 11, Hesych. s.v. Aa/j-aarris (sic). See C. Robert
in Hermes 1898 xxxiii. 149.
4 Diod. 4. 59 twp 5' eKaTToviov robs irodas irpoeKpovev, a<p' oinrep HpoKpotiffTrjs thvofxaaOrj.