DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0769
694 The axes of Penelope
wards and became ruler of Italy. Then Zeus, quitting Assyria, followed Kronos, who
yielded to him the kingship of Italy. Having reigned for many years, Zeus died and was
buried in Crete. Ninos as king of Assyria was succeeded by Thouros, called also Ares.
The Assyrians changed his name to Baal or Bel, set up a statue of him, and worshipped
him. After the death of Zeus, Phaunos his son became king and took the name Hermes.
Aphrodite married Adonis son of Kinyras. Pikos, called also Zeus (Hikov tov Kal Ala), was
king of Assyria for thirty years and then, leaving the throne to his son Belos and to his
wife and sister Hera, followed his father Kronos, who being old and infirm abdicated in
his favour. So Pikos reigned in Italy for another sixty-two years. Belos his son was king
of Assyria for two years. Ninos, the uncle of Belos, reigned for fifty-two years. A descend-
ant of his was Zoroastres the famous astronomer, who prayed that he might be struck and
consumed by celestial fire, and bade the Persians venerate his bones on pain of losing their
empire (supra p. 35 f.)—a fate which they actually incurred. Ninos the brother of Zeus
was succeeded as king of Assyria by Thouros, to whom Zamis his father, the brother of
Rhea, gave the name of the planet Ares. This Ares slew the giant Kaukasos, who came
from the tribe of Iapheth (Japheth), and passing over into Thrace died and was buried there.
To him the Assyrians set up the first statue, worshipping him under the name of Baal.
After him Lamis became king of Assyria, and then Sardanapalos, who was slain by Perseus,
son of Zeus and Danae. He transferred the empire from the Assyrians to his namesake
Persians, over whom he ruled for fifty-three years'. It must be borne in mind that this
Pikos Zeus (Ulkos ovtos 6 Zevs) was the greatest deceiver, charlatan, trickster, and magician
of the whole human race. From his infancy to his old age—for he lived to be one hundred
and twenty—he indulged in all manner of abominable sins, seducing no fewer than seventy
fair maidens by means of mystic apparitions. For all that he persuaded men to regard him as
a god. Worse still, when he died and was buried in Crete, his relatives, in accordance with
his own behest, built him a temple and a tomb, on which they inscribed tvdabe Kelrai 8avcov
Wlkos 6 koX Zetfc.
This wild farrago, which implies the genealogy
Sem
Chous
I ,------
Nebrod Orion Kronos = Semiramis Rhea Zan
1---i---i n ;--; 1
Pikos Zeus = Hera Belos Ninos = Semiramis Rhea Aphros = Astynome Thouros Ares Baal
Phaunos Belos
Aphrodite
Zoroastres
and involves obvious inconsistencies (Belos is both son of Kronos and son of Zeus; he is
also distinguished from Baal or Bel), was taken over by Kedrenos or his immediate source
(K. Krumbacher Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur12 Miinchen 1897 p. 369) from
earlier chroniclers such as Georgios Monachos (s. ix) and Georgios Synkellos (s. viii).
Souidas (c. 950 a.d.) used a similar source s.v. II^/cos 6 Kal Zevs, citing the Cretan epitaph
as evdade Keuai daviov TlrjKOS 6 Kal Zeis (supra i. 158 n. 2)—an itacism which occurs also
in the narrative of Georg. Monachos chron. 1. 3 (i. 12 de Boor) e'xw Se yvvaiKa ^e/xlpa/juv,
TTjv Kal 'Fiav KaXovfiivqv irapa ' Aaavplois, £crxev Uc- Kpbvos) vlovs 8vo Kal dvyarepa fxlav, Kal
tov fu.ev Trpoar/ybpevcre Ala eis ovofia tov wXavrjTov dcTTepos, t6i> de eTru'vbfxacre ~Nlvov, Kal tt)v
9vyaTepa"Hpav, yjv Kal ZXafiev els yvvaiKa IlrjKOS (ttikos codd. G.H.R. et L.2 et sic deinceps
■kvkos hie cod. V.) 6 Kal Zeus rr)v iS'iav adeXcprjv, cp. ib. i. 8 (i. 14) Tlepaevs 6 vlos HrjKov tov
Kal Aids. Yet another spelling is found in Synkell. chron. 171 b (i. 322 f. Dindorf) 6Vt irpb
Mveiov a (pad UeiKov vibv Kpovov PaaiXevaai x^Pa? Aavptvrov \£'...pied' 8v Qavpov tov
vlbv ai/Tov TLeiKov tov Kal Aids 'irri fxb'. toutov de <paai Tives 'TUpp.iji', k.t.\. and ib. 237 c (i.
450) Tives fiovkovTai Kpovov TrpuiTov 'A\j3avbv KpaTrjaai tu>v /card tt\v eairipav tottccv. fied' 8v
cpaffi IleiKov vlbv ai/Tov, tov Kal Ala, (3acri\evaai' elra Qavvov Albs vibv, tov Kal "Epp.rjv • k.t.X.
Further, the Chronicon Paschale (early in s. vii) 36 a ff. (i. 64 ff. Dindorf) already has the
wards and became ruler of Italy. Then Zeus, quitting Assyria, followed Kronos, who
yielded to him the kingship of Italy. Having reigned for many years, Zeus died and was
buried in Crete. Ninos as king of Assyria was succeeded by Thouros, called also Ares.
The Assyrians changed his name to Baal or Bel, set up a statue of him, and worshipped
him. After the death of Zeus, Phaunos his son became king and took the name Hermes.
Aphrodite married Adonis son of Kinyras. Pikos, called also Zeus (Hikov tov Kal Ala), was
king of Assyria for thirty years and then, leaving the throne to his son Belos and to his
wife and sister Hera, followed his father Kronos, who being old and infirm abdicated in
his favour. So Pikos reigned in Italy for another sixty-two years. Belos his son was king
of Assyria for two years. Ninos, the uncle of Belos, reigned for fifty-two years. A descend-
ant of his was Zoroastres the famous astronomer, who prayed that he might be struck and
consumed by celestial fire, and bade the Persians venerate his bones on pain of losing their
empire (supra p. 35 f.)—a fate which they actually incurred. Ninos the brother of Zeus
was succeeded as king of Assyria by Thouros, to whom Zamis his father, the brother of
Rhea, gave the name of the planet Ares. This Ares slew the giant Kaukasos, who came
from the tribe of Iapheth (Japheth), and passing over into Thrace died and was buried there.
To him the Assyrians set up the first statue, worshipping him under the name of Baal.
After him Lamis became king of Assyria, and then Sardanapalos, who was slain by Perseus,
son of Zeus and Danae. He transferred the empire from the Assyrians to his namesake
Persians, over whom he ruled for fifty-three years'. It must be borne in mind that this
Pikos Zeus (Ulkos ovtos 6 Zevs) was the greatest deceiver, charlatan, trickster, and magician
of the whole human race. From his infancy to his old age—for he lived to be one hundred
and twenty—he indulged in all manner of abominable sins, seducing no fewer than seventy
fair maidens by means of mystic apparitions. For all that he persuaded men to regard him as
a god. Worse still, when he died and was buried in Crete, his relatives, in accordance with
his own behest, built him a temple and a tomb, on which they inscribed tvdabe Kelrai 8avcov
Wlkos 6 koX Zetfc.
This wild farrago, which implies the genealogy
Sem
Chous
I ,------
Nebrod Orion Kronos = Semiramis Rhea Zan
1---i---i n ;--; 1
Pikos Zeus = Hera Belos Ninos = Semiramis Rhea Aphros = Astynome Thouros Ares Baal
Phaunos Belos
Aphrodite
Zoroastres
and involves obvious inconsistencies (Belos is both son of Kronos and son of Zeus; he is
also distinguished from Baal or Bel), was taken over by Kedrenos or his immediate source
(K. Krumbacher Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur12 Miinchen 1897 p. 369) from
earlier chroniclers such as Georgios Monachos (s. ix) and Georgios Synkellos (s. viii).
Souidas (c. 950 a.d.) used a similar source s.v. II^/cos 6 Kal Zevs, citing the Cretan epitaph
as evdade Keuai daviov TlrjKOS 6 Kal Zeis (supra i. 158 n. 2)—an itacism which occurs also
in the narrative of Georg. Monachos chron. 1. 3 (i. 12 de Boor) e'xw Se yvvaiKa ^e/xlpa/juv,
TTjv Kal 'Fiav KaXovfiivqv irapa ' Aaavplois, £crxev Uc- Kpbvos) vlovs 8vo Kal dvyarepa fxlav, Kal
tov fu.ev Trpoar/ybpevcre Ala eis ovofia tov wXavrjTov dcTTepos, t6i> de eTru'vbfxacre ~Nlvov, Kal tt)v
9vyaTepa"Hpav, yjv Kal ZXafiev els yvvaiKa IlrjKOS (ttikos codd. G.H.R. et L.2 et sic deinceps
■kvkos hie cod. V.) 6 Kal Zeus rr)v iS'iav adeXcprjv, cp. ib. i. 8 (i. 14) Tlepaevs 6 vlos HrjKov tov
Kal Aids. Yet another spelling is found in Synkell. chron. 171 b (i. 322 f. Dindorf) 6Vt irpb
Mveiov a (pad UeiKov vibv Kpovov PaaiXevaai x^Pa? Aavptvrov \£'...pied' 8v Qavpov tov
vlbv ai/Tov TLeiKov tov Kal Aids 'irri fxb'. toutov de <paai Tives 'TUpp.iji', k.t.\. and ib. 237 c (i.
450) Tives fiovkovTai Kpovov TrpuiTov 'A\j3avbv KpaTrjaai tu>v /card tt\v eairipav tottccv. fied' 8v
cpaffi IleiKov vlbv ai/Tov, tov Kal Ala, (3acri\evaai' elra Qavvov Albs vibv, tov Kal "Epp.rjv • k.t.X.
Further, the Chronicon Paschale (early in s. vii) 36 a ff. (i. 64 ff. Dindorf) already has the