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 sword of Zeus 715

father of the eponyms Idrieus1 and Mylasos2. Philon of Byblos
in his version of Sanchouniathon's history3 gives Chrysor as the
name of the Phoenician Hephaistos, whom he further identifies
with Zeus Meilichios\

With regard to this group of names some rather venturesome
views have been advanced by P. Carolidis5. He holds that Zeus
Chrysaoreus was the Hellenic form of the non-Hellenic Zeus Osogos,
whose appellative he connects with the Armenian vosghi or osghi,
' gold.' Chrysaoreus, originally Chrysdor, involves—we are told—
the suffix -vor (= -phoros), and this ' Golden' deity was the great
sun-god of Asia Minor later fused with the war-god of the Chalybes,
Zeus Strdtios.

It must, I suppose, be conceded that the names Chrysaoreus etc.
are Greek, at least in appearance. It is, however, an assumption
that Zeus Chrysaoreus was one with Zeus Osogoa (so his title should
be spelled6), and a further assumption that either of them was ever
called Zeus Strdtios. Again, it is obvious that the suffix -pJwros
cannot possibly enter into such forms as Chrysdor, Chrysaoreus.
I should rather conclude that Chrysaoreus, if Greek, meant 'He of
the Golden Sword,' the latter element in the compound being akin
to dor, 'a sword,' itself a word of doubtful origin but best related
to aeiro as ' a thing slung from, or attached to,' the wearer7. But,
since the Greek ehrysos, 1 gold,' was borrowed from the Semitic
hdrus8, it is likely enough that we have here to do with a Greek
attempt to extract sense from a Semitic (Phoenician?) name-—a
phenomenon already noted in other connexions9.

On the whole, it seems probable that the Carian Zeus Chry-
saoreiis or Chrysadrios would have been regarded by neighbouring

1 Steph. Byz. s.v. ~Eupuw6s. 2 Steph. Byz. s.v. 'NvXaaa. 3 Supra i. 191.

4 Philon Bybl.Jrag. 2 [Frag. hist. Gr. iii. 566 Muller) ap. Euseb. praep. ev. 1. 10. nf.
Xpivois 5e varepov ttoWols airb rrjs T^ovpaviov yeveds yevecrdat 'Aypea Kai AXiea, rovs
ay pas Kai akeias evperas, e| &>v KkrjQrjvai dypevrds Kai dXteis- e| ujv yeveadai 8vo dbeXcpovs,
aici-qpov evperas Kai rrjs toutov epyaaias' lou ddrepov rbv Xpucrcop \6yovs aaKfjaai. Kai e-rrwSas
Kai fxavTeias' elvai 5e rovrov tov "Hcpaiorov, evpetv Se Kai ayKiarpov Kai OeXeap Kai bpixiav
Kai c^e5£a^, irpCoTOv re ttclvtliw avdpunnov wXevcrai.' 810 Kai Cjs 6ebv atirbv fxera davarov
ecrefidaOrjaav • Kakeiadai Se ainbv Kai Aia MetXix'c. See further F. C. Movers Unter-
suchungcn iiber die Religion und die Gottheiten der Phonizier Bonn 1841 i. 658 f.

6 P. Carolidis Betnerkungen zu den alten kleinasialischen Sprachen und Mythen
Strassburg i. E. 1913 pp. 97-99-

6 Supra p. 580.

7 Prellwitz Etym. Worterb. d. Gr. Spr? pp. 8 f., 43, Boisacq Diet, e'tyrn. de la Langue
Gr. pp. 15 f., 66, Walde Lat. etym. Worterb? p. 255 s.v. ' ensis.'

8 H. Lewy Die semitischen Fre?ndwdrter im Griechischen Berlin 1895 p. 59f., Schrader
Reallex. p. 299, S. Feist Knitter Ausbreitung und Herkunft Indogermanen Berlin 1913
p. 207 f.

9 Supra i. 18 f., 25 with n. 2, alib.