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)

Gradual elimination of the thunderbolt 731

Apart from this exceptional case, it is certainly true to say that
throughout classical times Zeus becomes less and less the impetuous
thunderer, more and more the dignified ruler. He wields both the
thunderbolt and the sceptre ; but the former decreases, as the latter
increases, in relative importance.

This may be illustrated by a short sequence of vase-paintings
arranged in roughly chronological order. A ' Chalcidian ' hydria at

Fig. 663.

Munich, which can be dated c. 550 B.C., shows Zeus attacking
Typhon (fig. 663)1. The god with a mighty thunderbolt gripped by
his strong right hand is rushing against his foe in the attitude of
rapid movement dear to archaic art. A red-figured lekytlws at Paris,
attributed to Hermonax, a painter of the late archaic period, repre-
sents Zeus in pursuit of Semele(?) (fig. 664)2. Semele, if it be she,

and Knossos, ii. 723 n. o Hierapytna and Lyttos, etc.), and it would be easy to multiply
the number (e.g. (1) H. G. Lolling ' Symmachievertrag der Phoker und Booter' in the
Ath. Mitth. 1878 iii. 19 ff. line 14 ff. op/cos* | [dfivvoj r~\bv Ata rop. RaaiXea, /cat rijv "Hpav
rrjp. BacrtAeiae /cat Top. ILoaei [SHiva /cat r~\r\v '' Adr\vav /cat tovs aXXovs deovs Travras /cat 7racras.
(2) Michel op. cit. no. 440 A, itj ff. = Dittenberger Syll. inscr. Gr.2 no. 427, a 15 ff. (treaty
of iv B.C. between Praisos and Stelai in Crete) opvvoj A?jl[fa Aiktouov, IIoTjetStDea,
'Addvav, 'A-rroWuiua Hvdi[ov], | [/cat deovs ivavras] /cat Trdcras. (3) F. Halbherr in the Am.

Journ. Arch. 1897 i. 230 ff. no. 36, 19 ff. (treaty between Sybrita and Gortyna) [---At]a

or [T?7J']a Kprjrayevia /cat [---] | [---~\ai> k 'AweWuva IIi/[6?tof] or Hv[tiov---] |

[---'AJfafatai' UoXioxov [---] | [---] /cat 'Sv'pcpai's /cat t[---]).

1 Sieveking—Hackl Vasensamml.Miinchen i. 67ff. no. 596 fig. 77 pi. 24, Furtwangler—
Reichhold Gr. Vasenmalerei i. 161 ff. pis. 31 and 32 c ( = my fig. 663), E. Buschor Greek
Vase-painting trans. G. C. Richards London 1921 p. 75 ff. pi. 34 fig. 68. Zeus is inscribed

He wears a fillet on his head and a chlamys over his shoulders. Typhon, a mon-
strous figure with red hair and beard, has the ear of a horse, the wings of a bird, and two
snaky tails by way of legs. He wears a short yellow-white chiton.

2 De Ridder Cat. Vases de la Bibl. Nat. ii 362 no. 489, P. Milliet—A. Giraudon Vases
peints du Cabinet des Midailles &f Antiqties (Bibliotheque Nationale) Paris 1891 vie classe,
xie serie ii. pi. 76 (=my fig. 664), J. D. Beazley in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1914 xxxiv.
197 n. 15 no. 6, Hoppin Red-Jig. Vases ii. 33 no. 21.