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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

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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0832

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754 Gradual elimination of the thunderbolt

Installed in this unique position it was naturally copied and re-copied
by successive generations of artists. Indeed, with sundry slight
modifications (the sceptre held higher, the bolt resting in the lap,
the throne embellished, the footstool pushed forward) it lasted on

into imperial times, as may be seen, not only from countless coins
(e.g. fig. 692)1 and gems (e.g. fig. 695)'2, but also from numerous
extant marbles and bronzes3. The finest of the latter is a statuette
at New York (fig. 607)4, of which Miss G. M. A. Richter well says:

1 E.g. supra i. 44 fig. 13, 69 fig. 44, 90 fig. 62, 124 fig. 91 f., 781 fig. 566, ii. 16
figs. 3 — 6, etc. I add, on account of their handsome thrones, a couple of coppers issued
at Taouion (Tavium) in Galatia {Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Galatia, etc. p. 24 pi. 5, 2 ( = my
fig. 692) time of Titus to Septimius Severus, p. 27 pi. 5, 12 ( = my fig. 693) Caracalla, Head
Hist, num.'1 p. 749). Tavium (Boyuk Nefez Keui) was the chief town of the Galatian
tribe of the Trokmoi, oirov 6 tou Aids KoXoaads xa^K0^s Ka'L refievos avrou aavkov (Strab.
567) : see further J. R. S. Sterrett in the Papers ofthe American Schoolof Classical Studies
at Athens [883—1884 ii. 310 f. W. Wroth in the Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Galatia, etc.
p. xxiii f. regards the coins here given as figuring the colossal Zeus and suggests that the
bull was his victim. He further notes a dedication [Ai]i Tcaoviavw found at Ankyra
(A. von Domaszewski in the Ajrh.-ep. Mitth. 1885 ix. [i4f. no. 65), another I.o.m.
Taviano | pro salu. | imp. Anto|niniet M. | Aureli Caes. [ Gal[at]ae conjsistentes | muni-
cipio I posierunt at Napoca (Klausenlutrg) in Dacia (Corp. inscr. Lat. iii no. 860 with
Suppl. p. i38o = Orelli Inscr. Lat. sel. no. 1285 = Wilmanns Ex. inscr. Lat. no. 2449 -
Dessau Inscr. Lat. sel. no. 4082), and a third I. o. m. | Taviano [ et dis deabusque | pro
salute (et) victori[a] | domini n(ostri) sanctissi[m(i)] | Avianus Aug..lib. | subpro(curator)
auraria[r(um)] | v. s. a(nimo) [l(ibens)] at Apulum (Karlsburg) in Dacia (Corp. inscr.
Lat. iii. no. 1088 = Orelli Inscr. Lat. sel. no. 1284).

2 E.g. supra i. 42 fig. 12, ii. 318 fig. 200. I illustrate two Graeco-Roman gems of
normal and exceptional design. Fig. 694 is a burnt onyx in the British Museum, formerly
in the Mertens and Castellani collections (Brit. Mus. Cat. Gems p. 90 no. 377. Scale y),
a thoroughly commonplace specimen such as any Roman tradesman might have worn to
bring him luck (cp. Furtwangler Geschnitt. Steine Berlin p. 266 no. 7132 pi. 54).
Fig. 695 is a sapphirine chalcedony, which came to me from the Story-Maskeleyne collec-
tion (Sale Catalogue London 1921 p. 16 no. 85) and is here shown to the scale f : the
corn-ears and skyphos set beside the god's throne mark him as the dispenser of food and
drink (cp. Brit. Mus. Cat. Gems p. 90 no. 576, and supra i. 598 n. 2).

3 Overbeck Gr. Ktmstniyth. Zeus pp. 115—124 ('Erste Classe') nos. 1 —18. Other
bronzes are listed by Richter Cat. Bronzes New York p. riof.

4 Richter Cat. Bronzes New York p. itof. no. 200 fig., A. Furtwangler Neue Denk-
mciler antiker Kunst (extr. from the Sitzungsher. d. kais. bayr. Akad. d. Wiss. Phil.:hist.
Classe) Miinchen 1905 iii. 267 f. no. 6 pi. 6, Reinach Rip. Stat. iv. 8 no. 2. Height: 4-I ins.
I am indebted to Miss Richter for the photograph from which fig. 697 was made.
 
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