DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0843
Gradual elimination of the thunderbolt 763
The sceptre (for both painting and relief postulate a sceptre in the
god's left hand) as before symbolises outward sovereignty1. But a
new note is struck by the gesture betokening inward reflexion.
Henceforward omnipotence connotes omniscience, the Almighty
1 I would here call attention to a very remarkable gold sceptre from Tarentum,
formerly in the Castellani collection and now in the British Museum (F. H. Marshall
Brit. Mus. Cat. Jewellery p. 232 f. no. 2070 fig. 65. Length: o-52m). It consists of a
gold tube, covered by a network of gold wire with dots of dark blue or white enamel at
each point of contact. The tube ends below in a disk decorated with a flower of fourteen
petals, above in a Corinthian capital with leaves, volutes, and flowers all complete. Above
the abacus is a large quince of opaque, greenish glass, surrounded by eight oak-leaves
(F. H. Marshall, apparently misled by the foliage of the capital, takes them to be
acanthus-leaves) and surmounted by a small flower of four leaves in gold. Figs. 708
and 709 are from photographs by Mr R. B. Fleming.
This would seem to be the only ancient Greek sceptre in existence1 (A. Sorlin-Dorigny
in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. iv. 1115 knows of none). Tarentum in the time of
Dareios son of Hystaspes had its kings (Hdt. 3. 136 Aristophilides). But the forms
of the Corinthian capital point to a much later period, and F. H. Marshall loc. cit.
says '3rd cent. B.C. (?).' If, as seems probable, the surrounding leaves are really
meant for oak, closer identification may be attempted. They suggest that the sceptre
belonged originally to some king of Epeiros, who stood for the worship of the
Dodonaean Zeus. Now Alexander i of Epeiros, when he invaded Italy to assist the
Tarentines against the Lucanians, Bruttians, and Messapians, struck at Tarentum
between 334 and 330 B.C. certain exquisite gold stateres with obv. head of Zeus Naios
of Dodona wearing a wreath of oak, rev. AAESANAPOT TOTNEOIITOAEMOT thunder-
bolt and spear-head {Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Thessaly etc. p. 110 pi. 20, i ( = myfig. 710),
Head Coins of the Ancients p. 66 pi. 33, 11, P. Gardner Types of Gk. Coins p. 149 f. pi. 5,
37, M. P. Vlasto in the Journ. Intern. cTArch. Num. 1899 ii. 315 pi. IE', 16). And the
Tarentines, when Pyrrhos i of Epeiros had been called in to champion their cause against
Rome, issued c. 281 B.C. other gold stateres with obv. laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios to
left, or right, and monogram NIK, rev. TAPANTINON eagle on thunderbolt, usually with
symbol and magistrate's name (Head Coins of the Ancients p. 66 pi. 33, 12 and Hist.
num.'1 p. 58, Hunter Cat. Coins i. 68 no. 22 pi. 5, 6, M. P. Vlasto in the foum. Intern,
d?Arch. Num. 1899 331 ff- pi- IZ\ 1—15. My fig. 711 is from a specimen formerly be-
longing to W. R. Hamilton, of which there is an electrotype in the Leake collection,
Cambridge). It is permissible, therefore, to conjecture that the sceptre preserved in the
British Museum was a votive offering either of Alexander or, more' probably, of Pyrrhos
to some Tarentine deity, presumably Zeus Eleutherios (Hesych. s.v. 'HXevdepios Zeis'...
tu>v MtjScov inrpvyovres iSpvaavro tov '¥i\evdepiov Ata. tovtov 5e eVtot /cat 2u/t%>d <pa.cn.
n/xarat Se /cat iv Supa/cot/uats /cat irapa TapavTivois /cat iv nXaratats /cat iv Kapi'a 6 EXevdi-
ptos Zeus). Be that as it may, the quince or apple enclosed by the leaves is a frequent
decoration of sceptres (A. Sorlin-Dorigny loc. cit. p. 1116), which, at least in many cases,
are to be regarded as the conventionalised form of a branch with golden apples [supra i.
87 n. 6 and Folk-Lore 1906 xvii.. 158 ff.).
Fig. 710.
Fig. 71j.
The sceptre (for both painting and relief postulate a sceptre in the
god's left hand) as before symbolises outward sovereignty1. But a
new note is struck by the gesture betokening inward reflexion.
Henceforward omnipotence connotes omniscience, the Almighty
1 I would here call attention to a very remarkable gold sceptre from Tarentum,
formerly in the Castellani collection and now in the British Museum (F. H. Marshall
Brit. Mus. Cat. Jewellery p. 232 f. no. 2070 fig. 65. Length: o-52m). It consists of a
gold tube, covered by a network of gold wire with dots of dark blue or white enamel at
each point of contact. The tube ends below in a disk decorated with a flower of fourteen
petals, above in a Corinthian capital with leaves, volutes, and flowers all complete. Above
the abacus is a large quince of opaque, greenish glass, surrounded by eight oak-leaves
(F. H. Marshall, apparently misled by the foliage of the capital, takes them to be
acanthus-leaves) and surmounted by a small flower of four leaves in gold. Figs. 708
and 709 are from photographs by Mr R. B. Fleming.
This would seem to be the only ancient Greek sceptre in existence1 (A. Sorlin-Dorigny
in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. iv. 1115 knows of none). Tarentum in the time of
Dareios son of Hystaspes had its kings (Hdt. 3. 136 Aristophilides). But the forms
of the Corinthian capital point to a much later period, and F. H. Marshall loc. cit.
says '3rd cent. B.C. (?).' If, as seems probable, the surrounding leaves are really
meant for oak, closer identification may be attempted. They suggest that the sceptre
belonged originally to some king of Epeiros, who stood for the worship of the
Dodonaean Zeus. Now Alexander i of Epeiros, when he invaded Italy to assist the
Tarentines against the Lucanians, Bruttians, and Messapians, struck at Tarentum
between 334 and 330 B.C. certain exquisite gold stateres with obv. head of Zeus Naios
of Dodona wearing a wreath of oak, rev. AAESANAPOT TOTNEOIITOAEMOT thunder-
bolt and spear-head {Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Thessaly etc. p. 110 pi. 20, i ( = myfig. 710),
Head Coins of the Ancients p. 66 pi. 33, 11, P. Gardner Types of Gk. Coins p. 149 f. pi. 5,
37, M. P. Vlasto in the Journ. Intern. cTArch. Num. 1899 ii. 315 pi. IE', 16). And the
Tarentines, when Pyrrhos i of Epeiros had been called in to champion their cause against
Rome, issued c. 281 B.C. other gold stateres with obv. laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios to
left, or right, and monogram NIK, rev. TAPANTINON eagle on thunderbolt, usually with
symbol and magistrate's name (Head Coins of the Ancients p. 66 pi. 33, 12 and Hist.
num.'1 p. 58, Hunter Cat. Coins i. 68 no. 22 pi. 5, 6, M. P. Vlasto in the foum. Intern,
d?Arch. Num. 1899 331 ff- pi- IZ\ 1—15. My fig. 711 is from a specimen formerly be-
longing to W. R. Hamilton, of which there is an electrotype in the Leake collection,
Cambridge). It is permissible, therefore, to conjecture that the sceptre preserved in the
British Museum was a votive offering either of Alexander or, more' probably, of Pyrrhos
to some Tarentine deity, presumably Zeus Eleutherios (Hesych. s.v. 'HXevdepios Zeis'...
tu>v MtjScov inrpvyovres iSpvaavro tov '¥i\evdepiov Ata. tovtov 5e eVtot /cat 2u/t%>d <pa.cn.
n/xarat Se /cat iv Supa/cot/uats /cat irapa TapavTivois /cat iv nXaratats /cat iv Kapi'a 6 EXevdi-
ptos Zeus). Be that as it may, the quince or apple enclosed by the leaves is a frequent
decoration of sceptres (A. Sorlin-Dorigny loc. cit. p. 1116), which, at least in many cases,
are to be regarded as the conventionalised form of a branch with golden apples [supra i.
87 n. 6 and Folk-Lore 1906 xvii.. 158 ff.).
Fig. 710.
Fig. 71j.