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)

of the thunderbolt 777

were soon transformed into naturalistic flames issuing from the
floral (fig. 665)1 or quasi-floral calyx (fig. 741)-. The vases render
such flames in red, and it may be presumed that this variation on
the lotos was introduced by some painter with an eye to effective
colouring. It spread to other arts because of its obvious suitability.
After all, lightning-flashes are more like flames than flowers.

Secondly, the sepals of the calyx developed into wings. At first
the calyx itself was feathered. This might happen either to the
single calyx, as e.g. on the bronze reliefs of the chariot at Perugia3,
or to the double calyx, as e.g. on a red-figured kotyle signed by
the potter Hieron4. Later, a pair of wings was detached from the
calyx, as on many vase-paintings of the fifth century (figs. 10,
666)5. And ultimately a second pair of wings was added to
balance the first, as on the coins6 and vases of south Italy {supra
i- 337 fig- 269)7. There can be little doubt that the winged
thunderbolt, repeatedly mentioned or implied in Attic poetry8, was
originally modelled on the eagle, the recognised lightning-bird of
the Greeks9. Aischylos in an extant fragment of his Niobe makes
Zeus himself declare:

'Yea, Amphion's house
Will I burn down with eagles bearing fire10.'

1 Supra p. 733 fig- 665.

- From a red-figured kylix at Berlin (E. Gerhard Griechische und etruskische Trink-
schalendes koiiiglichen Museums zu Berlin Berlin 1843 p. 14 fF. pi. 8, 1 (interior: Selene),
p. 70 ff. pi. 10—11 (exterior: Gigantomachia, part of which = my fig. 741), Overbeck Gr.
Kunstmyth. Zeus p. 361 f. no. 14 Atlas pi. 4, 12 a, 12 b, Furtwangler Vasensamml.
Berlin ii. 589 ff. no. 2293) attributed to 'the Brygos painter' (J. D. Beazley Attic Red-
figured Vases in American Museums Cambridge Mass. 1918 p. 94, Hoppin Red-fig.
Vases i. 124 no. 19), who was at work during the first third of s. v B.C. Zeus, in chiton
and chlamys, steps on to his four-horse chariot and quits Olympos (pillar), escorted by
Herakles, with t?icot-costume, chiton, lion-skin, bow, etc., and by Athena, who already
spears Enkelados.

3 E. Petersen 'Bronzen von Perugia' in the Rom. Mitth. 1894 ix. 274 ff. fig. 3 and in
Ant. Denkm. ii. 2. 3 pi. 14, Brunn—Bruckmann Denim, der gr. und rotn. Sculpt.
pis. 588, 589 with text by A. Furtwangler, Reinach Rip. Reliefs iii. 102 no. 1. Date :
s. vi B.C.

4 Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases iii. 137 ff. no. E 140, R. Kekule in the Ann. d. Inst. 1872
xliv. 226 ff., Mon. d. Inst, ix pi. 43, Wien. Vorlegebl. A pi. 7, A. Baumeister in his
Denkm. iii. 1856 f. fig. 1958, J. D. Beazley Attic Red-figured Vases in American Museums
Cambridge Mass. 1918 p. 102, Hoppin Red-fig. Vases ii. 60 f. no. 13 fig. Date : first third
of x. v B.C.

5 Supra p. 24 fig. 10, p. 735 fig. 666 (with which cp. the stdmnos in the Louvre (G 370)
noted supra p. 735 n. 4).

6 P. Jacobsthal op. cit. p. 37 n. j. 7 Id. id.

8 Soph. O.C. 1460 f., Eur. suppl. 860, H.f. i^-] ff., Bacch. 90, Aristoph. av. 1714
with schol. ad loc, cp. Lucr. 6. 383, Verg. Aen. 5. 319 with Serv. ad loc, Val. Flacc. 6.
55 {., Claud, de raptu Proserpinae 2. 228 f. 9 Supra, p. 751 n. 2.

10 Aisch. Niob. frag. 160 Nauck- ap. Aristoph. av. 1247 f. with schol. ad loc.