DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0917
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Zeus Brontaios, Brontbn, Brontesios 835
Perhaps Syfitrophus, like Pythagoras1, had been 'purified with the
thunder-stone' and ' lying prone' in the appointed place had been
warned to erect this monument to Zeus Hypsistos Brontatos.
Another marble stele, found between Tchakyrdja and Hadji Paon,
represents in relief an altar, the sacrifice of a bull, and four worship-
pers. Below is the inscription : ' Meleagros and Theoxenos and
Menandros, the sons of Protomachos, (discharged) a vow to Zeus
Brontatos'2!
Thunder, says Sir William Ramsay, ' in early summer is ex-
ceedingly common on the Phrygian uplands3.' Hence one of the
chief cults of northern and eastern Phrygia was that of Zeus
Bronto7i, ' He that Thunders.' Scores of inscriptions from this4 and
adjoining districts5 make mention of him ; and his worship, thanks
to the traffic in Phrygian slaves, spread at a comparatively early
date to Rome6.
As to the character of this deity, apart from vague epithets such
1881 vi. 134 f. no. 3). The order of the words suggests that Bpovraiu) was added as an
afterthought.
1 Supra i. 646.
2 F. W. Hasluck in the Jotim. Hell. Stud. 1907 xxvii. 66 no. 12 NeXeaypos teal
Qeo^evos | /ecu ^Slevavdpos oi Upwro/xaxov | Ad Bpovraiioi euxfy.
3 Sir W. M. Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1882 iii. 124.
4 At and near Nakoleia (Sir W. M. Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1882 iii. 123 f.,
1884 v. 257 f.), Dorylaeion (id. ib. 1882 iii. 123, 1884 v. 255)!., id. in Studies in the
History and Art of the Eastern Provinces of the Roman Empire Aberdeen 1906 p. 276 f.
nos. 7, 10, 11, Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 3810, Add. no. 3817^, A. von Domaszewski in the
Arch.-ep. Mitth. 1883 vii. 174 ff. nos. 14, 16, 18, 29, 33, T. Preger in the Ath. Mitth.
1894 xix. 3iof. nos. 9—11. See further supra p. 280 n. 1), Prymnessos (Corp. inscr. Gr.
iii no. 3819), Kymak (ib. iii no. 3822), Kotiaeion (G. Perrot—E. Guillaume—J. Delbet
Exploration arche'ologique de la Galatie et de la Bithynie etc. Paris 1S72 i. 116 f. no. 77),
Kurtkbi (A. Korte in the Ath. Mitth. 1899 xxiv. 441 ff. nos. 35—37), Giinjarik (id. ib.
1899 xxiv. 443 f. no. 38), Inhissar (id. ib. 1899 xxiv. 446^ no. 44), Bunarbashi (id. ib.
1900 xxv. 409 f. no. 19), Giimbet (id. ib. 1900 xxv. 416f. no. 29), at and near Inonii (id.
ib. 1900 xxv. 41 7 f. nos. 27—30).
5 Bithynia (G. Mendel in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1900 xxiv. 411 no. 103 Essir-heui,
413 no. 106 Koujounloii), Galatia (Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 4135 Ogur or Ogut, Sir W. M.
Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1884 v. 258 Ankyra, J. G. C. Anderson ib. 1899 xix.
73 no. 24 Iki kilisse), Lykaonia (supra p. 817 Laodikeia Eatakekaumene).
6 Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 5931 = Inscr. Gr. Sic. It. no. 982 (Rome) Tvcuos KXavoios
"Eurvxys ded MeY<x\a; | BpovrSsvTi dwpov avedrjKev, Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 5933 = Inscr.
Gr. Sic. It. no. 983 (Rome) dew "EiTrrjKow [Bp]\oi>Twi>rt. A[. . ]'[..] Ileiawv ev[xvv], Corp.
inscr. Lat. vi no. 432 = Dessau Inscr. lat. sel. no. 3046 (Rome) Iovi Sancto Brontonti
Aur. Poplius<y, Corp. inscr. Lat. vino. 733 = Wilmanns Ex. inscr. Lat. no. i30 = Dessau
Inscr. Lat. sel. no. 4226 (Rome) deo Soli Invicto Mitrhe (sic) | Fl. Septimius Zosimus
v.p., I sacerdus dei Brontontis | et Aecate (sic), hoc speleum | constit.uit, Corp. inscr. Lat.
vi no. 2241 (Rome) L. Iulius L. f. Clau(dia tribu) | Pollitianus sacer(dos) [ dei Bron-
tontis I donum d. d.
The Roman Iupiter Tonans, a very different deity, was likewise represented in Greek
by Zeus Bpovrwv (Dion Cass. 54. 4) or Bpovrrjaios (res gestae divi Augusti 19 p. 22 f. Diehl
cited sup7-a p. 111 n. o, ib. 2 p. 38 f. Diehl).
53—2
Zeus Brontaios, Brontbn, Brontesios 835
Perhaps Syfitrophus, like Pythagoras1, had been 'purified with the
thunder-stone' and ' lying prone' in the appointed place had been
warned to erect this monument to Zeus Hypsistos Brontatos.
Another marble stele, found between Tchakyrdja and Hadji Paon,
represents in relief an altar, the sacrifice of a bull, and four worship-
pers. Below is the inscription : ' Meleagros and Theoxenos and
Menandros, the sons of Protomachos, (discharged) a vow to Zeus
Brontatos'2!
Thunder, says Sir William Ramsay, ' in early summer is ex-
ceedingly common on the Phrygian uplands3.' Hence one of the
chief cults of northern and eastern Phrygia was that of Zeus
Bronto7i, ' He that Thunders.' Scores of inscriptions from this4 and
adjoining districts5 make mention of him ; and his worship, thanks
to the traffic in Phrygian slaves, spread at a comparatively early
date to Rome6.
As to the character of this deity, apart from vague epithets such
1881 vi. 134 f. no. 3). The order of the words suggests that Bpovraiu) was added as an
afterthought.
1 Supra i. 646.
2 F. W. Hasluck in the Jotim. Hell. Stud. 1907 xxvii. 66 no. 12 NeXeaypos teal
Qeo^evos | /ecu ^Slevavdpos oi Upwro/xaxov | Ad Bpovraiioi euxfy.
3 Sir W. M. Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1882 iii. 124.
4 At and near Nakoleia (Sir W. M. Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1882 iii. 123 f.,
1884 v. 257 f.), Dorylaeion (id. ib. 1882 iii. 123, 1884 v. 255)!., id. in Studies in the
History and Art of the Eastern Provinces of the Roman Empire Aberdeen 1906 p. 276 f.
nos. 7, 10, 11, Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 3810, Add. no. 3817^, A. von Domaszewski in the
Arch.-ep. Mitth. 1883 vii. 174 ff. nos. 14, 16, 18, 29, 33, T. Preger in the Ath. Mitth.
1894 xix. 3iof. nos. 9—11. See further supra p. 280 n. 1), Prymnessos (Corp. inscr. Gr.
iii no. 3819), Kymak (ib. iii no. 3822), Kotiaeion (G. Perrot—E. Guillaume—J. Delbet
Exploration arche'ologique de la Galatie et de la Bithynie etc. Paris 1S72 i. 116 f. no. 77),
Kurtkbi (A. Korte in the Ath. Mitth. 1899 xxiv. 441 ff. nos. 35—37), Giinjarik (id. ib.
1899 xxiv. 443 f. no. 38), Inhissar (id. ib. 1899 xxiv. 446^ no. 44), Bunarbashi (id. ib.
1900 xxv. 409 f. no. 19), Giimbet (id. ib. 1900 xxv. 416f. no. 29), at and near Inonii (id.
ib. 1900 xxv. 41 7 f. nos. 27—30).
5 Bithynia (G. Mendel in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1900 xxiv. 411 no. 103 Essir-heui,
413 no. 106 Koujounloii), Galatia (Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 4135 Ogur or Ogut, Sir W. M.
Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1884 v. 258 Ankyra, J. G. C. Anderson ib. 1899 xix.
73 no. 24 Iki kilisse), Lykaonia (supra p. 817 Laodikeia Eatakekaumene).
6 Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 5931 = Inscr. Gr. Sic. It. no. 982 (Rome) Tvcuos KXavoios
"Eurvxys ded MeY<x\a; | BpovrSsvTi dwpov avedrjKev, Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 5933 = Inscr.
Gr. Sic. It. no. 983 (Rome) dew "EiTrrjKow [Bp]\oi>Twi>rt. A[. . ]'[..] Ileiawv ev[xvv], Corp.
inscr. Lat. vi no. 432 = Dessau Inscr. lat. sel. no. 3046 (Rome) Iovi Sancto Brontonti
Aur. Poplius<y, Corp. inscr. Lat. vino. 733 = Wilmanns Ex. inscr. Lat. no. i30 = Dessau
Inscr. Lat. sel. no. 4226 (Rome) deo Soli Invicto Mitrhe (sic) | Fl. Septimius Zosimus
v.p., I sacerdus dei Brontontis | et Aecate (sic), hoc speleum | constit.uit, Corp. inscr. Lat.
vi no. 2241 (Rome) L. Iulius L. f. Clau(dia tribu) | Pollitianus sacer(dos) [ dei Bron-
tontis I donum d. d.
The Roman Iupiter Tonans, a very different deity, was likewise represented in Greek
by Zeus Bpovrwv (Dion Cass. 54. 4) or Bpovrrjaios (res gestae divi Augusti 19 p. 22 f. Diehl
cited sup7-a p. 111 n. o, ib. 2 p. 38 f. Diehl).
53—2