DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0920
838 Zeus Brontaios^ Bronton^ Brontesios
limestone altar, decked with the god's emblems (an eagle, two
bucrania, a garland, a vine-stem) and bearing an inscription ' to Zeus
Telesphdrosl is built into a fountain at the north-east end of the
village1. Moreover, a priest of Bronton and Hekate is known to
have consecrated a cave (speleum) to Mithras at Rome2. Hence
it is highly probable that the cult of the Phrygian cave-Zeus re-
sembled that of the Cretan cave-Zeus. As the mystics of Zeus
Idaios had themselves to make the thunders of nocturnal Zagreus
before attaining the sanctity of their god3, so in all likelihood the
devotees of Zeus Bronton by some mimesis of his thunder sought to
become partakers of his godhead. This assumes, no doubt, that the
Phrygians, like the Greeks4, recognised subterranean thunders. But
it will be remembered that in Orphic, and therefore Thraco-Phrygian,
story the infant Zagreus sat on a throne grasping the thunderbolt
of Zeus '. If Zeus was hypsibremetes6, Dionysos at least was Bromios1.
Bearing in mind, then, the Dionysiac and quasi-Orphic nature of
Zeus Bronton, we are better able to appreciate a votive relief in
the Villa Panfili(fig. 795) dedicated to him under the title of Iupiter
Sanctus J>rot/tonH. This monument, purely Greek in its design,
shows a youthful lyre-player seated on a rock-cut throne, against
the side of which appears a female panther. Before him stand tw o
women carrying a jug and a bowl respectively. Panther, jug, and
bowl betoken a Dionysiac company. The rock-cut throne recalls
the throne of Zeus in the Idaean Cave9. And it is reasonable to
surmise that the scene as a whole portrays the ritual enthronement
of a worshipper in the cave of Zeus Bronton. If it be urged that the
seated figure resembles Apollon rather than Dionysos, we might
reply that Dionysos from s. v B.C. onwards tends to become Apolline
and is sometimes equipped with the lyre10. But it would, I think, be
1 A. von Domaszewski in the Arch.-ep. Mitth. 1883 vii. 176 no. 22 (incomplete),
A. Korte toe. eit. 1900 xxv. 418 f. no. 31 EiuXkios 'Iaicu>\dov irepi avrov \ Kai twv eiSiiov \ At
Te\e<706pw I eux?}s X^Plv-
2 Corp. inscr. Lat. vi no. 733 (quoted supra p. 835 n. 6).
3 Supra i. 648 ff. 4 Supra p. 829.
5 Supra i. 398, 647. 0 Supra p. 830 n. 1.
7 I take Bpofitos to denote ' god of the roaring Thunder' (j3pe/juo, (3po/j.os, ^povrq < *j3po/n-
rd: see Prellwitz Etym. Worterb. d. Gr. Spr? p. 84, Boisacq Diet. etym. de la Langue
Gr. p. 132). Other views are noted by O. Jessen in Pauly—Wissqwa A'eal-Enc. iii. 888f.
8 Gerhard Ant. Bildw. p. 321 f. pi. 82, 1 (=myfig. 795) (a Bacchic Apollon engaged
in the Mysteries), G. Winckelmann Monumenti antichi inediti- Roma 1821 i. 63 f. pi. 50
(Orpheus in the Underworld, which is represented by a tiger-like Kerberos and two
Danaides (!)), Matz—Duhn Ant. Bildw. in Rom iii. 147 f. no. 3773 ('Iuppiter Bronton' with
two youthful female figures), Sir W. M. Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1882 iii. 123 f.
('Apollo Citharoedus...with a panther and two choephoroi'). The dedication is given
supra p. 835 n. 6.
9 Supra i. 646. 10 Supra p. 244 with n. 5.
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limestone altar, decked with the god's emblems (an eagle, two
bucrania, a garland, a vine-stem) and bearing an inscription ' to Zeus
Telesphdrosl is built into a fountain at the north-east end of the
village1. Moreover, a priest of Bronton and Hekate is known to
have consecrated a cave (speleum) to Mithras at Rome2. Hence
it is highly probable that the cult of the Phrygian cave-Zeus re-
sembled that of the Cretan cave-Zeus. As the mystics of Zeus
Idaios had themselves to make the thunders of nocturnal Zagreus
before attaining the sanctity of their god3, so in all likelihood the
devotees of Zeus Bronton by some mimesis of his thunder sought to
become partakers of his godhead. This assumes, no doubt, that the
Phrygians, like the Greeks4, recognised subterranean thunders. But
it will be remembered that in Orphic, and therefore Thraco-Phrygian,
story the infant Zagreus sat on a throne grasping the thunderbolt
of Zeus '. If Zeus was hypsibremetes6, Dionysos at least was Bromios1.
Bearing in mind, then, the Dionysiac and quasi-Orphic nature of
Zeus Bronton, we are better able to appreciate a votive relief in
the Villa Panfili(fig. 795) dedicated to him under the title of Iupiter
Sanctus J>rot/tonH. This monument, purely Greek in its design,
shows a youthful lyre-player seated on a rock-cut throne, against
the side of which appears a female panther. Before him stand tw o
women carrying a jug and a bowl respectively. Panther, jug, and
bowl betoken a Dionysiac company. The rock-cut throne recalls
the throne of Zeus in the Idaean Cave9. And it is reasonable to
surmise that the scene as a whole portrays the ritual enthronement
of a worshipper in the cave of Zeus Bronton. If it be urged that the
seated figure resembles Apollon rather than Dionysos, we might
reply that Dionysos from s. v B.C. onwards tends to become Apolline
and is sometimes equipped with the lyre10. But it would, I think, be
1 A. von Domaszewski in the Arch.-ep. Mitth. 1883 vii. 176 no. 22 (incomplete),
A. Korte toe. eit. 1900 xxv. 418 f. no. 31 EiuXkios 'Iaicu>\dov irepi avrov \ Kai twv eiSiiov \ At
Te\e<706pw I eux?}s X^Plv-
2 Corp. inscr. Lat. vi no. 733 (quoted supra p. 835 n. 6).
3 Supra i. 648 ff. 4 Supra p. 829.
5 Supra i. 398, 647. 0 Supra p. 830 n. 1.
7 I take Bpofitos to denote ' god of the roaring Thunder' (j3pe/juo, (3po/j.os, ^povrq < *j3po/n-
rd: see Prellwitz Etym. Worterb. d. Gr. Spr? p. 84, Boisacq Diet. etym. de la Langue
Gr. p. 132). Other views are noted by O. Jessen in Pauly—Wissqwa A'eal-Enc. iii. 888f.
8 Gerhard Ant. Bildw. p. 321 f. pi. 82, 1 (=myfig. 795) (a Bacchic Apollon engaged
in the Mysteries), G. Winckelmann Monumenti antichi inediti- Roma 1821 i. 63 f. pi. 50
(Orpheus in the Underworld, which is represented by a tiger-like Kerberos and two
Danaides (!)), Matz—Duhn Ant. Bildw. in Rom iii. 147 f. no. 3773 ('Iuppiter Bronton' with
two youthful female figures), Sir W. M. Ramsay in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1882 iii. 123 f.
('Apollo Citharoedus...with a panther and two choephoroi'). The dedication is given
supra p. 835 n. 6.
9 Supra i. 646. 10 Supra p. 244 with n. 5.
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