Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 2,2): Zeus god of the dark sky (thunder and lightning): Appendixes and index (Cambridge, 1925)

898

Appendix B

Marathon1.
Boiotia

Mount Hypatos 2.
Thebes3.
Orchomenos*.
Mount Helikon6.
Mount Kithairon0.

which the ancients on account of its shape called the Chariot {supra p. 815 f.), but the
altar of Zeus "OfJ.(3pLos and 'Awy/Mos on some other eminence. Lightning over Parnes,
Brilettos, and Hymettos betokened a big storm ; over two of the three, a less serious
storm; over Parnes alone, fair weather (Theophr. de signis te>?ipest. 3. 6). Clouds over
the western side of Parnes and Phyle, with a north wind blowing, meant stormy weather
{id. ib. 3. 10).

1 Zeus "T7raros {supra p. 875 n. 1 no. (3)).

2 Zeus"T7raTos {supra p. 875 n. 1 no. (1)).

3 Zeus"Ti//«7Tos {supra p. 878 n. o no. (2)).

4 Zeus Ka.pai.bs {supra p. 874 n. 2).

5 Zeus 'EXikwvcos had an altar on Mt Helikon, near the spring Hippokrene, round
which the Muses danced (Hes. theog. 1 ff. with.schol. ad loc. 2 ev ry avrcS yap opei teal
Kprjvr) y]v ko.1 ficofios, 4 iv "E\lkG)vi be r}v b /3w/x6s, d>s eiprjTai, rod Aibs rov' 'EXlkuvLov). On the
north-eastern summit of Helikon {Zagora 1527111) now stands a little roofless chapel of
St Elias : it is surrounded by fir-trees, and its walls of small well-jointed polygonal stones
probably formed in antiquity theperibolos of the altar of Zeus (C. Bursian Geographie von
Griechenland Leipzig 1862 i. 239, H. N. Ulrichs Reisen undForschungen in Griechenland
Berlin 1863 ii. 99, Frazer Pausanias v. 158, Maybaum Der Zeuskult in Boeotien Doberan
1901 p. 7). See also supra i. 132.

6 Mt Kithairon was sacred to Zeus Kidaipd>vios (Paus. 9.2.46 be KiOaipcji' to bpos Aws
iepbv Kidaipwviov eo-Tiv. This sentence is out of place in its context. H. C. Schubart—-
E. C. Walz excised it as a gloss. C. L. Kayser in the Zeitschrift fur die Alterthumswissen-
schaft 1850 viii. 392 transposed it to stand before Kadbri be rod KidcupLovos k.t.X.).
Nominally every sixth year, but really at shorter intervals, the Plataeans held a festival
called AaibaXa p.iKpd. Going to an oak-wood near Alalkomenai they set out pieces of
boiled flesh, followed the crow that pounced on the flesh, felled the tree on which it
perched, and made of it a wooden image called a baibaXov. Every fifty-ninth year the
Plataeans joined with the Boeotians to celebrate the AaibaXa fieydXa. The various town-
ships drew lots for the fourteen wooden images provided by the AaibaXa fiiupd. Ap-
parently each township took its image to the river Asopos and placed it on a waggon along
with a bridesmaid. Again casting lots for order of precedence, they drove the waggons
from the river to the top of Kithairon. Here an altar had been built of blocks of wood
with brushwood piled on it. Each township then sacrificed a cow to Hera and a bull
to Zeus, and, filling these victims with wine and incense, burnt them along with the
images on the altar. The result was a huge column of flame visible at a great distance. The
local myth explained that Hera, enraged with Zeus, had once retired to Euboia, and that
Zeus, at the advice of Kithairon king of Plataiai, had made a wooden image and put it
wrapped up on a bullock-cart, giving out that he was taking to wife Plataia, daughter of
Asopos : Hera had flown to the spot, discovered the trickery, and made it up with Zeus
(Paus. 9. 3. 1—8). According to Plutarch, Hera had been in hiding on Mt Kithairon (not
in Euboia), and the stratagem was suggested to Zeus by Alalkomeneus the autochthon (not
by Kithairon) : together they cut down a fine oak, shaped it and decked it as a bride and
called it Aaib&Xri; the wedding chant was raised, the Tritonid nymphs brought water for
the bath, and Boiotia furnished flutes and the band of revellers. Hera with the women of
Plataiai in her train came down from Mt Kithairon in jealous anger, but laughed at the
ruse and was reconciled to Zeus (Plout. ap. Euseb. praep. ev. 3. 1. 6). Aristeides before