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)

916

Appendix B

Achilles; others, that it was the temple of Zeus 'OXv/xwios and had been accidentally
burnt (Paus. 2. 5. 5)—an ominous occurrence which deterred the Corinthians from joining
the expedition of Agesilaos against Artaxerxes Mnemon in 396 B.C. (Paus. 3. 9. 2). Of
the burnt temple, if I am not mistaken, sundry fragments still subsist. An archaic column-
drum and architrave-block of limestone, built into the wall of a late edifice some 500™ to
the north of the ' Old Temple,' are attributed by W. Dorpfeld to an ancient Doric fane
of even larger size. They resemble in dimensions (cp. W. M. Leake Travels in the Morea
London 1830 iii. 247 f.) the corresponding members of the temple of Zeus at Olympia.
Dorpfeld suggested that they came from the temple of Apollon mentioned by Paus. 2. 3. 6
(VV. Dorpfeld in the Ath. Mitth. t886 xi. 307 f.). But, thanks to the excavations of the
American School, we now know that this temple of Apollon is none other than the extant
'Old Temple' (R. B. Richardson in the Am. Journ. Arch. 1897 i. 464, 1900 iv. 225 b,
B. Powell ' The Temple of Apollo at Corinth ' id. 1905 ix. 51, 53). Accordingly I should
conjecture that the archaic drum and architrave really came from the temple of Zeus
OXvfxvLos on the left of the Sicyonian road, and that this was in fact the parent of the
Syracusan Olympieion. Further excavation will some day test the accuracy of my surmise.

Whatever its precise pedigree, the Syracusan sanctuary was held in high esteem. Here
were preserved the tribal lists of Syracuse (Plout. v. Nic. 14), and in the formula of the
civic oath Zeus 'OXv/attlos took precedence of all other deities except the venerable goddess
of hearth and home (/riser. Gr. Sie. It. no. 7 ii, 6 ff. in lettering later than the time of
Hieron ii bpKiov (3ovXas kcl[1 apxbvrwv (?)] | /cat tCov aXXwv [ttoXltoLv •] | 6/u.vvw rav 'lariav

tu>[v ZvpaKoaiwv /cat tot Z?)fa] | tot 'QXvfnriov /cat rav [............./cat tot] | Ilocret-

5\_q>va---]). Moreover, for some three hundred years the d/xcpLiroXos or priest of Zeus

'OXvp.vios was eponymous magistrate of the city (Diod. 16. 70 Kareffrrio-e de (sc. Timoleon
in 343 B.C.) /cat TTjV /car' eviavrbv evTL/mordrriv apxw, Vv afirpiiroXLav Atos 'OXvp-iriov ot
~Zvpa.Kovcn.oi KaXovai. /cat rjpeOi) irpdros dp-cpiiroXos Atos ' OXv/jlttlov TiaXXi/j.ev7]s, /cat to Xolttov
dLereXeaav ot ZvpaKovaLoi tovs eviavrovs eiriypd<povTes roirois rots apxovai V-ixP1 TQivbe twv
iffTOpiGiv ypacpoi-ievwv Kai ttjs Kara tt]v troXiTe'iav aXXayrji. tcot yap 'Pa>,uatcOT fxeTabbvrwv
rots ZiKeXiwrais rrjs 7roXtret'as (se. in 44 B.C.) 77 tG>v apLfpLiroXuv apxv eraireivthdri, oiafxeivaaa
er-q irXetai tG)v TpiaKOffiuv). Every year three candidates, chosen by vote from three clans
(ex tribas generibus, on which see E. Ciaceri op. cit. p. 136 n. 1), cast lots for the office
of priest—a rule of succession which was jealously guarded (Cic. in Verr. 2. 2. i26f.,
cp. 2. 4. 137).

Round the temple grew up a settlement known as TLoXlxva. or ' Small Town' (Thouk.
7. 4, Diod. 13. 7, 14. 72), which, never permanently fortified by the Syracusans, was
frequently occupied by forces attacking their city.

Hippokrates tyrant of Gela, after vanquishing the Syracusans in the battle on the
Heloros (493/2 B.C.), encamped in the sanctuary of Zeus. Having caught the priest and
certain Syracusans trying to carry off various votive offerings of gold and in particular the
golden himdtion of Zeus, he taxed them with sacrilege, bade them depart to the city, and
would not himself lay hands on the sacred objects (Diod. 10. 28). Others, however, state
that the golden himdtion, which weighed no less than 85 talents (Ail. var. hist. 1. 20),
was dedicated by Gelon or Hieron after the battle of Himera in 480 B.C. and carried off
by Dionysios i (405—367 B.C.), who left a woollen one in its stead with the caustic remark
that in summer it would be lighter and in winter warmer wear (Cic. de nat. deor. 3. 83
(where ad Peloponnesinu etc. is due to an obvious confusion), Val. Max. 1. 1. ext. 3, Lact.
div. inst. 2. 4). The jest is attributed sometimes to Dionysios ii (367—343 B.C.) (Clem.
Al. protr. 4. 52. 2 p. 40, 18 ff. Stahlin,-Arnob. adv. nat. 6. 21). If these tales are to be
trusted, it would seem that Zeus 'OXvpnrios at Syracuse had a golden himdtion long before
438 B.C., the year in which Pheidias began his chryselephantine Zeus at Olympia (supra
P- 757)-

The Athenians, when attacking Syracuse in 415 B.C., landed near the Olympieion and
encamped there (Thouk. 6. 64b). After the fight the Syracusans, though defeated, sent
men to guard the Olympieion, lest its treasures should be plundered by the Athenians
(Thouk. 6. 70). But the Athenians returned to Katane, and did not go to the sanctuary