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)

The Mountain-cults of Zeus 917

Tyndaris1.

(Thouk. 6. 71), or, if they did, disturbed none of the votive offerings and left the Syracusan
priest in charge of them (Paus. 10. 28. 6). That same winter the Syracusans put a garrison
in the Olympieion and erected a stockade on the sea-shore to prevent a possible landing
(Thouk. 6. 75). In the following year (4^4 B.C.) a third part of the Syracusan cavalry
was posted at Polichna to control the movements of the Athenians at Plemmyrion
(Thouk. 7. 4).

Again, in 396 B.C. Himilkon, on his expedition against Dionysios i, took up his
quarters in the temple and encamped his forces near by, at a distance of twelve stades
from the city (Diod. 14. 62 f.). But Dionysios captured Polichna by storm and in turn
pitched his camp at the sanctuary (Diod. 14. 72 and 74).

In 345 B.C. Hiketas tyrant of Leontinoi, in the course of his operations against
Dionysios ii, fortified the Olympion with a palisade (Diod. 16. 68).

In 309 B.C. Hamilkar son of Geskon, again with a view to attacking Syracuse, seized
tovs wepl to 'OXvfJ.Tnoi' tottovs (Diod. 20. 29).

In 214 B.C. the Romans, who under M. Claudius Marcellus were then besieging
Syracuse, likewise encamped ad Olympium—Iovis id templum est—mille et quingentos
passus ab urbe (Liv. 24. 33).

The Olympieion was, in fact, a constant centre of military activity. Hence, when we
read that Verres at Syracuse carried off ex aede Iovis religiosissimum simulacruiu Iovis
Imperatoris, quern Graeci Qtipwv nominant, pulcherrime factum (Cic. in Verr. 2. 4. 128,
supra p. 708), I am inclined to think that the masterpiece in question was a votive figure
in the temple of Zeus 'OAi//x7uos, whose position enabled him to control winds and wars
alike, rather than a cult-statue erected in some hypothetical temple believed to have stood
near the shore adjoining the emporion of Achradine (R. Koldewey—O. Puchstein op. cit.
i. 57)-

See further T. Fazellus de rebus Siculis Panormi 1558 p. 107 (dec. 1 lib. 4 cap. 1
' Templum hoc prostratum est hodie. Cuius iacentes plures, & erectse quaedam cernuntur
columnar, sed prseterea nihil'), V. Mirabella Dichiarazioui della pianta delP antiche
Siracuse, etc. Napoli 1613 p. 72 f. ('Di questo Tempio appariscono oggi no picciole
reliquie, sendovi anco in piede molte colonne scannellate di lavor dorico'), P. Cluverius
Sicilia antiqtia; etc. Lugduni Batavorum 1619 p. 179 ('Exstant hodieq; eius fani...vn
reliquae columnar praegrandes, cum aliis quadratorum saxorum fragmentis'), J. Houel
Voyage pittoresque des isles de Sicile, de Malte et de Lipari Paris 1785 iii. 95 f. pi. 192
(view of remains visible in 1770 : ' II y avoit alors plusieurs colonnes renversees par terre,
avec les chapiteaux : deux seules colonnes etoient encore debout; mais elles n'avoient plus
de chapiteaux'), Serradifalco op. cit. iv. 153 f. pis. 28 (view) and 29 (plan, elevation),
F. S. Cavallari—A. Holm Topografia archeologica di Siracusa Palermo 1883 pp. 24, 53!.,
104, 166 ff., 263^, 283, 327, 379 f., R. Koldewey—O. Puchstein op. cit. i. 58—60, 66—
68, ii pi. 8 (careful ground-plan), P. Orsi' L'Olympieion di Siracusa ' in the Mon. d. Line.
1903 xiii. 369—392 with figs. 1—6 and pi. 17 ( = my pi. xli), E. Ciaceri op. cit. p. 136 ft.

Another handsome temple of Zeus 'OXti/x7rtos was founded by Hieron ii in the Agora
of Achradine (Diod. 16. 83, Cic. in Verr. 2. 4. 119). The Gallic and Illyrian spoils pre-
sented to Hieron by the people of Rome (Plout. v. Marc. 8) were hung in this temple,
but were commandeered by the insurgents under Theodotos and Sosis in 214 B.C. (Liv.
24. 21). The central kerkis of the Syracusan theatre bears the name of Zeus '0\v[attios
{Inscr. Gr. Szc.It.no. 3, jAIOIOAYMP IOY ' litteris cubitalibus,' cp. M. Bieber
Die Denkmaler zum Theaterweseu im Alterttim Berlin—Leipzig 1920 pp. 49 ft, 86, 181)
in allusion to the god of Hieron's new temple (F. S. Cavallari—A. Holm op. cit. p. 287,
R. Koldewey—O. Puchstein op. cit. i. 57).

1 Coppers of Tyndaris struck c. 254—210 B.C. or later have sometimes obv. a female
head (Tyndaris) with stephdne or corn-ear (?) and veil, rev. TYNAAPITAN Zeus, half-
draped, standing to left, with a thunderbolt in his outstretched right hand and a trans-
verse sceptre in his left (F. von Duhn in the Zeitschr. f. Num. 1876 iii. 30 no. 7, cp.