DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0095
The Mountain-cults of Zeus 935
A. Taramelli in the Am. Journ. Arch. 1901 v. 434 held that it was the cult-centre of
Zeus 'Idcuos for the whole commune of Phaistos. But there is no real evidence to connect
it with Zeus at all.
The Idaean Cave of classical times has been identified beyond all doubt with the great
cavern 500 ft above the plateau of Nida {Tav"ldav), a fresh grassy level lying to the east
of the mountain-top. The actual summit of Ide {Psi/orititox 'TxprfKupeiTT}^), which attains
the height of 8060 ft, is occupied by a small Greek monastery of the Holy Cross (Timios
Stauros). Mr T. Fyfe, who spent a night on the summit, tells me (Jan. 9, 1923) that of
the monastery little now remains except the church. This has a western domed compart-
ment (13 ft 6 ins in diameter) with a narrow door leading to an oblong nave (11 ft 6 ins
long by 8 ft 3 ins broad) covered by an elliptical dome. Eastwards of this is the sanctuary,
entered by a semicircular arch and containing an aumbry opposite to a shallow recess
for a seat. At the extreme east end is a built-in altar-table. The whole is very roughly
constructed of rubble stone-work and is probably not very ancient, though the circular
Fig. 832.
western portion is said to be older than the remainder. About 3060 ft below the summit,
but still at an altitude of some 5000 ft, lies Nida. And the Cave in the western side of its
mountain-wall is used as a shelter both by shepherds and by travellers making the ascent
from Anogeia (T. A. B. Spratt Travels and Researches in Crete London 1865 i. 9, 19.
For Anogeia see supra i. 163m 1). In the summer of 1884 a shepherd named G. Pasparaki,
grubbing in the cavern with a stick, chanced to find fragments of terra-cotta lamps, a few
pieces of gold foil, and sundry small bronzes. These finds, being talked about, led to a
visit the same year from E. Fabricius ('Alterthiimer auf Kreta. II Die Idaische Zeusgrotte'
in the Ath. Mitth. 1885 x. 59—72 with plan and 9 figs., id. ' Zur Idaischen Zeusgrotte '
ib. p. 280 f.) and to a systematic exploration in 1885 by F. Halbherr and G. Aeraki under
the auspices of J. Hazzidakis and the Syllogos of Kandia (F. Halbherr ' Scavi e trovamenti
nell' antro di Zeus sul monte Ida in Creta ' in the Museo Italia?io di Antic hit a Classica 1888
ii. 689—768 with numerous figs., pis. 11 (two photographs, of which the second = my
fig. 832), 12 {a plan, b—d sections = my figs. 833—836), and an Atlas of 12 pis., P. Orsi
A. Taramelli in the Am. Journ. Arch. 1901 v. 434 held that it was the cult-centre of
Zeus 'Idcuos for the whole commune of Phaistos. But there is no real evidence to connect
it with Zeus at all.
The Idaean Cave of classical times has been identified beyond all doubt with the great
cavern 500 ft above the plateau of Nida {Tav"ldav), a fresh grassy level lying to the east
of the mountain-top. The actual summit of Ide {Psi/orititox 'TxprfKupeiTT}^), which attains
the height of 8060 ft, is occupied by a small Greek monastery of the Holy Cross (Timios
Stauros). Mr T. Fyfe, who spent a night on the summit, tells me (Jan. 9, 1923) that of
the monastery little now remains except the church. This has a western domed compart-
ment (13 ft 6 ins in diameter) with a narrow door leading to an oblong nave (11 ft 6 ins
long by 8 ft 3 ins broad) covered by an elliptical dome. Eastwards of this is the sanctuary,
entered by a semicircular arch and containing an aumbry opposite to a shallow recess
for a seat. At the extreme east end is a built-in altar-table. The whole is very roughly
constructed of rubble stone-work and is probably not very ancient, though the circular
Fig. 832.
western portion is said to be older than the remainder. About 3060 ft below the summit,
but still at an altitude of some 5000 ft, lies Nida. And the Cave in the western side of its
mountain-wall is used as a shelter both by shepherds and by travellers making the ascent
from Anogeia (T. A. B. Spratt Travels and Researches in Crete London 1865 i. 9, 19.
For Anogeia see supra i. 163m 1). In the summer of 1884 a shepherd named G. Pasparaki,
grubbing in the cavern with a stick, chanced to find fragments of terra-cotta lamps, a few
pieces of gold foil, and sundry small bronzes. These finds, being talked about, led to a
visit the same year from E. Fabricius ('Alterthiimer auf Kreta. II Die Idaische Zeusgrotte'
in the Ath. Mitth. 1885 x. 59—72 with plan and 9 figs., id. ' Zur Idaischen Zeusgrotte '
ib. p. 280 f.) and to a systematic exploration in 1885 by F. Halbherr and G. Aeraki under
the auspices of J. Hazzidakis and the Syllogos of Kandia (F. Halbherr ' Scavi e trovamenti
nell' antro di Zeus sul monte Ida in Creta ' in the Museo Italia?io di Antic hit a Classica 1888
ii. 689—768 with numerous figs., pis. 11 (two photographs, of which the second = my
fig. 832), 12 {a plan, b—d sections = my figs. 833—836), and an Atlas of 12 pis., P. Orsi