DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0131
The Mountain-cults of Zeus
969
Nakoleia1.
Synnada2.
Upper valley of the Tembrogios or Tembrios3.
Galatia
Mount Agdos4.
1 Qe6s"T\pi(TT0s (supra p. 882 n. o no. (23)).
2 Infancy of Zeus on a Phrygian mountain (supra i. 151 f. fig. 120).
3 9eos"Ti/'i<rTos = Zeus Bewtos or Bevvetis (supra p. 883 n. o no. (23)).
4 The myth of Attis has two principal forms—a Lydian version, in which Attis is killed
by a boar, and a Phrygian version, in which he mutilates himself under a pine-tree. Since
the cult of the Great Mother came to Rome from Pessinous in Phrygia, the Phrygian he-
came the official version and gradually eclipsed its Lydian rival (H. Ilepding Attis seine
Mythen una1 sein Kult Gieszen 1903 p. 121 f.). The Pessinuntine tradition has been pre-
served for us by Paus. 7. 17. 10—12 and Arnob. adv. not. 5. 5—7. H. Hepding op. cit.
p. 37 ff. prints the texts in parallel columns and ib. p. 103 ff. discusses their relations and
respective sources. Pausanias professes to give the 'local story' (Paus. 7. 17. 10 e7ri%c6p-
Los...\6yos) ; Arnobius, to derive his information from Timotheos the theologian and other
equally learned persons, among whom he mentions the priest Valerius (Arnob. adv. nat. 5.
5 apud Timotheum, non ignobilem theologorum unum, nec non apud alios aeque doctos
super Magna deorum Matre superque sacris eius origo haec sita est, ex reconditis anti-
quitatum libris et ex intimis eruta, quemadmodum ipse scribit insinuatque, mysteriis, 5. 7
quam Valerius pontifex lam nomine fuisse conscribit). A. Kalkmann Pausanias der
Perieget Berlin 1886 p. 247 ff. showed that Pausanias and Arnobius are really dependent
on Alexandras Polyhistor, who in turn got his facts from Timotheos, Promathidas, etc.
(see Alex. Polyhist./ra^-. 47 (Frag. hist. Gr. iii. 233 Muller, cp. ib. p. 202) ap. Steph.
Byz. s.7j. TdWos), and that Arnobius, in addition to Polyhistor, used a Roman source,
probably the priest Valerius, thereby contaminating the Pessinuntine tradition of Agdistis
with current tales of the Mater Magna and Attis. Hepding summarises the resultant myth,
enclosing within square brackets points of divergence between Pausanias and Arnobius :
Zeus let fall seed on the ground [in his sleep (Paus.), when attempting to lie with the
Magna Mater who was asleep on the summit of Mt Agdos (Arnob.)]. In due time the
earth bore a wild bisexual being named Agdistis. [The gods, fearing him, cut off his male
organ of generation (Paus.). He, having irresistible strength and ferocity, did much mis-
chief, till Liber mingled strong wine with the spring at which he used to slake his thirst
and thus threw him into a deep sleep. Liber then took an ingenious noose made of
bristles and slipped one end round his foot (plantae. Hepding translates : ' an einem
Baum'), the other round his genitals. The monster, starting up from sleep, drew the
noose tight and so castrated himself (Arnob.).] The blood flowed fast, and from the
severed member sprang a fruit-tree, [an almond (Paus.), a pomegranate (malum...cum
po»;is...punicum) (Arnob.).] A daughter of the river Sangarios [Nana by name (Arnob.)]
picked the fruit and put it in her bosom. [The fruit immediately vanished (Paus.)] and she
conceived. [Thereupon her father kept her shut up and tried to starve her ; but the
Mother fed her on pomegranates (pomis) and other food of the gods (Arnob.).] So she
brought forth an infant son, who was exposed [by Sangarios' orders (Arnob.), but tended
by a he-goat (Paus.), or found by some one and nurtured on goat's milk (Arnob. : text
corrupt). He was called Attis because the Lydian word attis means 'scitulus' or because
the Phrygian attagus means 'hircus' (Arnob.)]. [As the boy grew up, his beauty was
more than human, and Agdistis loved him (Paus.). The Mother of the gods loved him for
his good looks. So did Agdistis, who ever at his side led him through the woods and pre-
sented him with spoils of the chase. Voung Attis at first boasted that he had won these
himself, but later, under the influence of wine, admitted that they were love-gifts from
Agdistis. Hence those that are polluted with wine may not enter his sanctuary (Arnob.).]
When Attis was fully grown, he went to Pessinous to wed the king's daughter, [being sent
thither by his kinsfolk (Paus.), or summoned by Midas king of Pessinous, who disapproved
969
Nakoleia1.
Synnada2.
Upper valley of the Tembrogios or Tembrios3.
Galatia
Mount Agdos4.
1 Qe6s"T\pi(TT0s (supra p. 882 n. o no. (23)).
2 Infancy of Zeus on a Phrygian mountain (supra i. 151 f. fig. 120).
3 9eos"Ti/'i<rTos = Zeus Bewtos or Bevvetis (supra p. 883 n. o no. (23)).
4 The myth of Attis has two principal forms—a Lydian version, in which Attis is killed
by a boar, and a Phrygian version, in which he mutilates himself under a pine-tree. Since
the cult of the Great Mother came to Rome from Pessinous in Phrygia, the Phrygian he-
came the official version and gradually eclipsed its Lydian rival (H. Ilepding Attis seine
Mythen una1 sein Kult Gieszen 1903 p. 121 f.). The Pessinuntine tradition has been pre-
served for us by Paus. 7. 17. 10—12 and Arnob. adv. not. 5. 5—7. H. Hepding op. cit.
p. 37 ff. prints the texts in parallel columns and ib. p. 103 ff. discusses their relations and
respective sources. Pausanias professes to give the 'local story' (Paus. 7. 17. 10 e7ri%c6p-
Los...\6yos) ; Arnobius, to derive his information from Timotheos the theologian and other
equally learned persons, among whom he mentions the priest Valerius (Arnob. adv. nat. 5.
5 apud Timotheum, non ignobilem theologorum unum, nec non apud alios aeque doctos
super Magna deorum Matre superque sacris eius origo haec sita est, ex reconditis anti-
quitatum libris et ex intimis eruta, quemadmodum ipse scribit insinuatque, mysteriis, 5. 7
quam Valerius pontifex lam nomine fuisse conscribit). A. Kalkmann Pausanias der
Perieget Berlin 1886 p. 247 ff. showed that Pausanias and Arnobius are really dependent
on Alexandras Polyhistor, who in turn got his facts from Timotheos, Promathidas, etc.
(see Alex. Polyhist./ra^-. 47 (Frag. hist. Gr. iii. 233 Muller, cp. ib. p. 202) ap. Steph.
Byz. s.7j. TdWos), and that Arnobius, in addition to Polyhistor, used a Roman source,
probably the priest Valerius, thereby contaminating the Pessinuntine tradition of Agdistis
with current tales of the Mater Magna and Attis. Hepding summarises the resultant myth,
enclosing within square brackets points of divergence between Pausanias and Arnobius :
Zeus let fall seed on the ground [in his sleep (Paus.), when attempting to lie with the
Magna Mater who was asleep on the summit of Mt Agdos (Arnob.)]. In due time the
earth bore a wild bisexual being named Agdistis. [The gods, fearing him, cut off his male
organ of generation (Paus.). He, having irresistible strength and ferocity, did much mis-
chief, till Liber mingled strong wine with the spring at which he used to slake his thirst
and thus threw him into a deep sleep. Liber then took an ingenious noose made of
bristles and slipped one end round his foot (plantae. Hepding translates : ' an einem
Baum'), the other round his genitals. The monster, starting up from sleep, drew the
noose tight and so castrated himself (Arnob.).] The blood flowed fast, and from the
severed member sprang a fruit-tree, [an almond (Paus.), a pomegranate (malum...cum
po»;is...punicum) (Arnob.).] A daughter of the river Sangarios [Nana by name (Arnob.)]
picked the fruit and put it in her bosom. [The fruit immediately vanished (Paus.)] and she
conceived. [Thereupon her father kept her shut up and tried to starve her ; but the
Mother fed her on pomegranates (pomis) and other food of the gods (Arnob.).] So she
brought forth an infant son, who was exposed [by Sangarios' orders (Arnob.), but tended
by a he-goat (Paus.), or found by some one and nurtured on goat's milk (Arnob. : text
corrupt). He was called Attis because the Lydian word attis means 'scitulus' or because
the Phrygian attagus means 'hircus' (Arnob.)]. [As the boy grew up, his beauty was
more than human, and Agdistis loved him (Paus.). The Mother of the gods loved him for
his good looks. So did Agdistis, who ever at his side led him through the woods and pre-
sented him with spoils of the chase. Voung Attis at first boasted that he had won these
himself, but later, under the influence of wine, admitted that they were love-gifts from
Agdistis. Hence those that are polluted with wine may not enter his sanctuary (Arnob.).]
When Attis was fully grown, he went to Pessinous to wed the king's daughter, [being sent
thither by his kinsfolk (Paus.), or summoned by Midas king of Pessinous, who disapproved