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 981

Mount Kasion1.

Heliopolis (Ba'albek), has obv. head of Zeus, laureate, to right, rev. a temple with two
columns, from each of'which hangs a fillet, and two steps, on which is the inscription
XAAKI A6HN. Within the temple is a conical stone bound with a fillet (Brit. Mus.
Cat. Coins Galatia, etc. pp. liv, 279 no. 1 pi. 33, 10
( = my fig. 879), Head Hist, num.1 p. 655 (but
not ib.2 p. 783)). W. M. Leake Numismata
Hellenica London 1854 Asiatic Greece p. 41 had
assigned a similar specimen in his collection to
Chalkis (Kinnesrin) near Beroia (Aleppo). De
Visser De Gr. diis non ref. spec. hum. p. 41 f., 167
treats this conical stone as a primitive dya\/j.a of
Zeus. And he may well be right (supra i. 521 n. o), though it should be remembered that
Imhoof-Blumer Monn. gr. p. 222 f. l-eferred bronze coins with a like rev. and obv. dolphin
round trident (p. 222 no. 60) or head of Hera (p. 223 nos. 63 and 64) to Chalkis in Euboia
(so also Head Hist, num.* p. 360, Anson, Num. Gr. v. 19 nos. 133—135).

1 Mt Kasion (Djebel-el-Akrd) rises abruptly from the sea to a height of 5318 ft. The
ancients declared that from its summit the sun could be seen in the fourth watch of the
night (Plin. nat. hist. 5. 80, Solin. 36. 3, Mela 1. 61 (confuses with Mt Kasion in Egypt),
Mart. Cap. 680) or at second cock-crow (Amm. Marc. 22. 14. 4). According to Euhemeros
the mountain derived its name from a certain king Kasios, who had entertained Zeus
(Euhem. ap. Euseb. praep. ev. 2. 2. 61, Lact. div. inst. 1. 22 cited supra p. 588 n. ik
Sanchouniathon, as reported by Philon of Byblos, held that Aion and Protogonos had
descendants as mortal as themselves named Phos, Pyr, and Phlox, who discovered and
taught how to make fire from the friction of wood on wood. They in turn had gigantic
sons, who gave their names to the mountains that they occupied—Kassion, Libanos, Anti-
libanos, and Brathy (cp. Plin. nat. hist. 24. 102 herba Sabina, brathy appellata a Graecis,
duorum generum est, altera tamarici folio similis, altera cupresso; quare quidam Creticam
cupressum dixerunt). Hence sprang Samemroumos (O. Hbfer in Roscher Lex. Myth.
renders ' der hohe Herr des Himmels'), also called Hypsouranios, < and Ousoos (on whom
see Gruppe Cult. Myth, orient. Rel. i. 392) >, who were named after their mothers, the
women of that age being free to mingle with any whom they met (Philon Bybl. frag. 2
(Brag. hist. Gr. iii. 566 Muller) ap. Euseb. praep. ev. 1. 10. 9). Synkellos states that
Kasos and Belos, sons of Inachos, founded Antiocheia on the Orontes (Synkell. chron.
126 A (i. 237 Dindorf), cp. Io. Malal. chron. 2 p. 28 Dindorf). Stephanos of Byzantion
declares that Mt Kasion in Syria was colonised from Kasos, one of the Kyklades, which
was called after Kasos the father of Kleomachos (Steph. Byz. s.v. Kdcros, but cp. id. s.v.
~Ka.cri.ov where much the same is said of Mt Kasion in Egypt). The true derivation of the
name is still to seek : for modern conjectures see W. W. Baudissin Studien zur semitischen
Religionsgeschichte Leipzig 1878 ii. 238 f., Frau Adler in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. x.
2266 f.

Several myths attached to the mountain. Zeus pursued Typhon to Mt Kasion
(Apollod. 1. 6. 3 cited supra p. 448 n. 2). The inhabitants of the district, when locusts
devastated their crops, besought Zeus to send the Seleucides aves (Plin. nat. hist. 10. 75
Seleucides aves vocantur quarum adventum ab love precibus inpetrant Cash (so Hermolaus
Barbaras for casini edd. vett. casmi cod. F2. C. Mayhoff prints Caclmi) montis incolae
fruges eorum locustis vastantibus. nec unde veniant quove abeant compertum, numquam
conspectis nisi cum praesidio earum indigetur). The Antiochenes honoured Triptolemos
as a hero with a festival on Mt Kasion (Strab. 750). Some said that Kyparissos, a Cretan
boy of great beauty and purity, fled from Apollon or Zephyros to the river Orontes and
Mt Kasion, where he was changed into a cypress-tree (interp. Serv. in Verg. Aen. 3.
680).

In historical times we get repeated allusions to the cult of Zeus on this mountain.
When Seleukos i Nikator founded Seleukeia Pieria, he first on the twenty-third day of