DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0267
Zeus Meilichios
1105
as consort of the latter1, had a separate precinct near by2, as had also on a larger
scale Asklepios3.
Zeus Meilichios was sometimes represented as a kingly figure enthroned. A
fourth-century relief of white stone, found near the Tsocha theatre in the Peiraieus
and now in the National Museum at Athens, shows him approached by three
devotees (fig. 942)4. Within an architectural framework the god is seated towards
the right on a throne, the arm of which is adorned with the usual sphinx and
ram's-head (?)5. Clad in a him&tion only, he holds a sceptre in one hand, ^phidle
in the other. Before him is a rectangular altar. From the right draws near a
simple family-group of man6, woman, and child, with gestures of greeting. Above,
on the architrave, is the dedication :
' Aristarche, to Zeus Meilichios'''.'
A second relief from the same find-spot adds more to our knowledge of the god
(fig. 943)8. As before, he is seen within a framework of architecture, which bears
the inscription :
'——toboule, to Zeus Milichios9?
As before, he is enthroned on the left with a phidle in his right hand10, while
a group of worshippers advances towards him from the right. But this time
he grasps a cornu copiae in his left hand, and they bring a pig to sacrifice at his
altar. Behind the altar stands a boy with something in a shallow basket: between
the man and woman is seen a grown girl supporting a deep basket on her head.
The cornu copiae, one of the rarer attributes of Zeus11, marks him as a sort of
Plouton, able to dispense abundance. The pig, again, though its bones strewed
the altar of Zeus Lykaios12, was an animal commonly sacrificed to Zeus in his
chthonian capacity—Zeus Bouleus at Mykonos13, Zeus Eicbouleus at Delos14.
1 Infra Append. N init.
2 Ch. D. Tsountas in the 'E</>. 'Apx- 1884 p. 169 line 44, W. Judeich op. cit. p. 383 n. 9.
3 W. Judeich op. cit. p. 388 n. 16.
4 Sta'is Marbres et Bronzes: Atkenes'2 p. 245 f. no. 1431, Svoronos Ath. National/nils.
p. 436 f. pi. 70, 4, P. Foucart in-the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1883 vii. 507 ff. pi. 18 (=my
fig. 942), Farnell Cztlts of Gk. States i. 117 pi. 2, a, Einzelaufnahmen no. 1246, 2 with
Text v. 21 by E. Ldwy, Harrison Proleg. Gk. Bel.2 p. 19 f. fig. 3, Reinach Re"p. Reliefs
ii. 363 no. 1. Height o-30m, breadth o-40m.
0 Supra i. 407 n. r.
6 Not the priest (Foucart loc. cit.), but the husband (Svoronos loc. cit.) or son (Lowy
loc. cit.) of the dedicant Aristarche. .
7 Corp. inscr. Att. ii. 3 no. 1579 'Apwrrapx^ Ait MeiAix^i. Rather: 'ApL(a)Tapxv k.t.X.
8 I. Ch. Dragatses in the 'E0. 'Apx- 1886 p. 49 f. no. 1, Farnell Cults of Gk. States
i. 117, A. Furtwangler in the Sitzungsber. d.kais. bayr. Akad. d. Wiss. Phil.-hist. Classe
1897 p. 408, Harrison Proleg. Gk. Bell1 p. 21 f. fig. 6. My illustration is from a photograph
kindly placed at my disposal by Miss Harrison. Height o'36m, breadth o-24m. Traces of
colouring subsist on Zeus and his horn (red, yellow), etc.
9 Corp. inscr. Att. ii. 3 no. 1579$—to(3ov\h] Att MtXixiw[t]. Miss Harrison loc. cit.
after Dragatses prints [KpLTo]l36\7] Ad MetAixiy. But this is inexact. The name of the de-
dicator should be longer, perhaps ['ApicrJ-ro/3ov\yj (F. Bechtel Die Attischen Frauennavien
Gottingen 1902 pp. 6, 9); and the name of the god has no e.
10 I. Ch. Dragatses loc. cit. says ttjv p,tv de^Lav iwi twv fx-qpCbv a.vairo.voi>T(x—another
inexactitude.
11 Supra i. 361, 501 f., 598 n. 1. 12 Supra i. 82.
13 Supra i. 668, 717 n. 3. 14 Supra i. 669 n. 2, 717 n. 3.
C. II. 70
1105
as consort of the latter1, had a separate precinct near by2, as had also on a larger
scale Asklepios3.
Zeus Meilichios was sometimes represented as a kingly figure enthroned. A
fourth-century relief of white stone, found near the Tsocha theatre in the Peiraieus
and now in the National Museum at Athens, shows him approached by three
devotees (fig. 942)4. Within an architectural framework the god is seated towards
the right on a throne, the arm of which is adorned with the usual sphinx and
ram's-head (?)5. Clad in a him&tion only, he holds a sceptre in one hand, ^phidle
in the other. Before him is a rectangular altar. From the right draws near a
simple family-group of man6, woman, and child, with gestures of greeting. Above,
on the architrave, is the dedication :
' Aristarche, to Zeus Meilichios'''.'
A second relief from the same find-spot adds more to our knowledge of the god
(fig. 943)8. As before, he is seen within a framework of architecture, which bears
the inscription :
'——toboule, to Zeus Milichios9?
As before, he is enthroned on the left with a phidle in his right hand10, while
a group of worshippers advances towards him from the right. But this time
he grasps a cornu copiae in his left hand, and they bring a pig to sacrifice at his
altar. Behind the altar stands a boy with something in a shallow basket: between
the man and woman is seen a grown girl supporting a deep basket on her head.
The cornu copiae, one of the rarer attributes of Zeus11, marks him as a sort of
Plouton, able to dispense abundance. The pig, again, though its bones strewed
the altar of Zeus Lykaios12, was an animal commonly sacrificed to Zeus in his
chthonian capacity—Zeus Bouleus at Mykonos13, Zeus Eicbouleus at Delos14.
1 Infra Append. N init.
2 Ch. D. Tsountas in the 'E</>. 'Apx- 1884 p. 169 line 44, W. Judeich op. cit. p. 383 n. 9.
3 W. Judeich op. cit. p. 388 n. 16.
4 Sta'is Marbres et Bronzes: Atkenes'2 p. 245 f. no. 1431, Svoronos Ath. National/nils.
p. 436 f. pi. 70, 4, P. Foucart in-the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1883 vii. 507 ff. pi. 18 (=my
fig. 942), Farnell Cztlts of Gk. States i. 117 pi. 2, a, Einzelaufnahmen no. 1246, 2 with
Text v. 21 by E. Ldwy, Harrison Proleg. Gk. Bel.2 p. 19 f. fig. 3, Reinach Re"p. Reliefs
ii. 363 no. 1. Height o-30m, breadth o-40m.
0 Supra i. 407 n. r.
6 Not the priest (Foucart loc. cit.), but the husband (Svoronos loc. cit.) or son (Lowy
loc. cit.) of the dedicant Aristarche. .
7 Corp. inscr. Att. ii. 3 no. 1579 'Apwrrapx^ Ait MeiAix^i. Rather: 'ApL(a)Tapxv k.t.X.
8 I. Ch. Dragatses in the 'E0. 'Apx- 1886 p. 49 f. no. 1, Farnell Cults of Gk. States
i. 117, A. Furtwangler in the Sitzungsber. d.kais. bayr. Akad. d. Wiss. Phil.-hist. Classe
1897 p. 408, Harrison Proleg. Gk. Bell1 p. 21 f. fig. 6. My illustration is from a photograph
kindly placed at my disposal by Miss Harrison. Height o'36m, breadth o-24m. Traces of
colouring subsist on Zeus and his horn (red, yellow), etc.
9 Corp. inscr. Att. ii. 3 no. 1579$—to(3ov\h] Att MtXixiw[t]. Miss Harrison loc. cit.
after Dragatses prints [KpLTo]l36\7] Ad MetAixiy. But this is inexact. The name of the de-
dicator should be longer, perhaps ['ApicrJ-ro/3ov\yj (F. Bechtel Die Attischen Frauennavien
Gottingen 1902 pp. 6, 9); and the name of the god has no e.
10 I. Ch. Dragatses loc. cit. says ttjv p,tv de^Lav iwi twv fx-qpCbv a.vairo.voi>T(x—another
inexactitude.
11 Supra i. 361, 501 f., 598 n. 1. 12 Supra i. 82.
13 Supra i. 668, 717 n. 3. 14 Supra i. 669 n. 2, 717 n. 3.
C. II. 70