DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0306
Zeus Meiltchios
1141
Kylon's mistake suggests that already in the seventh century the Diasia was
past its zenith. But popular rites die hard. Two hundred years later old-fashioned
folk still thought of the family feast and the public fair. Aristophanes makes
Strepsiades tell with gusto how once at the Diasia he roasted a haggis for his
kinsmen1, and how on a like occasion he spent an obol on a toy-cart for his
little son2. This is the last that we hear of the festival for more than half a
millennium. Then came Lucian with his marvellous talent for galvanizing the
past into a semblance of life. In the Ikaromenipftos Zeus asks 'why the Athenians
had dropped the Diasia all those years3.' In the Timon Hermes jogs the memory
of Zeus himself:
' What, Father ! Don't you know Timon—son of Echekratides, of Kollytos ?
Many's the time he's entertained us on perfect sacrifices, the wealthy parvenu of
the whole hecatombs, with whom we used to feast like lords at the Diasia4.'
In the Charidemos there is a reference to literary competitions at the same
festival5.
A stage more remote from the original facts was Eumathios Makrembolites,
the Byzantine novelist (second half of s. xii A.D.) who penned the Romance of
Hysmine and Hysminias. He laid its scene in the imaginary towns of Eurykomis
and Aulikomis and dealt largely with the circumstances of the Diasia. The hero,
Hysminias, wearing a bay-wreath, a long chiton, and sacred shoes6, went as
herald of Zeus from the former to the latter town, where he was received as a
god7 and entertained in the name of Zeus8, but proved himself to be very human
by falling in love with Hysmine the daughter of his host. She, however, was
betrothed to another ; and her parents, who had escorted the herald back to
Eurykomis, offered there at the altar of Zeus a sacrifice for the future happiness
of their daughter. Thereupon an eagle swooped down and carried off the sacri-
fice. The parents were much upset at this evil omen0. But some of the bystanders
took it to be a most auspicious sign10. And a friend of Hysminias pointed out to
him that he might be the eagle, and carry off the bride11—which he proceeded
to do. We need not trace at greater length his rather banal escapades and ad-
ventures. But we should note that the god, whom he served so unworthily, is
throughout spoken of as Zeus or Zeus Rdtrios12 or Zeus P/uliosn or Zeus Soterli
Mitth. 1879 iy- I7Ii :74> C. A. Hutton Greek Terracotta Statuettes London 1899 p. 3 f.)
or from that of Persephone at Tarentum (Sir A. J. Evans in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1886
vii. 24, W. H. D. Rouse op. cit. p. 301)), or even by a ham-shaped coin (so with the
curious coppers from the fountain at Nimes (L. de la Saussaye Numismatique de la Gaide
Narbonnaise Blois 1842 p. 159 pi. 20, 36, G. Long in Smith Diet. Geogr- ii. 414 f. fig.,
A. Boutkowski Dictionnaire Nunusmatique Leipzig 1884 ii. i. 1738 f. no. 2833 fig.,
E. Muret—M. A. Chabouillet Catalogue des mommies gaidoises de la Bibliotheque
Nalionale Paris 1889 p. 61 no. 2839, H. de la Tour Atlas de vionnaies gauloises Paris
1892 no. 2839 pi. 7, G. F. Hill A Handbook of Greek and Roman Corns London 1899
p. 3 f. fig. 2, Babelon Monn. gr. rom. i. 1. 675 f.)).
1 Aristoph. nub. 408 ff. 2 Id. ib. 861 ff.
3 Loukian. Icaromen. 24.
4 Loukian. Tim. 7. 3 Loukian. Charid. 1, cp. 3.
6 Eumath. 1. 1 f., 1. 7, 4. 3, 4. 24, 5. 3, 8. jo, 8. 13, cp. 8. 19, 8. 21.
7 Id. 1. 3 5e%o,«ai Trap avrols ovx ws Krjpv^, aW ihs debs.
8 Id. 1. 10 Aiatnwi /catpo?, KaTa.Tpvfirjirufj.ei' tcl Ataaia- o\oi yevwfxeda rrjs eoprrjs, o\oi
rfjs irav7)yvpews. Zeus rrapa ry Tpaire '^, /ecu Aid? rpdne^a, on /ecu 6 tcrjpvi; ovtos Aios : cp. 6. 2.
9 Id. 6. 10. 10 Id. 6. 11.
11 Id. 6. 13. 12 Id. 6. 10. 13 Id. 3. 9, 5. 18.
14 Id. 4. 2, 5. 15, 6. 2, 6. 15, cp. 1. 14.
1141
Kylon's mistake suggests that already in the seventh century the Diasia was
past its zenith. But popular rites die hard. Two hundred years later old-fashioned
folk still thought of the family feast and the public fair. Aristophanes makes
Strepsiades tell with gusto how once at the Diasia he roasted a haggis for his
kinsmen1, and how on a like occasion he spent an obol on a toy-cart for his
little son2. This is the last that we hear of the festival for more than half a
millennium. Then came Lucian with his marvellous talent for galvanizing the
past into a semblance of life. In the Ikaromenipftos Zeus asks 'why the Athenians
had dropped the Diasia all those years3.' In the Timon Hermes jogs the memory
of Zeus himself:
' What, Father ! Don't you know Timon—son of Echekratides, of Kollytos ?
Many's the time he's entertained us on perfect sacrifices, the wealthy parvenu of
the whole hecatombs, with whom we used to feast like lords at the Diasia4.'
In the Charidemos there is a reference to literary competitions at the same
festival5.
A stage more remote from the original facts was Eumathios Makrembolites,
the Byzantine novelist (second half of s. xii A.D.) who penned the Romance of
Hysmine and Hysminias. He laid its scene in the imaginary towns of Eurykomis
and Aulikomis and dealt largely with the circumstances of the Diasia. The hero,
Hysminias, wearing a bay-wreath, a long chiton, and sacred shoes6, went as
herald of Zeus from the former to the latter town, where he was received as a
god7 and entertained in the name of Zeus8, but proved himself to be very human
by falling in love with Hysmine the daughter of his host. She, however, was
betrothed to another ; and her parents, who had escorted the herald back to
Eurykomis, offered there at the altar of Zeus a sacrifice for the future happiness
of their daughter. Thereupon an eagle swooped down and carried off the sacri-
fice. The parents were much upset at this evil omen0. But some of the bystanders
took it to be a most auspicious sign10. And a friend of Hysminias pointed out to
him that he might be the eagle, and carry off the bride11—which he proceeded
to do. We need not trace at greater length his rather banal escapades and ad-
ventures. But we should note that the god, whom he served so unworthily, is
throughout spoken of as Zeus or Zeus Rdtrios12 or Zeus P/uliosn or Zeus Soterli
Mitth. 1879 iy- I7Ii :74> C. A. Hutton Greek Terracotta Statuettes London 1899 p. 3 f.)
or from that of Persephone at Tarentum (Sir A. J. Evans in the Journ. Hell. Stud. 1886
vii. 24, W. H. D. Rouse op. cit. p. 301)), or even by a ham-shaped coin (so with the
curious coppers from the fountain at Nimes (L. de la Saussaye Numismatique de la Gaide
Narbonnaise Blois 1842 p. 159 pi. 20, 36, G. Long in Smith Diet. Geogr- ii. 414 f. fig.,
A. Boutkowski Dictionnaire Nunusmatique Leipzig 1884 ii. i. 1738 f. no. 2833 fig.,
E. Muret—M. A. Chabouillet Catalogue des mommies gaidoises de la Bibliotheque
Nalionale Paris 1889 p. 61 no. 2839, H. de la Tour Atlas de vionnaies gauloises Paris
1892 no. 2839 pi. 7, G. F. Hill A Handbook of Greek and Roman Corns London 1899
p. 3 f. fig. 2, Babelon Monn. gr. rom. i. 1. 675 f.)).
1 Aristoph. nub. 408 ff. 2 Id. ib. 861 ff.
3 Loukian. Icaromen. 24.
4 Loukian. Tim. 7. 3 Loukian. Charid. 1, cp. 3.
6 Eumath. 1. 1 f., 1. 7, 4. 3, 4. 24, 5. 3, 8. jo, 8. 13, cp. 8. 19, 8. 21.
7 Id. 1. 3 5e%o,«ai Trap avrols ovx ws Krjpv^, aW ihs debs.
8 Id. 1. 10 Aiatnwi /catpo?, KaTa.Tpvfirjirufj.ei' tcl Ataaia- o\oi yevwfxeda rrjs eoprrjs, o\oi
rfjs irav7)yvpews. Zeus rrapa ry Tpaire '^, /ecu Aid? rpdne^a, on /ecu 6 tcrjpvi; ovtos Aios : cp. 6. 2.
9 Id. 6. 10. 10 Id. 6. 11.
11 Id. 6. 13. 12 Id. 6. 10. 13 Id. 3. 9, 5. 18.
14 Id. 4. 2, 5. 15, 6. 2, 6. 15, cp. 1. 14.