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Cook, Arthur B.
Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 3,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (earthquake, clouds, wind, dew, rain, meteorits): Text and notes — Cambridge, 1940

DOI Seite / Zitierlink: 
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14698#0073

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Zeus and the Clouds in Literature 35

Similarly Apollon and Iris, when sent by Hera to Mount Ide, discover
Zeus seated on the summit of Gargaron1—

And ringed about him was a fragrant cloud2.

It was on the same mountain-top that Zeus, succumbing to the wiles
of Hera, promised privacy within a cloud:

Hera, fear not: nor god, nor man shall see it;
So thick the golden cloud that I will wrap
Around us, Helios himself could ne'er—
Though keen his radiance beyond all—espy us3.

And Zeus was as good as his word. The sequel tells how

o'er them spread a cloud magnificent
And golden: glittering dew-drops from it fell4.

Clearly cloudland is characteristic of the sky-god. Later poets
harp on the theme. Aischylos says simply 'the clouds of Zeus5.'
Pindar more suo mints fresh and ringing epithets for Zeus himself—
orsinepMs, 'he that causeth the clouds to rise6,' hypsinephes, 'he of
the towering clouds7,'poly nephe'las, 'the many-clouded' ruler of the
sky8. There is a would-be return to Homeric naivete'in the Birds of
Aristophanes, when the Chorus of songsters chant:

Then take us for Gods, as is proper and fit,

And Muses Prophetic ye'll have at your call

Spring, winter, and summer, and autumn and all.

And we won't run away from your worship, and sit

Up above in the clouds, very stately and grand,

Like Zeus in his tempers: but always at hand

Health and wealth we'll bestow, as the formula runs,

On yourselves, and your sons, and the sons of your sons9—

or when Prometheus, much in awe of his Aeschylean persecutor, asks
in a scared tone:

What's Zeus about?
Clearing the clouds off, or collecting them10?

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3—2
 
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