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)

Zeus Errhos

261

who distilled the fructifying dew1, had as his consort Pandrosos the
earth-mother 'All-bedewed.' Lastly, Herse was for Alkman the very
daughter of Zeus2.

(c) Zeus Errhos, Ersaios, Ikmaios, Iktnios, Aphrios.

In view of the foregoing sections we are not surprised to find
that Zeus had sundry titles characterising him as the god of dew,
moisture, and the like.

It seems probable that Errhos, an obscure name for Zeus quoted
by Hesychios3 from some unknown source, meant simply the 'Dew.'
Zeus, as Plutarch4 put it, turned himself into dew. If so, his
aPpellation will be connected with those of the Athenian Errhephoroi5,
the Lesbian Ersop/ioros6, and the Attic Apollon Ersos1. Another

1 Even the honey-dew (supra p. 246) came from Zeus. When in summertime a cold
night was followed by a hot day, and consequently trees and plants were found to be
c°ated with a sweet exudation (Spoo-6p:e\i, aep6ne\i), Greek farmers exclaimed: 6 Zeds
^pefe fii\i (Galen, irepl Tpotpusv Swdp.eo)s 3. 39 (vi. 739 Kiihn)). Virgil says of Iupiter:
"tettague decussitfoliis (georg. t. 131). See further infra p. 498 ff.
Supra i. 732 n. 5, iii. I79f.

Hesych. "Eppos- 6 Zei/s. M. Schmidt is silent. J. Alberti, who records the guesses
Soping (cp. Hesych. 'Epvfi&s- Zci5s) and J. J. Reiske ('An HerusV), is not particu-
lar'y helpful.

Supra p. 180. 5 Supra p. 166. 6 Supra pp. 167 n. 10, 168.

About an hour's walk to the north-east of Vari (Anagyrous), some 29om above the
> near the top of one of Hymettos' southern spurs—a height known formerly as
psala but now as Spilaion—is a very remarkable cave, first thoroughly explored in
members of the American School at Athens. The best map of the neighbourhood
lr» E. Curtius and J. A. Kaupert Karten von Attika Berlin 1904 Blatt 8 (Vari) with
*<*tbyA. Milchhofer Berli n 1889 iii. i6f. The official reports of the excavation were
"shed by C. H. Weller in the Am. fourn. Arch. 1903 vii. 263—288 (description) with
1 iplan)%2y' ng- ^-(i pl- 2 (sections) = my figs. 17;, 176, and figs. 1—10, M. E. Dunham

9~"3°o (a score of inscriptions), Miss I. C. Thallon ib. 301—319 (marble reliefs)
(ter 3~9' Miss L- KinS ib- 327 (vases) with pl. 10 and figs. 1, 2, 328—334

3«uCOtt8S' W'th Pl* "' M'SS A" Baldwin ib- 335—337 (coins)» s- E- Bassett ib. 338—
Stott amps^ w'tn P's- 12—H an<i ngs. 1—5. The cave consists of an outer and an inner
lit and l'1£ *°rmer w'tn a sefies of interesting rock-carvings and -cuttings, the latter dimly
find containing a cold spring of water said to be ' KadapriKb.' The excavators failed to
tinuo^ny Prehistoric remains. The evidence pointed to two periods of more or less con-
the . 'resort, c. 600—c. 150 b.c. and c. 300—1:. 400 a.d. Inscriptions prove that during
Ap0;i lei\, period the cave was devoted to the worship of the Nymphs, Pan, Charis, and
for ri°^ ^rsos or Htrsos. Lamps etc. show that during the later period it was adapted
g**bn usage.

the s, are c°ncerned only with the shrine of Apollon, which is hewn out of the rock at
div>ded marked c on Ae plan (fig. 174). This shrine was arranged in two levels, each
k~shan i'U° l1*1^ bv a low partition. The floor of the upper niche has a couple of
lack such CaVlt'es 'for hbations or votive gifts? Cp. supra i. 140). The lower divisions
TWo j. receptacles, but may have had fitted into them a pair of similarly concave stones.
?erhaps 6 holes on the left of the upper level, with corresponding holes on the right,
>8 here "^^ty pillars supporting a roof as a protection against the drip of water, which
have keCOnSlant- Small fluted columns—two fragments were found—may or may not
een the pillars in question. Legible till lately was the rock-cut inscription