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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

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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14698#0391

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The relation of rain to Zeus 325

dependent on the account given by Cassius Dio (c. 210—222 A.D.),
0r—to speak more strictly—on an abridged version of it made by
the monk Ioannes Xiphilinos of Trapezous for the Byzantine
ei"nperor Michael vii Parapinakes (1071 —1078 A.D.). The epitome1
reads:

So Marcus subdued the Marcomani and the Iazyges after many hard
struggles and dangers. A great war against the people called the Quadi also fell
to his lot and it was his good fortune to win an unexpected victory, or rather it
was vouchsafed him by Heaven. For when the Romans were in peril in the
^°urse of the battle, the divine power saved them in a most unexpected manner.
e Quadi had surrounded them at a spot favourable for their purpose and the
°nians were fighting valiantly with their shields locked together; then the
aibarians ceased fighting, expecting to capture them easily as the result of the
eat and their thirst. So they posted guards all about and hemmed them in to
Prevent their getting water anywhere; for the barbarians were far superior in
numbers. The Romans, accordingly, were in a terrible plight from fatigue,
°unds, the heat of the sun, and thirst, and so could neither fight nor retreat, but
Wfire standing in the line and at their several posts, scorched by the heat, when
^Jddenly many clouds gathered and a mighty rain, not without divine interposi-
n> burst upon them. Indeed, there is a story to the effect that Arnuphis, an
£vptian magician, who was a companion of Marcus, had invoked by means of
antments various deities and in particular Mercury, the god of the air, and
y tllls means attracted the rain-.
*he 'S W^at says a,30ut matter, but he is apparently in error,
was lntent'ona"y or otherwise ; and yet I am inclined to believe his error
divi • C^ mtentional. It surely must be so, for he was not ignorant of the
ind S1°n °f soldiers tnat bore the special name of the "Thundering" Legion,—
e he mentions it in the list along with the others3,—a title which was given

2 Q.'0n Cass- 7i. 8—10 trans. E. Cary.

tttTco ,1011 ^ass' 71- 8 ...vetpi] iroWb. e^aicpvtis avvibpap-e Kai verbs iro\vs ovk ctdeei
&\\0Vs J1 Kai 7°-P T°t- Xo-yos f'x« 'Appou0[V Tiva. p.ayov A.ly6rrrioy ovvqvto. t<J MdpKtp
cti g<> , Ttvas Saifiovas Kai Tov'l£.ppL7}v tov aipiov oti fxaXiffra fmyyavelais Tiaiv ewiKaXe'&affQaL

3 £VTS"' ™" °>fr>o* ewL<nrd<raaeai.

GTpaTt(o J ' 9 °fyai be to Tr\e"ov eKthv Kai ttws yap 00, Harts ouk ijyvbet rb rdyp.a rdv
^Vyly.ov ' \ T? KePavifofio'\oi' Iblws KaXovfxevov (if yap rep t&v \oiir£>v KaraKbytp Kai avrov
^Paui/nrt/, 07reP t-T.X. The reference is to 55. 23 Kai to SoiSeKarov rb if Ka7nra5oKla to
a triUnde f"' ?-Ut ne'tner Kepavvotpbpov, ' bearing a thunderbolt,' nor Kepavfofibkov, ' hurling
in Pauly^y'' 1S 3 correct rendering of the Latin epithet leg. XII fulminata (E. Ritterling
(Tfcer, lssowa Rtal-Enc. xii. 1710), which must mean either 'struck by a thunderbolt'
-at. vi. 1533, t0 ff.) or 'hurled like a thunderbolt, quick as a thunderbolt'

(ii LlnS- La

^fitl ^ '' ^ne latter interpretation, which is commonly assumed as correct (cp.

frtidiis 0 ' •' * leSlonem...vocitatam...fulmineam, anon, nohtia dtgmtatum t)i

full«meae 7/"/"-38' '4 'ed* °- Seeck Berol>ni 1876) praefectus legionis duodecimae
by St=>t. J£'lmi"ec<>^- C V•. fulminae codd. P. U.fiUminatae edd.)), is supported only
angust0 Bab 1 93 ff" S'C natum Nasamonii Tonantis | post ortus obitusque fulminatos|
M ith lhe nor 1 premit sePulcro with F. Vollmer's note ad he. The former is in accord
legion Was ^ usa8c °f fulminatus, and presupposes that on some definite occasion the
22 ff-' 33 ff ) eraUy StrUck hy Hghtning—a manifest token of divine favour (supra ii. 8 ff.,
 
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