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)

472 The myth of Danae and analogous myths

Simonides' verses are of course merely a poet's elaboration of
a mythical theme. But the Greek mind, even in the fifth century B.C.,
passed readily from myth to moral; and the tale of Danae, Hl<e
many another1, could on occasion be made the vehicle of serious
thought2. Later, it was not without its influence upon Christian
legends3.

1 For an instructive example see W. Stechow Apollo tind Daphne Leipzig—Berh'1
1932 pp. 1—76 with 34 pis. , 2 Supra p. 466 {.

3 A. Wirth Danae in christlichen Legenden Wien 1892, reviewed by C. Schmidt 1
the Gitt. gel. Anz. 1892 pp. 867—889 who agrees (p. 877) that the Danae-myth W?
influenced the legends of S. Irene and S. Barbara. Cp. Acta Sanctorum edd. Boll311 '
Antverpije 1680 Maius i. 721 F (Synaxarium ex Menologio jussu Basilii Itnpe>'®t<"'
collecto Mai. 5) 'Etipr}yrj,rj rod XpttrroO Ma/>rt;?, t)v dvydrrjp XlklvvIov BatrtXic/coi'' e!i^0P^°y
5^ VTrdpxovaa, aTreKXelcdi} irapa tov irarpbs aVTT)S iv wvpyip u^Xy, irwv ovco.,
SovKiSuv .St/co. Kal TpiOiv iv oS ediddxOy virb Oetov 'A77A0U to, iivoT-qpia. tov Qeov.
(When baptised by Timothy, a disciple of S. Paul, she broke up her idols and cast ^
down. Her father in anger bound her to a wild horse, which bit off his arm but did n_
hurt her. Etc.), ii. Antverpise 1680 Maius ii. 4F 'celebrata Constantinopoli, ^oe
Holweck A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St. Louis, Mo. 1924 p. 508 ('a Byza ^
martyr of the first century. According to a worthless legend she was instructed by an^e.
and baptized by S. Timothy; she converted her parents, for which reason she vva
headed by command of the Propraetor Ampelianus at Ephesus, under Domitian or I ^
Her relics were brought to Constantinople, where she once had three churches zn^^y.
highly venerated. She may be identical with the "Irene" of Lecce and Southern
The Greeks call her "Megalomartyr"....F[east] 5 May, full office in the Greek cln!rConte
N. Nilles Kalendarium manuale utriusque Ecclesiae Orientalis et Occidentalis '^14
1896 i. 152, 1881 ii. 413 n. o. S. Baring-Gould The Lives of the Saints Edinburg1
xv. 25 ff. Dec. 4 ('S. BARBARA, V.M. (a.d. 235)....Usuardus and Ado in their Vgjfa.
logies make S. Barbara a martyr in Tuscany; Metaphrastes says she suffered at xi ^e
Baronius, in the Roman Martyrology, sets her down as a martyr at Niconie ^oJ]llge-
authority is just as right as the other, for S. Barbara is a wholly mythical pel ^ aI,
There was once upon a time a very wealthy and noble Greek named ^'0SC°up jn a
idolater, who had a daughter so beautiful in face and form that he shut 'iel^e might
tower, very lofty and inaccessible, so that no man might see her, and that thus ^e
be kept out of mischief. According to one account, however, he allowed^ ie^ f^e''<
lessons of masters, of advanced age, or, no doubt, of disagreeable appearance. ^jth
before departing on a long journey, built her a bath at the basement of hei ■garbara
two windows high up in the wall. On his return he was indignant to find t a ^t
had insisted on the workmen making a third window. Taking these windows ^ j,e
she preached to him the mystery of the Trinity. Dioscorus was

furious; but, ^

attacked her with his sword, the rock opened and received her into its bos to
wards, directed by a wicked shepherd, her father found her and haled her by ha*
the chief magistrate, Marcian. When she refused to sacr ifice to the Sods'^ Julia0*'
her stripped and beaten, torn with iron combs, and hammered on the hea ^ \\n
a girl who pitied her, was arrested and treated in the same manner. ^a1^ round 1
the breasts of Barbara cut off, and gave orders that she should be led na B(s»*j*
town. But Christ, in answer to her prayer, came from heaven and clothe sVf0td-
finally gave sentence that Barbara and Juliana should be executed with l^e(j iike«',se^
reaching the destined place, her father cut off her head, and Juliana su ^arCjan 10 j
A flash of lightning fell and consumed Dioscorus, another flash reduce ^ grearrnS> * ^
smoking ash-heap. Accordingly S. Barbara is held to be the patroness 0 ^ by
is invoked against the lightning') with pi. of S. Barbara after the pa