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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#0629

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Zeus Ombrios

coins of Gaza struck by Hadrian (figs. 3741, 37S2) and again by
Faustina Iunior and Lucilla3, Septimius Severus4, Caracalla6>
Plautilla6, and Geta7 show the facade of a temple within which
stand two youthful deities, apparently Apollon with his bow con-
fronting the huntress Artemis. Fortunately for our understanding
of the scene, the Apolline figure is expressly named Mamas

(or

more often Mama), and Sir G. F. Hill8 has made out a strong case
for regarding this divine pair as Marnas, the young Cretan Zeus,
who—be it remembered—was himself a hunter9, with Britomartis>
a Cretan form of Artemis10. The pair bore names of kindred orl&,
and significance ; for if Marnas recalls the Cretan mama, ' virgin >
and denotes simply 'young man,' Brito-martis is said to have bee'1
a Cretan term for ' sweet maid12.' Consorts could hardly have been

Fig. 374- FiS-375'

better matched. Naturally, however, among a Semitic peop ^
name Marnas was re-interpreted as Mama, 'our Lord,' and te
to drop its final sibilant13.

incised in an archaic alphabet of Graeco-Phoenician character (see e.g. j-]ie of '''e

p. 4 § 4), and Professor S. Langdon has suggested to me that the second m
impression (fig. 373, c) contains in retrograde script the name Marnas (tH
But the first line, though perfectly legible, remains obscure (P *\-] H3 =stol(° .^.^j

1 F. De Saulcy Numismatique de la terre sainte Paris 1874 p. 216 P1, u'qo0Y
fig. 374), Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Palestine pp. lxxv ff., i46f. pi. 15, >°> S' A'j .+, 39'
Religion of Ancient Palestine in the light of Archaeology London 1930 p. l8° P ' A
- Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Palestine pp. lxxv n. 3, 146 f. pi. 15, M { = ™y fig' 3 ...
3 lb. p. 158 pi. 16, 6. * lb. p. 161 no. no. 6 lb- P- l6j n°',

*Ji. p. .165 no. 135- 7 a. P- i«HI[J'

8 G. F. Hill Some Palestinian Cults in the Graeco- Roman Age (extr. iw"0).phfP
ceedings of the British Academy v) London 1912 pp. 13—17, id. The Lift ^„e;nacb
Bishop of Gaza, by Mark the Deacon Oxford 1913 pp. 1—152 (noticed by
the Rev. Arch. 1913 ii. 317 f.).

s Supra i. 157 n. 3, 645, 652, 663 n. 1, ii. 522, 727. r,
10 Supra i. 542 n. 4. 11 Supra i. 149 1

12 iwjOro i. 542 n. 3, cp. 543 n. 1. xiv. i899'

13 The point is contested (K. Preisendanz in Pauly—Wissowa Real-tin■■■ l0„ici s
Sir G. F. Hill Some Palestinian Cults p. 16 f. concludes 'that the two del^^tU •
like Apollo and Artemis, in the temple at Gaza, are Marnas and his con»
 
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