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 Hyetios

563

the grove of Trophonios at Lebadeia1. And it was at his altar in
^rgos that Polyneikes' friends swore to capture Thebes or perish
111 the attempt2.

i. The Ox-driving of Zeus Hyetios at Didyma.

Alkiphron3 informed us that Attic villagers in time of drought
Presented Zeus Hyetios with a ram, or a he-goat, or it might be
a boar; failing these, a cake or even a pinch of incense would
Serve. But admittedly the most desirable victim for him was a bull.

This squares with a couple of inscriptions from Didyma near
^iletos, which describe one Theon, son of Theon, a personage of
lrnPortance, as ' driver of the ox to Zeus Hyetios^ The official in
^estion cannot have been prior to the first century B.C.5; but by
the help of other inscriptions from the district B. Haussoullier has
shown that the ceremony of 'ox-driving' at Didyma was an
lristitution of earlier date, and has made it probable that it was an
°ld 1-ite celebrated before a statue or altar of Zeus Hyetios in the
Precinct of Zeus Soter—a rite which had fallen into neglect and had
een restored subsequently at some date impossible to determine
ltri accuracy but hardly before the second century B.C.6

'hen b

the ■ ^enewed by Nikagoras and Lykaithos, who had also at the same time made up

j cnficiai arrears (so W. Dittenberger ad he).
a paus- 9- 39- 4 with Sir J. G. Frazer's n. ad he.
a ^j].?' 2" '9- 8. But see infra p. 566 n. 2.
4 fi lpm- eP"t. 3. 35 (quoted supra p. 319 n. 1).

first inscription was published by B. Haussoullier in
^ar's 18 a" ^' ^' l89' xx'" +2 and> with corrections, in the Melanges Henri Weil
a'aftO)crci npo0j;Ti;s Geufc] Oeowofs], drip.ov Aepiwc, ar^av-qipop-qaai, yvpva-

^PVyi&p V^®v> ">'v'^vaolapxv°ay Tartpiov, iraih'ovofX'T)0~as, x0PVy^i iraaGiv twv

J<"eil 'n ^taewtw> kut&pxvs (see A. Boeckh on the Carp, inscr. Gr. ii no. 2880 and H.

,a"us ^es- Gr. Ling. iv. 2212 C—D), jiorrybs irapa. Aia'Tenoc, dywvoOi\ri)s\
langes 'a . e^<7e^7)s- The second inscription was added by Haussoullier in the
^^Pai(Ti\a ,H11 ™e*l p. 148 Wpo(pT]T7)s I Q^uv Qeuvos to SevTepov, I aT£<pai>-q<popT}o~as,
^"PyytSw ^ ^as Tpiuv yvp.va\aluiv, iraiiovop-riaas, dyuvo\dtTT]ijas, x0PVyV°'a't tr<urC>v\
°^ "Theon ^n WT^5' KUTdp\xvs, /Soiryos irapa Afo 'Tiriov, | &vt\p ei/ire/S^ara-ros. Theon, son
taPidly f auspicious name), was the right man to run up the steps of office and pass

veichioussa )■ m the AM">tges Henri Weil p. 148 f., cp. an inscription from

S 221 ff. no" 'Shed ty W" R' ?at0n and J" L- MyreS the J°"rn- HelL Siud- 1896
tVe^ in 01 ' '3 ff. 7rpo0i;T7;5 I Qiuv Geuwos, | avr\P eiVe^s after a prophetes who

ii 6 I^uSS0);7'ad,7l0r,'3(96-85B.c.).

2858, m the flanges Hcnri Weil pp. 149—154 citing (1) Corp. inscr. Gr.

%^'^aKT0[}"[PiaiJ'^Korra, (2) Rev. Phihl. N. S. 1898 xxii. 128 no. 2853 bis, 9 f.

I \-r\o\, Zuarpdrov <ptd\n [p]ori[y)iai viK-qaavroi, (3) Hi. no. 2853 ter, 8 f.

36—2