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)

Ritual of the Dipolieia 581

Oxen assigned for the purpose1 were then driven round2, and the ox

One piece of evidence must be examined with special care. In the eastern frieze of
"le temple of Athena Nike (Lebas—Reinach Voyage Arch. p. 127 Archit. pi. 9, a, b
~ Reinach Rip. Reliefs \. 15 nos. 1, 2) the central group of assembled deities (fig. 406)
comprises, from left to right, Poseidon seated and Athena standing, balanced by Zeus
enthroned and, in front of his footstool, certain traces on the background of the relief.

• Sauer 'Das Gottergericht fiber Asia und Hellas' in Aus der Anomia Berlin 1890
P-96 ff., relying on a sketch by Gillieron, took these traces to represent a 'Zahltisch'
e that on the Dareios-vase (supra ii. 853 pi. xxxviii). Furtwangler Masterpieces of Gk.
Ipt. p. saw jjj thern; not a table for votes, but a table for wreaths to indicate the
Victory bestowed by Zeus 'EXeu^pios. 'It was,' he says, 'a sacred table, like that brazen
Peza which stood in front of Zeus Polieus on the Akropolis, and upon which the

At

Fig. 406.

Sacr'ficial

a tahie th X °^erec' at tne Bouphonia.' Now if the said traces were really those of
'egs, w'h ey mignt indeed have been identified as the table of Zeus IloXiei/s. But the two
exPlainec]ni'3'10to^raPne^ fr°m a casl' aPPear rather to be human and, if so, are better
Pi. i-_. ^ 0. Blumel Der Fries des Tempels der Athena Nike Berlin 1923 p. i2f.

ikropoliTZ (afa.'n cp- the Dareios-vase). L. Ross—Schaubert—C. Hansen Di

seated ze , which = my fig. 406) as those of a winged Nike standing before the

^39) p At^en n<ich den ncuesten Ausgrabungen I. Tempel der Nike Apteros Berlin
since suggested Ganymedes, and R. Forster in the Bull.
S°at"'egged' p^' 39f' a'U' in lhe Arch- Zcit- l874 xxxii. 102, with much less likelihood, a

^'-/JjJ jj.* abst- 2. 30 -roi's Kararqafibrnt /3oCj. P. Stengel in Pauly—Wissowa
. ^omnis 1056 translates (after J. Bernays) 'sattgeweidete Stiere,' full-fed oxen.
Wlesenen R,vj Feste J- Staiit Athcn p. 516 n. 2 with more reason prefers 'die zuge-
2 binder.'

^Presente<j of tne ceremony—a moment of tense anticipation—is, if I am not mistaken,
q1116 artist; f,\ a° AU'C VaSes of late °'ack-figured style, very probably the work of the
y Wd auJ.. "'"phora at Berlin (Furtwangler Vasensamml. Berlin i. 367 f. no. 1882,
'2J' ? and 8)' Y"se"b- iv- 8 P1- 242, 3 (=my fig. 407) and 4, Reinach Rip. Vases
°ws a rectangular altar, surrounded by four oxen, with an olive(?)-tree