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 583

that [drew near the altar and1] tasted of the meal was slain. Minute
regulations were observed in connexion with its slaughter. Chosen
Vlrgins called Hydrophdroi or ' Water-carriers' brought water, with
which certain men whetted an axe and a knife. This done, another
rnan handed the axe. Another [, named the Bouphonos, used the
axe anda] struck the ox. Yet another slit the animal's throat3,
Presumably with the knife. After that, it was flayed. Its flesh was
distributed to all and tasted by all. Next they sewed up the skin,
stuffed it with hay, raised up the would-be ox, and yoked it to
a plough as though it were alive again and at work. [Meantime the
bouphonos, having struck the first blow, dropped his axe beside the
ahar, left it there and fled the country. The axe was at once tried
(Presumably in the Prytaneion4) and definitely acquitted5.] At the

ln the background. One of the oxen, seen against the black altar, is necessarily painted
!te. Two others, emerging to right and left, face outwards. A fourth, on the far side
° 'he altar, is by the law of early perspective" raised above it, though not completely so.
t) An oinochde at Munich (Jahn Vasensamml. Miinclien p. 366 f. no. 1335, G. Micali
al[la antichi popoli italiani Firenze 1832 iii. 173 no. 3, id. Monumenti per servire
an; Sy"ria degH antichi popoli italiani- Firenze 1833 Atlas pi. 98, 3 ( = my fig. 408)) has
s'Tial m°Sl 'dent'cal group, except that the white ox seen against the altar is on a slightly
er scale, while those to right and left of it are differently disposed. The same trick
Qf PersPective makes the feet of the furthest ox disappear behind the altar. We must not,
j]la°J^se' assume with Jahn that the first ox was merely painted on an oblong pedestal or

1 p6 'aSt OX was actually standing upon it.

Clr aus- r. 24. 4 0 /Sous dk, 5j> €s tt\v Bvaiav eroLfxaaavres <pvka<raovaiv, aTrrerat rQv
^esie"^™" ^°'T"" C7r' T0V jSw/tii". I should endorse the opinion of L. Deubner Attische
ijln k ln I932 p. 159 n. 4: 'Dabei wird weniger daran zu denken sein, dass man
Schm - f6"1 ''CSS (Prott' Rh. Mus. 52, 1897, 194), als an die ubliche Sauberung und
■Handl ^CS <->P^ert'eres- Der griechische Ausdruck iroLnafrw setzt eher eine positive

the r 'U-n^ voraus-' It is, however, possible that in Pausanias' day the finest ox was at

2 moment induced to come forward, apparently of its own accord.

A. HjJc]^ neatest mend of this defective passage (supra p. 577 n. 2) is certainly
'rnprov ^ 'nsert'on °f <^s tcnbat tov /3oCi>> after the word (Sov<p6vov. This was an
SuBgested°n ^ Sylburg's < ovros ^iri tov pupou rbv fiovv Krelvas> . Michaelis also

ft°Vd)6v Xi T°V ftufXQV. <.T0\JT0V 8k KTeivaS 6 T$ov(p6voS> (Ka\ou<tl 8k TLl'a tu>v ieptwv

t. 2o Tavr-0 k.t.X. All attempts to fill the lacuna must, of course, rely on Paus.

3Vor!h'^ap- 577 "■ 2)-
■^hrasyin a' a^st- -■ 30 6 0' eirara^e top fiodv, iXXos 5' (<r<pa&v. So in Od. 3. 447 ff.

"s 'hroat ( S StrU°k W^"") lhe ox for sacrifice with an axe, and Peisistratos then cut
up, etc \<r<fata>) and let the blood run out, so that it died; after which it was cut
4 / .

^arPokrSt0t +' Dem- c- Ar'stocr- 76> Aischin. c. C/es. 244, Poll. 8. 120,

Soui'd.'2' npxnaV(lf, Bekker anccd. i. 311, 15 f., Cr.imer anecd. Oxon. ii. 495*
^av°tin. i'e S V' ^ ^PVT<"'^V, Zonar. lex. s.v. tVi TlpvTavdip, et. mag. p. 362, 546%
Pailsanias -' P' 7'8' 43 ff" See mrther an interesting note by Sir J. G. Frazer in his
^ifeless Tv 37°"~372 and a couple of articles by W. W. Hyde 'The Prosecution of
I52^I7j »'oeS and Animals in Greek Law' in the Am. Tourn. Phil. 1917 xxxviii.
... *aus. 1 2 ,

es> ii si 4'. 4 (context supra p. 577 n. 2) ol St are tov avSpa. Ss {Spaae t6 (pyov ovk
"i"a>owi Tbv t(\eKvi>, 1. 28. 10 (context supra p. 577 n. 2) 6 8k TrkXexvs