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)

Purpose of the Dipolieia

601

pressive feature, the bizarre ritual of the Bouphonia. I shall
approach the problem from a somewhat different angle, endeavour-
ing to keep in mind the probabilities and improbabilities of the
various contentions.

The statues of Zeus Polieils, if I am not mistaken, represented
him as a storm-god, at first with uplifted bolt and impetuous
advance, later with lowered weapon and in milder mood1. Close by
was the remarkable group of Ge beseeching Zeus to rain upon
her, ' either,' says Pausanias, ' because the Athenians themselves
needed rain, or because there was a drought all over Greece2.'

v°r dem Zorn des Tieres fliehen. Die Grundgedanken sind beidemal dieselben' (Schwenn
°P- cit. p. 108). The parallel is certainly striking, and Schwenn goes on to explain that
the setting up of its stuffed hide was an admirable means of propitiating the dead beast
("A cit. p. 109). He supposes that the tasting of the corn originally aimed at
strengthening of the creature's magic powers (p. nof.), that the communal feast enabled
the participants to absorb those powers into themselves (p. 109), and that the whole
Procedure was later attached, appropriately enough, to the cult of the sky-god Zeus
■ttoXieus (p. in). Schwenn, in fact, has put together a hypothesis which explains much.

the same time we should do well to note the judicious comment of Deubner op. cit.
P- 171: 'Er musste freilich zugeben, dass diese historische Stufe im Ritus des Zeusfestes,
das mit dem Ackerbau zu tun hat, nicht mehr sichtbar sei, und nahm daher an, das der

uphonienochse ursprtinglich ein Jagdtier gewesen sein miisse [Schwenn p. 109]. Auf

lesen schwachen Punkt der Beweisfuhrung hat denn auch Nilsson mit Recht hingewiesen
und die Erklarung Schwenns abgelehnt9 ("Deutsche Lit.-Zeit. 1928, 1748 f.).' I doubt
ether this 'weak point' is really fatal to Schwenn's hypothesis. The same difficulty

esets the earliest phase of the 'Minoan' bull-fights, which may likewise have originated

n the hunting stage of the community (supra i. 497).
. Supra p. 570 ff.

„ Paus. 1. 24. 3f. (supra ii. 21 n. 4). Not much is known concerning this group.
• Lenormant in the Ann. d. Inst. 1832 iv. 60—68, Man. d. Inst, i pi. 44, a, b, attempted
connect it with the statuette of a kneeling woman in Parian marble brought by Blouet
m°!v Mykonos and now in the Louvre (Reinach Rip. Stat. ii. 682 no. 2). H. Heydemann
Hermes 1870 iv. 380ff. (followed by Harrison Myth. Mon. Anc. Ath. p. 414 ff.) assumed
'rise •'1£re was a "alf-length statue of Ge emerging from the ground in front of the rock-cut
fet^riPtlon T^s Kaplwoipopov \ Kara na(i)v\Ttiav (Corp. inscr. Att. iii. 1 no. 166 ' Hadriani
op aetat' titulum adscribemus,' Michel Recueild'Inscr.gr. no. 754. Facsimile in Harrison
*xx"' ^ 'I* Supra ii. 21 n. 4, iii. 242). R. Fdrster in the Arch. Zeit. 1874

ren-' CP* t'le 'yPe °^ Gaia recumbent with hand uplifted in supplication on sarcophagi
Atl eSent'nS the rape of Kore (Overbeck Gr. Kunstmyth. Demeter—Kora pp. 590, 607 ff.
Qgj ^ E-Kuhnertin RoscherZejcMyth. i. 1581 says: 'Mirscheintalleinein Relief,

PP 601 ^6US ^er Erde entsteigend, moglich.' Furtwangler Masterpieces of Gk. Si ilpt.
of 47 r reverts to Heydemann's view of a half-length figure of the goddess rising out

of terr rocky U'ound. He cp. the impression of a seal on a little pyramid
6yg . ac°tta, which came from Athens to Berlin (Antiquarium, T. C. inv.
Uppe'randmay belong to/, iv or iii is.C. It shows (fig. 185 = my fig. 413) the
to fieav °^ a" uncIraPecl female form bending backwards and looking up
car c e" W'1^ raiseti hands and dishevelled hair: her body rises from 1

**r COVP A • .".."J .■■■!■»„ ■ 1 maniM " • — . w^.j

wheel v °Ut £rass> corn'or the like and drawn by an old-fashioned

c°Untr twanSler supposes that this singular vehicle was used for
a<3van Frocessions an(i supplications in time of drought, being a more

inalogue of the bronze car at Krannon (supra ii. 831 ff. figs. 788—792