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)

6o2

Purpose of the Dipolieia

O. Jahn1, C. Robert2, and G. F. Schoemann3 infer from the
proximity of this monument that by means of the Dipolieia men
sought to propitiate Zeus as the god who sent rain and dew with
their attendant fertility.

But more certain indications may be drawn from the date of the
festival. It was celebrated during the very hottest days of the year4
at a season when, according to modern meteorological observations,
the dewfall is at its minimum5. In this respect it resembled the
Arrhephoria or 'Dew-bearing,' which appears to have been a
ceremony intended to fertilise Mother Earth6. The same intention
undoubtedly accounts for the Skirophoria7, which took place on the
twelfth of Skirophorion8, two days before the Dipolieia9, and on the
calendar-frieze of the Panagia Gorgoepekoos {supra figs. 410, 410 iS
represented by a young man holding a couple of corn-ears10. T°
judge from these data, it would seem that the Dipolieia probably
aimed at enabling the Sky-father to impregnate the Earth-mother
aright by ensuring an adequate dewfall and rainfall at a critical
time of year.

That we are on the right track in adopting this explanation W$
appear from a further consideration of the personnel and ritual of
the feast. Those that took an active part in it belonged, as we have
seen11, to the Kerykes of Eleusis. The Kerykes of Eleusis claimed
that Keryx the founder of their clan was a son of Hermes by

1 O. Jahn in the Nuov. Mem. d. Inst. 1865 ii. 7 f.

2 C. Robert in the Go//, gel. Anz. 1899 clxi. 526.

3 G. F. Schoemann Griechische Al/er/hiimer* Berlin 1902 ii. 528.

4 Supra p. 588. 6 Supra p. 241 n. 3. 0 Supra p. 165 ff- b]e

7 Was the use of the Aids k&Siov at the Skirophoria (supra i. 423 n. 1) com|3a"Jion
with the Palestinian use of fleeces spread to catch dew (supra p. 500 n. 1) ? 1'ne 1ueS '

is easier to ask than to answer. .,

8 Mommsen Fes/e d. S/ad/ Athen p. 504 ff., ±. Cahen in Daremberg—SagH° ^
An/, iv. i36if., F. Pfister in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. iii a. 530 ft"., L. Deu°
At/ische Fes/e Berlin 1932 p. 40 ff. ^

9 The belief of A. Mommsen Griechische Heor/ologie Leipzig 1864 p. 445. M'/^Lp
S/ad/ A/hen p. 509 and O. Band De Diipoliorum sacro A/heniensium Halae Saxo ^
1873P. 14 that the Arrhephoria too was held shortly before the Dipolieia must not be ^
on Souid. s.v. Bou06na bis • topri} TraXata, (pa<riii ayetrffai nerd, ra iwarfipM [—*
Aristoph. nub. 985). For it is improbable that to. /ivtrr^pia alludes to the Arrhep ^
Almost equally improbable is the cj. of J. Toepffer At/ische Genealogie Berlin 1889 P'^
that we should emend /xerd. t4 fivar^pia into fiera fiwTijpltov. There is more to e ^,
for the suggestion of H. von Prott in the Rhein. A/us. 1897 lii. 187 n. 1 that -01
source is confusing the Dipolieia with the Diasia. See, however, supra p. 598 n- 3'. n jifl

10 Supra p. 588 n. 2, especially L. Deubner op. ci/. p. 252/. 'Der SkiropboO ^
Schema des KiroaKoirtiuv. In der linken Hand scheint er zwei Ahren zu halten. ^ |st
Hand und Korper sind namlich zwei schmale Stege sichtbar. Rechts von der W

eine Spitze angedeutet.' 11 Supra p. 585-