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)

624 Zeus as an ox; Zeus Olbios

times1—a total duration of nearly two thousand years. The theme

high moves swiftly towards the right; on its back sits a woman (there is a fastening hole
on each side of her waist) with both legs at one side, the knees very much bent... The
representation naturally recalls those dating from a later period, showing Europa on the
bull, especially that on the archaic metope from Selinus, with a beading on the upper
edge [supra p. 616 fig. 415]—our plaques have one also on the lower edge. On the small
glass plaques from Midea we have the first illustration of the Europa legend, an illustration
of the Mycenaean period' (Persson op. cit. pp. 36, 65 fig. 43, pi. 25, 1 (part of which = my
fig. 423: scale}) and pi. 26, 2). Persson's view was adopted by M. P. Nilsson The Mycenae®1

Fig- 4»3-

Origin of Greek Mythology Cambridge 1932 p. 33. But U. von Wilamowitz-

Moellendo^

Der Glaube der Hellenen Berlin 1931 p. 112 (' Bronzerelief' !) and A. Roes in the /"'"^
Hell. Stud. 1934 liv. 25 call for caution. If the plaques in question really rePre tfr£

should have anticipated (supra p. 615)—moves from left to right. But Europe, thc^ ^

Europe, this is by far the earliest trace of her myth on Greek soil, and the bull-

----------- _------1 --\ S A - *J1 ~ O " - J.

the likeliest, is not the only possible bull-rider. What of Artemis Tavpoiro^os v ^jjjpa
417 n. 7, 538 fig. 409, ii. 729 n. o, 955 n. o, 1214 (?))? Or, for that matter, what of

herself? • Wnttdtl*-

1 Roman wall-paintings and floor-mosaics of Europe are listed by Helbig Vr0 * g5,

Camp. p. 36ft". nos. 122—130, p. 454, Sogliano Pitt. mur. Camp. p. 22 f. n°s- n0S,

Reinach Rep. Peint. Gr. Rom. p. 11 no. 4, p. 12 nos. 1—3, p. 13 nos. 1—6, P- rjety

1—6. One painting and a couple of mosaics will serve to illustrate the range and va

of these later representations: . . jg,

(1) The finest of the wall-paintings was found in a house at Pompeii (Reg- lX'jjapleS

room /on the plan by A. Mau in the Bull. d. Inst. 1879 p. 22 pi.) and is now' &igg'lHpoS-

(A. Sogliano in the Guida del Mus. Napoli p. 303 no. 1296, G. Rodenwaldt D'e jjett%tH-

Won der fompejanischen Wandgemdlde Berlin 1909 p. 69 ff. fig. 11, Herrmann Mj'is

d. Malerei pi. 68 ( = my fig. 424) Text p. 89 f., L. Curtius Die Wandmalerci ^^fi e

Leipzig 1929 p. 289 f. pi. 4 (a good reproduction in colours), O. Elia Pitture ^\(-

mosaici nel Museo jVazionale di Napoli Roma 1932 p. 37 no. 47 fig. i^)- ed "n t'ie

draped in a violet himdtion with sea-green border, is seated, not to say enthron > ^

back of a splendid brown bull, which stands steady though his eye is turned sea n\\e\

he is already thinking of the perilous transit. The heroine's right hand raises nS) cp'

her left is laid on the bull's head and holds a red riband (?to twine about l«s 1 .^nisl1

Ov. met. 2. 867 f.). Of Europe's playmates, in wine-red, golden yellow, anc^_a jeta'1

blue, the first stoops to embrace the bull, the third has set down her pitche1^ tbe

which implies the proximity of a spring (supra p. 622 n. o fig. 422), as Pe 1 j^ou"'3'"'

squared structure on the right. The landscape background shows a woo e ^ col1""11

cleft by a ravine in which are seen a stately fir-tree (?) and before it a tall sac