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)

The birth of Athena in art

669

]

vase, which J. D. Beazley dubs ' the best of all little-master cups1,'
was found at Vulci in 1867, passed from the Durand into the
Blacas collection, and is now to be seen in the British Museum2. It
is signed by the maker Phrynos, one of the minor Athenian artists
at work in the middle of s. vi B.C.3 Zeus in a purple chiton and an
embroidered liimdtion is seated, facing to the right, on a decorated
throne. Its back ends in a swan's head, its legs are leonine, and
its arm is supported by four small Doric pillars. The god, as
J- Overbeck pointed out, has dark hair but a grey beard—an
indication of old age most unusual in the case of Zeus4. His long
locks are bound by a fillet. He raises both arms, brandishing a
lotiform bolt5 in his right hand and making the gesture of delivery6
with his left. Before him a male figure, clad in a short purple
chitdn and endromides, starts to make his escape, but looks back-
ward as he goes. He raises his right hand with open palm7 and
holds in his left the double axe, with which he has just cleft the
head of Zeus. From the cleft emerges the upper half of Athena, a
long-haired goddess wearing a purple chiton and armed with lance8
and shield.

The birth of Athena as here portrayed has, if I am not in error,
heen strongly influenced by the ritual of the Dipolieia9. Zeus with
"Plifted bolt is Zeus Polieus10. The axe-bearer with double axe,
short chiton, and endromides is the BontyposVL, who—armed with just
this weapon and clad in just this costume—struck the sacred ox
a"d then fled for his life12. This is indeed no mere starting back in
terror or surprise: other vase-paintings show Hephaistos running
off as fast as his legs will carry him13. And, if the Dipolieia was
celebrated to ensure an adequate dew-fall and rain-fall, it must not

, 1 Journ. Hell. Stud. 1932 lii. 199. See also O. S. Tonks in the Am. Journ. Arch.
CJ05 ix. 288 ff., Pfuhl Malerei u. Zeichnung d. Gr. i. 274, 320, supra ii. 788 n. o fig. 751.
" Brit- Mus. Cat. Vases ii. 223 no. B 424, Corp. vas. ant. Brit. Mus. in H. e pi. 13. »a
d32b with text p. 5 by A. H. Smith and F. N. Pryce.
t "J. H. Swindler Ancient Painting Yale Univ. Press 1929 p. 191 •
, *-*Verheck Gr. Kunstmxth. Zeus p. 29, supra i. 2 n. 2.
, S"Pra- ii. 769 ff.
, f&* P- 663 n. 2.

d'Il-,hLen°rmant~de Witte El "r- '■ '92 'Ce geste d' H^PhestuS rdp°nd * CdU1

s !jj,e' d°nt il remplit ici le role.' Cp. supra p. 664 ff. figs. 475—477'
I l?01 v'sible on the photograph.

U "pra P- 577 ff 10 Supra p. 57° £

i3 npra P- 585 ff. 12 Supra p. 583-

fig Mus. Cat. Vases ii. 103 ff. no. B 147 (Mon. d. Inst, iii pi- 44. '"/>;" P- 7°°

'"/'■a Furl«angler Vasensamml. Berlin i. 241 ff. no. 1704 (Mon. d. Inst. IX pi. 55,
\ 6n fig. 48?). E. Pottier Vases antiques du Louvre 2""= Serie Paris 1901 p. 78 f.

(Mon. d. Inst, vi pi. 56, 3, infra p. 680 fig. 49