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)

694- The birth of Athena in art

way out of the difficulty would be to place an eagle below the
throne. There were ancient religious reasons for fixing an eagle
in the pediment of a temple1, and it seemed natural to put the
lightning-bird in immediate juxtaposition with the thunderbolt of
Zeus. My conjecture was confirmed by the design of anotherputeal
(fig. 502)2, clearly a later variation on the Pheidiac theme, which
transposes left for right but retains the bird beneath the throne.

A second detail in regard to which I should differ from Sauer,
Schwerzek, and E. A. Gardner3 is that they all make Athena hold
her lance in the right hand. But, thus held, it endangers the well-
meaning Nike; or, if Nike be absent at least it interposes a weapon

Fig. 507. Fig. 508. Fig. 509. F'g- 5I°'

of offence between the new-born goddess and her sire, while

• Reside '

creates an ugly parallel or ywaLK-parallel with his sceptre. D ^afl
Athenian bronze coins of imperial date (figs. 503—510)* repre

Jtk-

pi. 48, 8 a bronze medallion of Antoninus Pius) and votive reliefs (Svoro ^
Nationalmus. pi. 142 no. 2357, pi. 143 no. 2383, pi. 2 to. no. ii. 1330, CP' ' g xiii
the Ath. Mitlh. 1891 xvi. 25, O. Walter in the /ahresh. d. oest. arch. /*«*• 19
Beiblatt p. 229 ff. figs. 141 —143 [supra ii. 1161 fig. 969]). diment °^

1 Supra i. 259. It may be added that the Zeus enthroned in the eastern p pofos-
the old Hekatompedon held an eagle in his hand (T. Wiegand Die archaise £
Architektur der Akropolis zu Athen Cassel and Leipzig 1904 p. 105

fig. I0». Y

fig. 109). (fr0„r the

2 E. Curtius in the Man. ed Ann. d. Inst. 1856 p. 29 ff. pi. 5 = mv nS' yjas p. '1°
cast of a marble well-mouth or altar since lost), Overbeck Gr, Kunstmylh- orpl,eUS'"
(L) Atlas pi. 1, 48, Apollon p. 276 f. (no. 20). Zeus, Nike, Athena, Apollon (? ^ &st

3 E. A. Gardner Ancient Athens London 1902 p. 308 'Sketch Restoration
Pediment.' p QtX^

4 E. Beule Les monnaies d'Athenes Paris 1858 p. 390, Imhoof-Blumer and ^,Jt0ieS
Num. Comm. Pans. iii. 129 f. pi. Z, 8—10, J. N. Svoronos Les monntttes ^ ,,o
Munich 1923—1926 pi. 85, 8—31, 32—37, cp. 38—40. My figs. 504, 5°^' 50