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)

726

The birth of Athena in art

citadel1, and Aphrodite was also goddess of the Gardens, which are
believed to have occupied the low ground on the right bank of the
Ilissos2.

On this showing every figure in the east pediment of the
Parthenon corresponded with an actual cult, either on the eastward
half of the Akropolis itself, or at any rate in some easterly suburb
.of Athens. The gods of the town had assembled, as it were, on
their local Olympos to witness with joy and wonder the epiphany
of the all-conquering goddess.

(t) Significance of the birth of Athena.

The myth represented in the Parthenon pediment is so peculiar
in character that it has evoked a great variety of interpretations
from critics both ancient and modern.

The Stoics of course allegorized3. Chrysippos4 explained that
Athena meant Wisdom, located her in the breast, and said that she
issued from the head as Voice, being delivered by Hephaistos, since
Wisdom was produced by Skill, and rightly named. Athena, that is
Athrena^ ' Observation,' and Tritonis or Tritoge'neia as comprising
the triad of Physics, Ethics, and Logic. Diogenes the Babylonian 1

1 Supra p. 170 f. n. o.

2 Sir J. G. Frazer on Paus. 1. 19. 2, W. Judeich op. cit.2 p. 424.

3 E. Zeller The Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics- trans. O. J. Reichel London I
PP- 354—369 (supra ii. 855 n. 2). ,s

4 Chrysipp. frag. 910 von Arnim ap. Philodem. Trepi ev<ref3eias 16 = H. ^ ^
Doxographi Graeci Berolini 1879 P- 549 D 9^- Tll,bs Si tGiv Stwikup <pA.<TKef, , gv
riyefioviKov ev rrj K(e)<pa\rj' (ppovqaiv ya(p) dvai, Sib Kal Mr/riv KaXeiaffai- ~X-pvo~t-ir''cov^

™ <jTTi(8)ei rb iiyefioviicbv (e)Tptu k&Kei T7j(c 'A.6)t]vS.v yeyoi'6i'a(i) <ppdvr]0~iv oftoav, TV
t(t))v (t>wi>t)v ix ryjs (*c)e0aX^s eKKpiveadai (\)iyeiv eK t?}s (k)et/>a(\)f)s, virb Se'H(0)ol,j ^
5i)6n t(£)xvhi(i yl)ved' t\ (ppbvijo'is, Kal ' Ad-qvav p.ev olf)ov 'A6(p-q)vav elpijaBai, \^PlT^ a;
8e Kal Tp(iToyfr)etai> Sia rb tt\v <ppbvr\uiv Ik rpiQiv avve&TijKe'vai \6y10v, rui(i') <p(vo'Ww)v

5 So Herakleitos the Stoic quaestt. Horn. p. 30, 1 ff. Soc. Philol. Bonn., Et-

p. 24, 43. Cp. Tzetz. in Hes. 0. d. 76. piel-

6 Diog. Bab. frag. 33 von Arnim ap. Philodem. irepl evae^eias 15 f'^JfzL > rfs
Doxographi Graeci Berolini 1879 p. 548 b 14 ff. A(i)oy4injs S' b Ba^uXtieios ev Tif r ^
'Adr]vds t(o)v K(bo~)ixov ypdcpei tw A(d r)be aurbv vTrap(xe<-)v V TrepieX£(LV^ T l^prji^
K(a$)&7re(p) &v6pw7r(ov ^/)vxv{v') Kal T0(v rfki)ov a(ev) 'A7r6XX(w, t)t]V S(e _
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(el)v(ai) re rod Aibs to p.ev els t-qv OaKaTTav SiareTa(k)bs ILoaeiSGiva, to S els T^^Kis
AaiH-qrpa, rb 5' els (t)ov aipa'lipav, Kaddwep /c(ai rm IIXd)rura \eyeiv, &ff(r e)dv va rt>
'a-f/p' (X)^75 ns ipeiv '"H(/>a'- rb) 8' els rb(v) a(l0)ipa 'Adtivav tovto yap X<?(7£) is(.
'£k tt)s (Ke<pa)\ijs' Kal 'Zeus &ppi]v Zeis dijXvs.' Cp. Cic. de nat. deor. 1. 41 ^fjnerv"3;
Chrysippum) Diogenes Babylonius consequens in eo libro, qui inscribitur de