Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
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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

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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14698#0838

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744 The superannuation of Zeus

first1 wife of Zeus, surpassed in wisdom all mortals and immortals,
and was fated to bear children exceeding wise—Athena equal to
her father in might and counsel, and after Athena a son of such
prowess that he should become king of gods and men. Hence
Gaia and Ouranos advised Zeus to deceive Metis with crafty words
and swallow her, lest another god should arise and deprive him of
his kingly honours. Zeus accordingly did so, and himself bore
Athena from his head2. Others add some details that belong to
the same context. It appears that Metis was wont to change her
form with a view to escaping the embraces of Zeus3: consequently
he waited until she was small enough and then swallowed her4—-a
barbaric expedient clearly copied5 from the ugly habits of Kronos6-

theological speculation. F. Jacobyin his edition of the Theogony (Berlin 1930 pp.37. l86'
188 f.) takes the same view. And F. Schwenn Die Theogonie des Hesiodos Heidelberg
1934 p. 50 is inclined to acquiesce, though he objects that Zeus' marriage with MetlS
would then be left without offspring. But to assume that the swallowing of Metis by
Zeus must necessarily be a late invention is quite unjustifiable. The episode in itself lS
thoroughly consonant with primitive thought (see e.g. S. Thompson Motif-index of F"^'
literature (FF Communications No. 107) Helsinki 1933 ii. 276 D 1793 'M[agic] result5
from eating or drinking'), and Zeus may well have been early credited with rivalling t'1^
digestive feats of Kronos. If it be borne in mind that the iImjtis of the ^tUto. was magica
wisdom or cunning, theological speculation is seen to be out of place.

1 According to Hes. theog. 886 ff., Zeus wedded (1) Metis, whom he swallowed bef°'^
producing Athena; (2) Themis, who bore the three Horai, Eunomia, Dike, Eirene, a"
the three Moirai, Klotho, Lachesis, Atropos; (3) Eurynome daughter of Okeanos, who
bore the three Charites, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, Thalia; (4) Demeter, who bore Perseph°ne'
(5) Mnemosyne, who bore the nine Muses; (6) Leto, who bore Apollon and Arterni >
(7) Hera, who bore Hebe, Ares, and Eileithyia.

1 have discussed the marriage of Zeus and Hera in two articles published in the CI"5 '
Rev. 1906 xx. 365—378 and 416—419 under the title 'Who was the Wife of Zeus?

2 Hes. theog. 924 ff. ..

3 Apollod. 1. 3. 6 /xiyvuraL 5e Zeus Mi}ti5i, /xerafjaWoijo-ri eis 7roXXcis ideas virep tov' fj^
vvve\9eiv, /ecu avrTjv yevop.£vt]v fyKvov Karairhei c/>c?d(ras, ewclirep ZXeye yefv^eiv ^J,^
fiera TTjv p.e\\ov(raP e£ ai/Trjs yevvatrdai Kbpr]v, s ovpavov SwdaTys yevqcrerat. r0
<poj3T)8ds KareirifV aiT-qv k.t.X. Cp. schol. b. l. t. v. //. 8. 39. ^£((/

4 Schol. Hes. theog. 886 \iyerai bn i] M^tis roiwiir-qv elye Siva/uv ware p.era.pa ^
eh biroiov av ifioffKero. iv\a.vqaas odv avT7]v 0 Zeus Kal iriKpav (F. A. Paley would re
fiLKpav. I suspect that the scholiast meant Trltcpav, the antidote ' higry-pigry' {iePa v
which would suit Kari-Tnev A. b. C.) iron/eras Kari-rriev. jjy

Famell Cults of Gk. States i. 283 says: ' According to a later legend she compIace t
took the shape of a fly.' But he quotes no authority for the statement, and I aI^n0S,
aware of any such legend—unless indeed Famell was confusing Metis with Perikly"1
son of Neleus and Chloris (schol. Ap. Rhod. 1. 156 dvjip-rjKev Se avrbv "Rpaiikys e ?
IxerafsX-qdiura iv Tip 7rp6s IIuXious iroX^y Kara <rvixf3ovkT)i> 'Ac^ras tijj poird\(fi avT0

k.t.X.). ggg with

5 F. Schwenn Die Theogonie des Hesiodos Heidelberg 1934 p. 50 cp. theog.
468, 891 with 463, 892 f. with 461 f.

Supra i. 154 (note that the myth is localised in Boiotia), 181 n. o, 299* by
ii. 191 n. 10, 549, 928 n. o, 933 n. o. See now the careful treatment of the
M. Pohlenz in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. xi. 1991 ft.

n.
 
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