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 attributes of Athena

749

thing happened to Athena, both in Argos and at Athens. The
Argive women once a year took the image of Athena and washed it
in the river Inachos1. At Athens it was the old wooden statue in
the Erechtheion that had the annual bathe. It was escorted down
to Phaleron by the epheboi, dipped in the sea by two loutrides or
' bathing-women,' and brought back in the evening with a torch-
light

procession—-the whole business being termed the Plynteria or
'Washing Day2.' Now we may be very sure that it was some
strong religious reason—godliness rather than cleanliness—which
Prompted the Greeks to bathe their goddess in river or sea.
■^■"d, if we may argue from what is told us of Hera, the object
Was to transform the Mother into a Maiden once more. Of course
to all and sundry in up-to-date Athens Athena was Parthenos. But
tne women of Elis, country folk who clung to archaic beliefs, had
a sanctuary of Athena M<?terz, a mother-goddess confessed.

I take it, then, that Athena was the pre-Greek mountain-mother
°f the Akropolis rock. As such she would stand in specially close
elation to the rock-products, whether vegetable or animal. Any life
'ssuing from crevices or holes in the rock would be her life. The
flora and fauna of the place would be venerated as divine mani-
festations of herself. And of these manifestations there are three
tr>at claim our special attention.

(i) The olive of Athena.

Only one tree, so far as we know, grew on the Akropolis—
famous olive in the Pandroseion4 (fig. 537)5. The antiquary
hilochoros6 mentions it in connexion with a curious happening of
306 B.C He says:

lls year had ended and another begun, when the following portent took place
' the Akropolis. A bitch got into the temple of the Polids and, diving into
.? ^ndroseion, mounted the altar of Zeus Herkeios, which stands under the
lve tree, and there lay down, though it is an old-established custom at Athens
at dogs' are not allowed on the Akropolis.'

d s G- E. Marindin in Smith—Wayte—Marindin Diet. Ant. ii. 440 f., Mommsen Feste
ZQoJjf At'lm PP" 7 f" 10 f-' L- Couve in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. iii.

9 8oi, E. Pfuhl De Atheniensium fiompis sacris Berolini 1900 pp. 89—92, L. Deubner

Siipr

*\°\e Ses" Berlin ,932 pp. ,7_22.

25 ,r^P.roc'uce 'he restoration of M. Schede Die Burg von Athen Berlin 1922 p. 105
0 p^Mr' ^c Akropolis of Athens trans. H. T. Price London (1927) p. 105 fig. 25).
iud. 3 Ilochor- frag. 146 (Frag. hist. Gr. i. 408 f. Miiller) ap. Dion. Hal. de Dinarch.

P- Plout, quaestt. Rom. 90 with H. J. Rose ad loe. See further O. Keller Die