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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#0864

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77° The snake of Athena

the goddess in her chariot to face the judgment of Paris1. A later
vase, a gilded aryballos at Athens (fig. 567)2, shows the judge, here
lettered Alexandros, considering his verdict in much perplexity-
On the one hand, a seductive Eros points out to him that Helen3 is
already approaching from the left with open arms. On the other
hand, between him and his promised bride is set the small but
threatening figure of the Pallddion, while from the right comes an
indignant Athena accompanied by a single gigantic snake with
forked and flickering tongue. Jane Harrison4 more suo observes:
'The artist seems dimly conscious that the snake is somehow the
double of Athene

Fig. 567-

At Athens the relation of snakes to the city-goddess was em
phasised, not only by myth, but also by cult. Kekrops the earth
born, who is at least half a snake (figs. 93 s and 95 s), was buried 111

1 Supra i. 125 f. pi. xi, iii. 67 f. pi. xi. The theme is handled at large by P- ^'^^
(supra p. 68 n. 2) and, far more thoroughly, by Turk in Roscher Lex. Myth, m- *?
1592 and 1607—1631 figs. 3—10. ' ion

2 Collignon—Couve Cat. Vases d'Alhines p. 635 f. no. 1942. The older public ^
by J. de Witte in the Arch. Zeit. 1867 xxv. 64 pi. 224, 2 (Reinach Rip. Vases i. +0J'J^./.
is of course superseded by that of E. Pernice in the Jahrb. d. kats. deutsch. arch-
1896 xi Arch. Anz. pp. 36—38 with a careful drawing by E. Gillieron ( = my fig" gi

3 The letters H f visible above the maiden are taken by Pernice to be the s ^
H EA^t)—a piece of old-fashioned orthography still possible at the end of s. v v.c. ^
completion "HPa is possible, but less probable (Collignon—Couve op- ctt. i*.^ in
C. Robert's conjecture U.apH fopos. (ap. Pernice loc. cit. p. 38 n. 1, cp. 0. /paus-
Roscher Lex. Myth. iii. 1578 f., v. 477 ff.), a goddess of Persuasion akin to Peitho

1. 43. 6), fails to persuade me. . ;5 all

The choice between the claims of passion (Eros) and those of honour (Athena
the more piquant, if the third claimant (Hera) is suppressed.

4 Harrison Proleg. Gk. Rel.2 p. 306.
6 Supra p. 182. 6 Supra p. 186.
 
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