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 owl of Athena

823

An ingenious application, or misapplication, of the type occurs
•n a Pompeian fresco (fig. 633)1, one of several which represent
Auge the priestess of Athena pursued by Herakles2 and were
Presumably based on some Pergamene original8. Auge was the
daughter of Aleos, king of Tegea4, and the scene is laid at the foot
°f Mount Parthenion. The artist personifies the mountain as
Parthenos and, thinking of Athena Parthenos, equips her with the
Gorgdneion and the filleted olive-branch of the goddess. Then,
remembering that Parthenos was also the constellation Virgo5, he
adds dark blue wings spangled with yellow stars and a blue nimbus*
with golden rays. Perhaps too he realised that Parthenos the con-
stellation was by some identified with Dike7, the daughter of Zeus
by Themis8, who might well be moved by this exhibition of lawless
love.

Less learned, but more noble, is a fine Flavian goddess in white
kalian marble, found at Ostia near the Porta Romana, of whose
attic she once formed part (fig. 634)9. She has the three-crested
nelmet of Athena Parthenos, a circular shield with a central
G°rgdneion at her right side, and a pair of splendid pinions on her
back. Accordingly, G. Calza10, on the analogy of Athena Nike, calls
her ' Minerva Vittoria.' Minerva Victrix would perhaps be better
Latin; but that appellative is known almost entirely from coins11,

1 C. Robert in the Ann. d. Inst. 1884 lvi. 75—87 pis. I and K ( = my fig. 633) after
"r»Wings by Sikkard revised by A. Mau, Sogliano Pitt, mur. Camp. p. 83 no. 500 {Reg.
lx- 5- 2).

Four examples of the subject are conveniently grouped by Reinach Rip. Peint. Gr.
homz-P- 188 nos. 2-5.

. C. Robert loc. cit. p. 81 notes that the small inner frieze of the Pergamene altar
r"efas i- 119) included both the story of Auge and that of Telephos, her son by a later
n'on with Teuthras, king of Mysia. On the myth in its relation to Pergamon see
• Pilling Quomodo Telephi fabulam et scriptores et artifices veleres tractaverint Halae
T*j0num 1886 pp. 1 —104, E. Thraemer Pergamos Leipzig 1888 p. 369 flf. ('Auge und
^Phos'), J. Schmidt in Roscher Lex. Myth. v. 296 ff., cp. supra ii. 1179.
5 >>47-

( u- Hofer in Roscher Lex. Myth. iii. 1655 ff. Supra i. 755 n. 10, ii. 734 n. 3.
Supra i. 40.

Co F»st in Arat. phaen. 96 ff., cp. pseudo-Eratosth. catast. 9 = Arat. Lat. in E. Maass
■^""entariorum in Aratum reliquiae Berolini 1898 p. 201. Later authorities for the
"tification of Parthenos with Dike or Iustitia are collected by O. Hofer loc. cit. p. 1656-
fort A Ultimate source was a mere misunderstanding of Hes. 0. d. 256 i St re wapOirot

, "CS- the°S- 901 f.

in A m a Phot°graph by Alinari (no. 32721). Height 2-40'". See further L. Savignoni
l0"W»w 1910 v. 69—108 pi. 4 and figs. 13, 13 Ht.

U p Calza Ostia* Milano—Roma s.a. (? 1929) p. 32 with fig. 8 (showing shield),
figs W' Ke>'es 'Minerva Victrix?' in the Am.Journ. Arch. 1912 xvi. 490—494 with
• 1 (from left) and 2 (from right), after adducing the evidence of coins (p. 493 n. 2)