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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#0935

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The aigis and Gorgoneion of Athena 839

°f Athena was derived from the fringed or tasselled goat-skins
worn by Libyan women—a rationalistic view which A.W. Lawrence1
wisely pronounces to be ' plausible but far from certain.' It would
entail our accepting Herodotos' highly improbable contention that
Athena herself came from Libye2. Nevertheless this Herodotean
notion has met with some favour both in ancient and in modern
times. An Etruscan mirror, of fourth-century style, found at
Tarquinii and once owned by E. Gerhard3, represents in mytho-
logical guise Prodikos' story of Herakles' choice between Virtue
ar>d Vice4 (fig. 654). Within a flowery framework stands Herakles
{Hercle) midway between Athena (Menrfa) and Aphrodite (Titrau).
The artist, wishing to stress the simple hardihood of the more
manly goddess, has given her by way of aigis a mere goat-skin
w'th pendent head and feet. He has, however, added the usual
Gorgo7icion on her breast, not to mention a griffin's head on her
shield, while a single snake coiled on her shoulder hisses at
APhrodite's dove. Later mythologists, accepting the explanation
of the aigis as a goat-skin, toyed with the theme. Athena slew the
earth-bom fire-breathing monster called Aigis and used its skin as
breastplate in subsequent encounters6. Or, Zeus at the advice
°r Themis flayed the goat Amaltheia, his foster-mother, and donned
lts skin as his protection in the war against the Titans6. Recent

1 In his ,

Hdt. 4. r80 (cited supra p. 128 n. i), on which see Farnell Cults of Gk. States i.

commentary ad loc. p. 420.

267ff.

sto ^''k'nson 'ne Egyptologist went further in the same direction, and fared worse. He
r'ght y main,a'nec' tnat Athena was but the goddess N HO written, as in Egyptian, from
and to left and eked out with an A added fore and aft! (Sir J. G. Wilkinson Manners
18 • ms °f Ancient Egyptians London 1837 i. 47 n. §, Second Series London
43 p 2841 id-2 London 1878 iii. 41).

describ hard Etr' Sp"gel '"• 144 f' pL 156 ( = my fig: 654)- U 'b- V' 46 ff' pU Zf
a^orn (J5 fi2ures another mirror, from Caere, on which the Palladion wears an aigis

j c w"h a Gorgoneion and 'zwei den Brustharnisch abschliessende Ziegenkopfe.'

bord B Walters in the Brit. Mtts. Cat. Bronzes p. 96 f. no. 627 says: 'The segis is

■jSred by two snakes with rearing heads, crested and bearded.'

6 ^en- ««». 2. 1. 21 ff.
£ o » 3- 7° (from the mythographical romance of Dionysios Skytobrachion: see

" ScT"2 Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. v. 673).
pseu<j <j°i- A. D. //. 15. 229, Serv. in Verg. A en. 8. 354. Mousaios/raf. 7 Kinkel ap.
24ff w tostn- catast. 13 (cp. Hyg. poet. astr. 2. 13, schol. Caes. Germ. Aratea p. 394,
Ama'ltn y.SSenllardt) makes the infant Zeus entrusted by Rhea to Themis, by Themis to
&»4 'P^ anC' Amaltheia to her goat: Mowaios yap <pr)<ri Ala yevvuiptvov (yxeip^Orjyai
5' £kq V ®^M*8t, Btfuv Si 'Afia\8da Sovvai to /3pt<j>os, ttjv Si txovoav alya vvodelvm, rr\v
Qfofa 'Sf'" ^ '*1'>'a er"ai "HXiou Bvyaripa (pofiepav oCtws wore Toils Kara Kpovov

"^jjj ^ VTT0^i>ovs ripi nop<pr)v rrjs Trai86s, d£iw<rai (ins. C. Robert) > Vrjv Kpvxj/ai

t»i tCiv Kara KprjTT]v avjpwv nai aTOKpvipafj.eviji' eTnpe\etav avrrjs rrj 'A/j.a\6eta
 
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