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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#0968

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Thunderbolt of Zeus transferred to Athena 867

So Zeus got his aigis from Hephaistos, the consort of Athena1.
Our problem begins to solve itself. We shall not be far wrong if
we maintain the following positions: (i) The aigis belonged by
right to the pre-Hellenic Athena. (2) When the Achaeans arrived
with their all-conquering Zeus, he must needs take over the magical
garb of the goddess, and the minstrels coined for him that per-
suasive epithet aigiocJios. (3) For all that, the common people were
not persuaded, and—apart from one half-hearted attempt on the
part of an Ionian vase-painter2—their artists never equipped Zeus
with an aigis so long as Hellas was genuinely Hellenic. (4) But,
when Hellenic art gave place to Hellenistic culture, Homer once
more dominated the imagination of men and Zeus aigiochos regained
his canonical supremacy3.

(6) The thunderbolt of Zeus transferred to Athena.

If Athena in Hellenistic times ceded her aigis to Olympian
Zeus, Olympian Zeus had not long before lent his thunderbolt to
Athena. And indeed Athena was no unworthy recipient. The
western part of her 'ancient temple' on the Athenian Akropolis*
was devoted to the lightning-powers—Hephaistos of the double
axe6, Erechtheus the 'Cleaver6,' Poseidon with his fork7. Was this
Perhaps the point of Athena's strange boast at the close of the
Eumenides*' I alone of the gods know the keys of the store-chamber
m which the thunderbolt is sealed up' ?

Euripides is more outspoken than Aischylos. In the Troiades*
Athena, because Aias son of Oileus has torn Kassandra from
her sanctuary, is minded to take vengeance on the Greeks.

Augustus and Tiberius (L. Cohn in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. ii. 964—966), was
lmpressed by the passage, as we gather from schol. A. //. 15. 310 t] SnrXrj {sc. the
Marginal mark >, which was tantamount to our N.B.) on aa<pws At! io-Kedaarai. t) al-yk,
1 ook go-rut' Ad7jpas, Ka&ios oi vcuirepoi iroLijTai Xiyovaiv.
1 Supra pp. 189 ff., 224 fif., 236, 736.
Supra ii. 712 f. pi. Xxx.

\ SuPra P- 533 ft
Paus. 1. 26. j, on which see supra p. 758.
6 Supra pp. 200, 235, 736. For Athena herself holding the double axe see supra ii.
25/" 529> 53°. 532> "i- l9° «• 6 fig- I0°-
7 f#ra ii- 793 E, i'i- 737-
s Supra ii. 789 ff., 850, iii. 736.
Aisch. Eum. 827 f. Kal KXvSas otda Sdi/j-aros iikvi) deCiv I iv $ Kepawds iariv iacppayicr-

9 Eur. Tro. 77 ff.

55—2
 
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