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)

912

The stone of Dousares

for Dionysos1. The same native god was perhaps Hellenized as
Zeus Epikdrpios at Bostra2, for a Nabataean vizier is known to
have erected a votive offering to Zeus Dousares Soter(?) at Miletos3.
A solar aspect of the god has also been deduced from the occurrence
of Helios' epithet Antketos in connexion with him4.

As regards the ritual of Dousares, apart from Souidas5 our sole
informant is Epiphanios6, bishop of Constantia in Kypros. This

1 Hesych. s.v. Aovadp-qv ■ tov Aibwaov. Na/3aTcuoi. los (pTjciv 'l&ibojpos.

2 Lebas—Waddington Asie Mineure iii no. 1907 (Bostra, in the first half of s. ii A.D.)
lin irpovolas - - -] | §pb[vT~]u>vos tov Kvplov iiye/j-bvos, \ T) irbXa "SiwiKapirlif Aii rbv fiwfj.bv |
idpiiacLTO, eirl 'SafSetvov 'AfipetXlov | Trpoe'Spov to /3' Kal avvapxbvTbiv. On Zeus 'EwiKap-rrios
see supra i. 236 n. 10, ii. 260 n. o, 1065, 1177 n. 2, 1186 and Hesych. s.v. ' EtiriKapvwsm
Zeiis ev Ei5/3oia. Cumont loc. cit. p. 1867 says: 'Ob mit dem Zeus eirwdpinos von Bostra...
auch D[usares] gemeint ist, muss dahingestellt bleiben.'

3 Supra ii. 317 n. 2.

4 Supra p. 911 n. 3. See also supra i. 193 n. 1.

Another form of Zeus recognised at Bostra was Zeus Amnion, who appears on the
coins sometimes with a solar disk on his head {e.g. F. De Saulcy Numismatique de la
ierre sainte Paris 1874 p. 368 pi. 21, 9 ( = my fig. 768) Iulia Mamaea COLONIA
BOSTRA) as on a coin of Alexandreia (supra i. 360 fig. 276), sometimes with a kalathos

(R. Dussaud Notes de mythologie syrienne Paris 1905 p. 179 f. fig. 42 ( = my fig. 769)
Philippus Senior COLMETRO POLISBOSTRA) as in another Alexandrian type
(supra i. 361 fig. 277). Dussaud asks: 'Ne serait-ce pas Dusares ayant emprunte leS
traits de Jupiter Amnion?'

Sun-worship pure and simple is attested for the Nabataeans by Strab. 784 fa'0"
TipL&criv eirl rod Swp.aTOS lbpva6.fj.evoi fiwixbv, o~irevbovTe$ ev ai)ry Ka6' ijixipav Kal \l^o.v^'
rl^ovres.

5 Supra p. 907.

6 Epiphan. panar. haeres. 51. 22. 9—11 irp&rov p.ev ev 'A\e^avbpela iv tQ KopeW
<o8>tw KaXovpLevti)' vabs 64 ecrri fitywros Tovriariv to rifievos rijs Kbprjs. bXrjv yap r*"
viiKTa dypvirvqcravTes ev q.Gptao-1 Ti<ri Kai affKots tQ elSwhtp qlbovres Kal iravvvxlSa dtare^
ffavres fiera tt\v twv dXeKTpvbvwv K\ayyy]v KaripxovTai Xafiirabrjcpbpoi els <jr\Kbv T'"^
virbyaiov Kal dvatpipovcn £6avbv ri %6\tvov < e"v > <popel<p Kade£bp.evov yvfivbv, £xov fftppG-'Y^
rtva aravpov tirl tov /j.erujirov Sidxpvcov Kal iirl rats eKaT^pais XGPff^v #XXas Stio rotav1'^
o-<ppayibas Kal eir' aitTots roh bv<xl yovdrois aXXas 5t)o, bfj.ov be [rds] irtvre acppaytbas ^
Xpvaov TeTviroi/xivas Kal irepupepovaiv avrb rb £bavov iirrdKLS KVKX&aavres tov p-eaalt^^
vabv fierd av\wv Kal TvpLirdvuv Kal iifivcov Kal KWiJ-dvavTes KaTacbe1povaiv avrb avBts els ^
virbyaiov tottov. ipwribpLevoL be on rl £o~ti rovro rb [ivo'TTjpiov diroKplvovTai Kal Xkyovff'V
Tavrrj tt} &pa 0-qp.epov 7] Kbpij (rovriaTLv r) irapOe'vos) iyivvrjae rbv AtQva. ^

tovto St Kal ev Ufrpa rrj irbXet (pii)Tpbiro\is Si eari rrjs 'Apafiias, tjtis iarlv 'ESuV