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)

Zeus as god of the Dark Sky 961

thought or mind. Thus we can think of forms more beautiful even than the
statues of Pheidias, the most perfect things of their kind that we can see, or
than those paintings that I have mentioned. Yet that great artist, when he was
fashioning the shape of his Zeus or Athena, did not fix his gaze on any individual
whose likeness he drew. No, in his own mind dwelt an ideal of surpassing
beauty. Beholding that and lost in the contemplation thereof he turned art and
hand to the task of reproducing its likeness.'

Platonic too in its essence is the remark attributed by Philostratos
to that eccentric genius Apollonios1 of Tyana:

' When he saw the statue enthroned at Olympia he said " Hail, good Zeus,
whose goodness consists in giving of thine own self to men."'

In the summer of the year 97 A.D. Dion of Prousa delivered
a semi-Stoic discourse to the Greeks assembled at Olympia2. The
greater part of it is concerned with the cult-effigy of Zeus, to which
the orator returns again and yet again with an ever fresh ardour of
devotion and an astonishing variety of encomiastic phrases. He
describes it as being ' of all the images on earth the most beautiful
and the most beloved of heaven3.' And he calls upon Pheidias,
'this wise, inspired maker of a creation at once solemn and
supremely beautiful4,' to expound and justify his rendering of Zeus.

All would admit, says Dion, that it is ' a sweet and welcome
vision, a spectacle of untold delight to Hellenes and barbarians
alike6.' Nay, even brute creatures, could they but observe it, would
be impressed: bulls led to the altar would be content to suffer, if it
pleasured the god; eagles, horses, lions would lose their wildness
and be soothed at the sight6. 'While of men, whosoever is utterly

Raphael to Baldassare Castiglione: 'To paint a figure truly beautiful, it might be
necessary that I should see many beautiful forms, with the further provision that you
siould yourself be near, to select the best; but seeing that good judges and beautiful

'omen are scarce, I avail myself of a certain " idea" which comes into my mind (to mi
servo di certa idea che mi viene nella mente).'

Philostr. v. Apoll. 4. 28 p. 1C7 Kayser LSojv be es to eSos to ev 'OXv/x-n-la '^aipe,'

"■w, ' iyadi Zed, <ri) yap ovtw tl ayaBbi, ibs Kai cravrov Koivuivijirai tocs avOpdiwois.' This
s not the colloquial £ 'ya9(, but a more serious use of the adjective as in Plat. Tim.

9 d e \{yo>p.ev 5,' -qVTiva afrlav yiveaiv Kai to irav ToSe 6 (vvicrTas {vv{<rT7)aev.
a~ya6ds Tfv, ayaffuj 5i ovSeh irepl ovdevbs oibiiroTf iyytyverai <p8uvos- tovtov 6' 4kt6s ion
"■ttKTo o ti fioKiaTa yevtaSai i^ovX-qd-r) TrapairXrjo-ia eavTi}. Cp. Mark io. 17 f., Luke
I8'2'8f. (Matth. 19. i6f.).

W. Christ Geschiclite der griechischen Litteratur* Miinchen 1920 ii. 1. 36J.
Dion Chrys. or, 12 p. 220 Dindorf irdvToiv, 6'<ra imiv ini yrjs ayaXfiara, KaXXiarov
Kal ^o^Xio-TaTov,

Id. ib. p. 229 Dindorf tov aorpbv tovtov Kai 5aip.bviov epyaTijv tov cre/xvov Kai TrayKaXov
"^""py^aTos.

Id. ib. p. Dindorf ihs fiev i]dv Kal Trpotr<piXh tipap.a Kai rtpfiv afi^xa-vov 64as
Traaiv "EXXtjitl Kai fSapPdpou, tiaot Tore Bevpo atpiKovro TroXXoi iroXXaKLS, otiBels

6 Id. ib

p. 229 Dindorf.

C- HI. 61