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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#1067

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Zeus as god of the Dark Sky 963

desire to honour and tend it near at hand, approaching it and
touching it with conviction, offering sacrifices to it and setting
wreaths upon it. Just as little children, when torn away from
father or mother, are stricken with sore longing and yearning, and
often in dreams stretch out their arms to the absent ones, so men,
justly loving the gods because of their kindliness and kinship, are
eager to associate with them in every way and to share their
company. Hence many barbarians through poverty and lack of
art give the name of gods to mountains, rough tree-trunks, and
shapeless stones, things that are assuredly no more suitable than
this form of ours1. In choosing the human shape I have,followed
the lead of Homer...though handicapped by the limitations of my
art. Poetry is opulent and can afford to lay down its own laws. It
has such resources of language and phrase that it can express every
wish of the heart and proclaim aloud any conceivable aspect or
achievement, mood or magnitude.... Not so I,who am restricted to
a special spot in Elis or Athens. You, Homer, wisest of poets, were
admittedly the first to show the Greeks many fair portraits of all
the gods, their greatest included, in shapes sometimes gentle, some-
times terrible and appalling. ' But ours is a god of peace and
universal mildness, overseer of a Hellas free from faction and at
harmony with itself. By the help of my art and the counsel of Elis,
a state both wise and good, I have established him, gentle and
solemn with untroubled mien, the giver of livelihood and life and
all good things, the common Father and Saviour and Keeper of
mankind, imitating so far as mortal thought can imitate the nature
that is divine and beyond our ken2.' See, then, whether you will
not find this his effigy aptly reflecting all his titles. For Zeus alone
°f the gods is called both Father and King, Policies and Homognios
and P/u'lios and Hetaireios, aye and Hike'sios and PItyxios and

1 Id. ib. p. 232 f. Dindorf dre^Gs yap oivirep v-qirioi Traibes Trarpbs f) /xr/Tpbs dirc<nraa-
M^ot 5elp0l, tfiepov fyovres Kai wbBov dptyowri x^Pas °" napoCffi ttoW&kis bveipuiTTovres,
oe^"w Kai gfofrs ardponroi ayairuvres SiKalas Sid re tvtpyealav Kai (rvyyivaav, TrpoBvp.oup.avoi
Tavra. rpb-Kov aweivai re Kai 6p.i\(iv ware Kai TroWoi tusv [iapfidpuv Trevla re Kai airopia
T^X"ris oprj 9(ovs iirovop.at;ovo-i Kai Stvopa dpya Kai dtrrip.ovs \i6ovs, ovdafirj otibapius olKeibrepa
^Ta6rr)s (i/is. j. Geel ed. Lugduni Batavorum 1840 p. io6)>t^j p.op<f>r)s. Surely the
"OSt pathetic, and sympathetic, plea for idolatry ever put forward.

M* ib. p. 236 f. Dindorf 6 5^ rjnirepoi dfnfUuAt Kai jravraxov Trpqos, olos ao-racriao-Tov
Kai "P-ovoovo-qs t% 'EXXrifios <?tt'io-kottos• Sv iyi} fiera tt)s cp.avrov t(x"^ Kai rijs 'HXeluv
*b\eus ao(f>r)s Kai dya$!)s plovXevo-dptevos iSpwapir)v, ijp.epov Kai atpvbv tv dXiirip <rxrjp.aTi,
" fiiov Kai £oit}$ Kai ovpnrdvTwv Sorfipa toiv dyaddi>, kolv'ov dvOponrav Kai iraripa Kai
®TVpa Kai qbvXaKa, ais SwaTOn riv ffi>r)Tu Siavo-qOevTi p.ip.-qo'aaBai rrjv 6dav Kai dp.7)xavov

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