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 969

Caligula's intention had been to replace the head of Zeus by a
portrait-head of himself. But whenever the workmen approached
to lay hold of the pedestal, loud laughter burst from the lips of the
statue and put them to instant flight. Also, the ship built to trans-
port it was shattered by thunderbolts. So Caligula, after threatening
Zeus, had perforce to substitute another effigy in his own temple
on the Palatine1. About the middle of the second century Lucian2
mentions that thieves, greatly daring, had recently cut off two of
Zeus' golden tresses weighing six minas apiece. In 394 A.D.
Theodosios i, pursuing his policy of suppressing all paganism3,
abolished the Olympic festival4 despite its unbroken record of
1169 years. And in the reign of his grandson Theodosios ii (408—
450 A.D.) the temple of Zeus Olympios perished in a conflagration5.

Not so the great statue, which had hitherto contrived to escape
the successive threats of decomposition and lightning, mutilation
and robbery. At some uncertain date, after the overthrow of its
worship and before the destruction of its temple, it was removed to
Byzantion and set up in the House of Lausos6 among such world-
famous works as the Samian Hera of Athenis and Boupalos, the

1 Suet. Calig. 22 datoque negotio ut simulacra numinum religione et arte praeclara,
inter quae Olympi Iovis, apportarentur e Graecia, quibus capite dempto suum imponeret,
partem Palatii ad forum usque promovit, etc., ii. 57 Olympiae simulacrum Iovis, quod
dissolvi transferrique Romam placuerat, tantum cachinnum repente edidit ut machinis
labefactis opifices diffugerint; supervenitque ilico quidam Cassius nomine, iussum se
somnio affirmans immoiare taurum Iovi, Dion Cass. 59. 28 oIItw Si) 'irepov rc vewv ev Tip
naXart'y cTrovdy ipKodofxr/aaTO, Kai &ya\[ia es avTov 7}6£\r]o~e to tov Albs tov 'OXvpnrlov is to
tavrov etSos pteTappv8p.laai. fiij Svvrjdeis 54 (t6 re yap vXoiov to Tpbs tt)v KOfiibty airov
v°-viT-qy7]0£v gxepavp^Q-q^ Ka\ y^Xws, baaKLS Tivks ics Kai tov 'edovs e<pa\ybp.evoi TrpoarjXdov,
ttoXvs i^TJKOJJeTo) eKeivw fJL€v iir-rjirelXu, avrbs Se 'eTepov iviffTTjO'e.

This was the laugh of divine derision (cp. e.g. Psa. 2. 4, 37. r3, 59. 8), very different
l°m the unsympathetic exultation of Zeus in the late Homeric theomachia {II. 21. 3S8 ff.
at the sight of the gods fighting, 508 at the plight of Artemis) or his rather undignified
nnith over the post-Homeric pranks of Hermes {h.Herm. 389, Loukian. dial. deor. 7. 3).
^ Loukian. Tint. 4 (quoted supra p. 966), /up. /rag. 25 ei' 7' eir' ifioi to irpay/x r/v,
cr£u M 'dv otet tovs iepoavXovs TrpoSi)v direXSeiv aKepavvilirovs eK Jllo-qs, S60 p.ov tujv ttXqkA.-
"^"roKeipavras £f fivas eKdrepov l\K0VTa;
■Supra i. 167.

Kedren. hist. comp. 326 D—327 A (i. 573 Bekker) iv toijtois rj re twv ' OXvp.TidSwv
aPV vavriyvpis, tjtis Kara TerpaeTij xpbvov iirereXetTO. ijp^aTO Si 17 roiairrj Ttavi)yvpis
e ^avatratis twv 'lovSaiwv iBacrlXeuo-e, Kai i<pvXaTTeTO ews tt)s dpxvs airov tov fieydXov

1. z..,^0'10'' Loukian. rhet. firaec. 0, (p. 176, x ff. Rabe) Kai SiripKecrev dp^dfievos ctiro twv
Ppaious Kpirwv pixp1 tov piiKpov Qeoooalov ipTp-qaBevros yap tov ev 0\vp.irta vaov
i)s^LVe 4 Tuv 'HXelwv Tavr/yvpis, ib. (p. 178, 2 ff. Rabe) dp$dp.evos Si dirb rijs <eirox-
8S •jfa^ Efipalovs eir' 'Ideipov iva< >Sir]pKe<je p-ixfic T°v P-iKpov <&eoSoo~iov>,

PKaSLov vibs rpt, twv xpb<vwv. rod Si> vaov tov 'OXvpnriov Albs ip.irpr) < o~BivTos
6 Kat V Tuv 'HXelwv wavnyvpis </ca! 6 dyw>v 0 '0\vfiTUc6s.
SuP>a ii. 864 n. r.