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Cook, Arthur B.
Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 3,2): Zeus god of the dark sky (earthquake, clouds, wind, dew, rain, meteorits) — Cambridge, 1940

DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14699#0102

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Appendix R

Herakles (lion-skin, club, bow), Apollon (plGktron, lyre), Artemis (bow), Ares
(breastplate, helmet, shield, greaves), Aphrodite (bud, flower); on the other
hand, Hephaistos (double axe), Poseidon (trident, dolphin), Hermes (f>/tasos,
winged caduceus, goat), Hestia? (sceptre).

Not three fours, but four threes, was the distribution of the twelve on the
so-called ara Albani, a quadrangular base of marble still in the Villa Albani
(fig. 855)1. Three slabs only of this relief are extant. They represent a pro-
cession of deities passing from left to right—Artemis (torches), Leto?2 (sceptre),
Zeus (thunderbolt, eagle-sceptre), Hera [steplidne, sceptre, bridal veil), Poseidon
(trident), Demeter (poppies and corn-ears, sceptre), Dionysos {nebris restored
as breastplate, thyrsos), Hermes icadnceus, talarid). But these figures were not
all. A fragment of drapery to be seen in front of Artemis' right knee (fig. 855, c)
makes it probable that Apollon, chanting, originally led the way. And a fore-
arm visible behind Hermes (fig. 855, a) proves that he was followed by another
deity, possibly Hestia. It seems likely that the canonical number was completed
by the presence of two more gods on the missing slab.

J. G. Zoega3 was the first to suggest that this monument showed the wedding'
of Zeus and Hera. His opinion was adopted by F. G. Welcker4, who noted the
wreaths worn by all the extant figures, and met P. A. Visconti's objection that
Zeus and Hera appear on separate slabs by the conjecture that the procession
was designed for a circular, not a quadrangular, base. K. Wernicke5 too en-
dorses Zoega's view, though with some hesitation. But W. Amelung0 finds
this explanation far from convincing. No doubt a well-mouth so decorated
would be suitable enough in a private house: the wedding of Zeus and Hera
was the prototype of all weddings7. Nevertheless it would be safer to conclude

1 Welcker Alt. Denkm. ii. 14—26 pi. r, r, Overbeck Gr. Kunstmyth. Hera p. 174 ff.
Atlas pi. 10, 29 a—c, Mliller—Wieseler—Wernicke Ant. Denkm. i. 18 ff. pi. 1, 9,
Reinach Rip. Reliefs iii. 129 no. 1, W. Helbig op. cit? ii. 458 f. no. 1930, O. Weinreich
loc. cit. vi. 800. My fig. 855, a—c is from photographs of the cast at Cambridge.
Height: o-6$m.

The face of Hera has been retouched, that of Demeter more seriously altered. The
head and right arm of Hermes, the face and right arm of Dionysos, perhaps also the legs
of the latter, are modern. Hermes was originally bearded; and Dionysos wore, not a
breastplate, but a nebris over his short chitdn. The bird on the sceptre of Zeus is not
a cuckoo, as G. Zoega thought, but an eagle.

2 See, however, MttUer—Wieseler—Wernicke op. cit. i. 19 'Hier, unmittelbar vor
dem Brautpaar, ist die Stelle der Brautmutter; man hat daher entweder auf Rhea oder
Tethys (als Pflegemutter) gedeutet; der Gedanke an Leto (weil sie den Mantelzipfel
der Artemis fasst) ist entschieden zu verwerfen, solche in dieser Klasse von Reliefs
typischen Ziige sind inhaltlich ohne Bedeutung.'

J G. Zoega Li bassirilievi antichi di Roma Roma 1808 ii. 251-257 pi. 101.
4 F. G. Welcker 'Hochzeit des Zeus und der Hera' in the Rhein. Mus. 1842 i. 420 ff.
— id. Alt. Denkm. ii. 14 ff. pi. 1, 1.

6 Midler—Wieseler—Wernicke op. cit. i. 18 ff. pi. 1, 9.

6 W. Amelung in W. Helbig op. cit? ii. 459: ' Doch ist die Deutung auf den Hoch-
zeitzug des Zeus und der Hera keineswegs zwingend.'

7 Diod. 5. 73 irpodiovai Si irpbrtpov awavTes t$ Ad T<p Te\el(fi Kal "Hpa TeAeia 5ia to
tovtovs dpxvy°^s ytyov&ai Kal irdvTWv euperds, Dion. Hal. ars rhet. 2. 2 Kal 8tl outol
(sc. oi deal) oi evpovres Kal Sei^avres rods yd/xous tols dvdpwirois' Zet)s yap Kal "Ilpa, -n-pwrot
fevyvuvres re Kal tjvvbvd'c'ovTes- ovtoj rot 6 fj.£v Kal Harrjp /caXeirat Travruv, 17 5e Ttvyla d-rrb
rov fcvyvtivai. to drfkv Uppein. Cp. Aisch. 'Eirtyovoi frag. 55 Nauck2 ap. schol. Pind.
Isthm. 6. 10 and see also schol. Aristoph. thesm. 973.
 
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