DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9840#0205
154 ZEUS, PERSEPHONE, AND ZAGREUS. [CHAP.
The usage of instead of a or era, in the word
evvfip'i^ris, is not at all surprising. The Cretan inscrip-
tions, published by Chishull, contain SiKa^aaOai, \jsa(pi-
^ajtxevois, and other similar Cretan dorisms.
This virgin daughter of Demeter, Persephone, was
usually called Core : and it is from her name, rather
than from that of any other goddess, that one would
Avish to derive the Cretan Corion32, were it not for the
former existence of a temple, dedicated to the virgin
Goddess Athene, at the place.
In the Orphic poems, and other repertories of those
later legends, which delighted in fixing on Crete as the
scene of many amours of both gods and goddesses, we
find frequent mention of Persephone.
According to the poet Bacchylides, she was carried off
by Pluto, not from the shores of Sicily, but from those of
Crete33. One origin of the name of the Corybantes was
derived from the guard which they were said to have
kept over Persephone34, in order to defend her against
the incestuous designs of Zeus. The love which that pe-
culiarly Cretan god had once felt for Demeter, or Rhea,
was now transferred to her daughter. The sacred form
of serpents was assumed by both the maiden and her
suitor35, and, in due time, Persephone became the mother
of the celebrated Zagreus ; who, while yet a child, was
32 Above, p. 72.
33 Hesiod, Theog. 913.
,%H Tetce Hep<Te<p6vi]V \evKw\evov, r\v 'ALSwvevs
ijpTracrev ?}s irapa fxr]Tp6<s.
Where the Scholiast says : '"RpTrdaQai ok ti]v Tlep(re<p6vi]v (paa-lv ol \xkv
34 See Lobeck, Aglaophamus, p. 546. who cites Procultjs, Theol. vi,
13. 382. 'Ava \6yov tois skcl Kovprjat. r\ tcov lS.opvf3d.vTwv Ta^ts irpofial-
vovcra o-iiv Trj Ko'pp, Kal eppovpovaa avTr\v (lis <pi]a-iv r\ deoXoyta, Sid Kal
Ttjf eirasvvfiiav e\a)^ov tautiji/.
35 Lobeck, 1. c. p. 548. Atiienagoras, c. xx. p. 292. Zeus oe—Kal
Ttjv p.t]Tepa 'Veav dnrayopevovaav avTou tov ydp.ov kSitoKe' opciKaivris Sk
aijxj/s yevofievrji—kplyi)—cItcc Qepaecpovri Trj dvyaTpl iptyt] (3iaarduevo<; Kal
avTtjv iv cpdnovTos crxnp-a-TL. Ovid, Met. vi. 114. speaks of Jupiter,
Aureus ut Danaen; Asopida luserit igneus;
Mnemosynen pastor, varius Deo'ida serpens.
The usage of instead of a or era, in the word
evvfip'i^ris, is not at all surprising. The Cretan inscrip-
tions, published by Chishull, contain SiKa^aaOai, \jsa(pi-
^ajtxevois, and other similar Cretan dorisms.
This virgin daughter of Demeter, Persephone, was
usually called Core : and it is from her name, rather
than from that of any other goddess, that one would
Avish to derive the Cretan Corion32, were it not for the
former existence of a temple, dedicated to the virgin
Goddess Athene, at the place.
In the Orphic poems, and other repertories of those
later legends, which delighted in fixing on Crete as the
scene of many amours of both gods and goddesses, we
find frequent mention of Persephone.
According to the poet Bacchylides, she was carried off
by Pluto, not from the shores of Sicily, but from those of
Crete33. One origin of the name of the Corybantes was
derived from the guard which they were said to have
kept over Persephone34, in order to defend her against
the incestuous designs of Zeus. The love which that pe-
culiarly Cretan god had once felt for Demeter, or Rhea,
was now transferred to her daughter. The sacred form
of serpents was assumed by both the maiden and her
suitor35, and, in due time, Persephone became the mother
of the celebrated Zagreus ; who, while yet a child, was
32 Above, p. 72.
33 Hesiod, Theog. 913.
,%H Tetce Hep<Te<p6vi]V \evKw\evov, r\v 'ALSwvevs
ijpTracrev ?}s irapa fxr]Tp6<s.
Where the Scholiast says : '"RpTrdaQai ok ti]v Tlep(re<p6vi]v (paa-lv ol \xkv
34 See Lobeck, Aglaophamus, p. 546. who cites Procultjs, Theol. vi,
13. 382. 'Ava \6yov tois skcl Kovprjat. r\ tcov lS.opvf3d.vTwv Ta^ts irpofial-
vovcra o-iiv Trj Ko'pp, Kal eppovpovaa avTr\v (lis <pi]a-iv r\ deoXoyta, Sid Kal
Ttjf eirasvvfiiav e\a)^ov tautiji/.
35 Lobeck, 1. c. p. 548. Atiienagoras, c. xx. p. 292. Zeus oe—Kal
Ttjv p.t]Tepa 'Veav dnrayopevovaav avTou tov ydp.ov kSitoKe' opciKaivris Sk
aijxj/s yevofievrji—kplyi)—cItcc Qepaecpovri Trj dvyaTpl iptyt] (3iaarduevo<; Kal
avTtjv iv cpdnovTos crxnp-a-TL. Ovid, Met. vi. 114. speaks of Jupiter,
Aureus ut Danaen; Asopida luserit igneus;
Mnemosynen pastor, varius Deo'ida serpens.