Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

The Pythia as Bride of Apollon 207
(tt) The Py^/i/a as Bride of Apollon.
At this point two questions may be raised. If Themis, whom
the Fates once bore 'up tlie dread stair' to Zeus\ was really the
Fig. 145.
the haunting presence, and a reminder that the Erinys was originally none other than the
angry ghost (Miss J. E. Harrison 'Delphika' in the. Journ. Nell. Stud. 1899 xix. 205 ff.
and in her Proleg. Gk. Rel.' p. 213 ff.). In [b) Apollon is seated, with bay-branch
and lyre, on the omphalos : to the left we see Orestes, to the right Pylades, both in
traveller's attire, the former holding a sheathed sword and two spears, the latter a spear.
Behind Orestes stands Elektra. Behind Pylades is the Pythia, seated on the tripod with
a fillet in her hands. The moment represented is doubtful. According to C. Boetticher,
Orestes is receiving from Apollon the sword and the commission to slay his mother.
Raoul-Rochette and most critics regard the scene as one of purification after the deed:
e.g. J. Overbeck thinks that Orestes is about to touch his blood-stained blade with the
bay-branch of Apollon. H. Heydemann would recognise here the concluding act of the
whole drama— ' die Schwertweihe nach vdlliger Genesung und Rlickkehr aus der Krim.'
See further Raoul— Rochette Momimens inedits d'antiqzdt^ figur^e Paris 1831 p. 186 ff.
pis. 36 and 37 = my fig. 146, Inghirami Vas. fitt. iv. iisf. pi. 385 f., Overbeck Gall. her.
Bildw. i. 706, 715 f. Atlas pi. 29, 2, 2", 11, C. Boetticher in Xh^ Arch. Zeit. i860 xviii.
49 ff. pi. 138, i = Reinach Rip. Vases i. 390, 2 f 1 Supra p. 37.