Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

at Delphoi 255
oratory traditionally ascribed to Menandros the rhetorician of Laodikeia
on the Lykos (c. 270 A.B.y, but more probably composed
by an anonymous rhetorician of Alexandreia in the Troad^, con-
cludes with an appeal to Apollon Srninthios :
'But, Sminthian and Pythian god,—for with thee my discourse began, and
with thee shall it end—by what titles shall I address thee ? Some name thee
Lykeios, some Delias, others As/cratos, others again Aktios. At Sparta men
call thee Amyklatos, at Athens Patroios, at Miletos Branchidies. Every town
and country and nation thou dost traverse. Yea, even as thou dost dance round
the sky with the choruses of the stars about thee, so dost thou traverse the
whole world of men. The Persians name thee Mithras, the Egyptians Horos—
for thou bringest round the seasons (Jidrai) in their circuit—, the Thebans
Dionysos ; and the Delphians honour thee with a twofold title, calling thee at
once Apollon and Dionysos. About thee are the Muses (?), about thee the
Maenads. From thee the moon too gets her radiance, and the Chaldaeans name
thee leader of the stars. Whether, then, thou carest for these titles, or for others
better than these, grant that our city may ever enjoy full prosperity, and that
this festival may for ever be held on thy behalf. Give grace, moreover, to the
words that are spoken ; for of thee come speech and city alike ^.'
(i. 441 Bekker) carries the confusion further by asserting that Commodus decapitated the
colossus of Rhodes and placed its head on his own statue !). But these accessories were
afterwards removed (Lamprid. v. Commod. 17. 9), and in the fourth .century A.D. the
Neronian image once more had a rayed crown (Curioszcm iirbis regiomi/n xiv reg. iv
= Notiiia regiomim urbis xiv reg. iv (H. Jordan Topographic der Stadt Horn im Alterthum
Berlin 1871 ii. 546)). Its base of brickwork is still in situ (H. Jordan—C. Huelsen
op. cit. Berlin 1907 i. 3. 320 ff). The probability is that from first to last the colossus was
recognised as the sun-god. If it bore the features of a Nero or a Commodus, we must
remember that the former had posed as the Rhodian Helios and the latter at least as
Hercules (R. Peter in Roscher Lex. Mytli. i. 2987 ff., Class. Rev. 1906 xx. 418).
^ W. Christ Geschichte der griechisciien Litteraiiir'^ Mtinchen 1898 p. 755 f.
- C. Bursian 'Der Rhetor Menandros und seine Schriften' in the Abh. d. bayer.
Akad. 18S2 Philos. -philol. Classe xvi. 3. 17 ff.
^ Id. ib. p. 151 prints the passage ( = C. Walz Rhetores (7^ae« Stuttgartiae et Tubingae
1836 ix. 3'29f., L. Spengel Rhetores Graeci Lipsiae 1856 iii. 445 f.) thus : dX\' c3 H/jLivdie
/cat Ili^^ie, diro (toO yap dfi^d/xevos 6 \6yos eh cri Kai KarafTrjcreL (reXevTrjaei. M. ni.), iroiais
(re Trpo