Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

The double axe and Zeus Labrdyndos 561
Plutarch's statement that this Idbrys was a sacred heirloom of
the Lydian kings, introduced into Karia in the time
of Gyges (716—678 B.C.) and there placed in the hand
of Zeus, is to some extent confirmed by the coin-types
of Lydia and Karia. At Thyateira in Lydia the double
axe appears by itself on bronze coins of Seleucid and
imperial date (fig. 437)^ But on other bronze pieces
of the same town, referred to the time of Trajan or
Fig. 437-
Hadrian, it is shouldered by a young man on horseback inscribed
Tyrhnnos (fig. 438)-. This youthful rider represents the Thyatirene
hero*, whose precinct* and temple' stood before the city". He was
Fig. 438. F'g- 439- Fig. 440.
known as 'the forefather Tyrimnos"' or 'the forefather god Tyrimnos*,'
and gave his name to the local festival of the Tyrimneial
As a youthful athletic god he was equated with Apollon under the
•* Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Lydia pp. 2925. pi. 29, 3 f., 302 f., Hunter Cat. Coins ii.
468 nos. I, 2, 469 no. 12, F. Imhoof-Blumer Lydische Stadtmiinzen Genf—Leipzig 1897
p. 148 pi. 6, 6, p. 149 nos. 7, 7a, p. 151 n. 2. I figure a specimen, struck under Nero,
from my collection.
- Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Lydia p. 294 pi. 29, 6, F. Imhoof-Blumer Lydische Stadt-
miinzen Genf—Leipzig 1897 p. 149 f. pi- 6, 9 ( = my fig. 438), Head Hist, nutn.'^ p. 658.
^ F. Imhoof-Blumer op. cit. p. 150 f., Gruppe Gr. Myth. Ret. pp. 1241 n. 5, 1249 n. 2.
* G. Radet ' Inscriptions de Lydie' in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1887x1. 478 f. no. 57, i4ff.
{Kirk-Agatsch) a.yijivoQi\ji)\\(T\a.vTa. KaXcSj K\aX Ka]j[Ta](r/(6iidcraj'Ta t\o 7rpo]i[7r]i;Xatov toO
T[eyU^]|[^o]llS Toxi TiVpinvov.
•' G. Radet loe. cit. p. 459 f. no. 22, 2 ff. (Thyateira) with the corrections of P. Stouraites
in 'Apyuovi'a, June 24, 1894 = ^//^. Mitth. 1894 .xix. 535
dx&iiar)i vwb t^s 7r6Xews |
SejSaoreiou
f. irpiiiTov dyicvod^TTiv r^i 5rp((u)|rco$
koL Tvpifivrjov Tralvrj-yvpeus. Cp. infra n. 7.
^ Corp. inscr. Gr. ii no. 3493, I ff". (Thyateira) a.'^wvoQij-i)(jav\TO. rod irpo irdXewi Tvpi-
nvov ev\56^wi Kal iirL