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Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

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The double axe and <strong>Zeus</strong> Labrdyndos 591<br />

as <strong>in</strong> pri<strong>in</strong>is a fighter, brought his old wooden effigy up to date by<br />

means of an added sword, and saluted him as Strdtios, the ' Lord<br />

of Hosts ^' This title occurs <strong>in</strong> several <strong>in</strong>scriptions from Mylasa'.<br />

But the martial aspect of the deity worshipped by Carian mercenaries<br />

from generation to generation never really eclipsed the orig<strong>in</strong>al con-<br />

ception of him as a storm-god and fertilis<strong>in</strong>g power. Labranda is<br />

liable to ra<strong>in</strong> of exceptional severity, as Sir Charles Fellows^ found<br />

to his cost. He reached Mylasa on March 20, 1840, '<strong>in</strong> a violent<br />

storm,' and here he was deta<strong>in</strong>ed by the ra<strong>in</strong> fall<strong>in</strong>g '<strong>in</strong> such torrents'<br />

that, when he attempted an excursion to Ayakli, it completely soaked<br />

his pockets, portfolios, and carefully copied <strong>in</strong>scriptions. He com-<br />

pla<strong>in</strong>s that 'the thick branches of a group of evergreen oaks did not<br />

even afford shelter from the delug<strong>in</strong>g ra<strong>in</strong>.' After this we are not<br />

surprised to learn from Aelian* that <strong>Zeus</strong> Labrandens got his name<br />

from the 'heavy downpour' that he sent. Modern man is apt to<br />

grumble at a shower. But the <strong>ancient</strong>s knew better, and welcomed<br />

it as proof of the sky-god's gender<strong>in</strong>g force.<br />

If the sky-god was the fertiliser, the earth-goddess was the ferti-<br />

^ Ail. de nat. an. 12. 30 rh he dya\/j.a S,'i.ra p. 576 f.) expressly dist<strong>in</strong>guishes the cult of <strong>Zeus</strong><br />

Kctpios from that of <strong>Zeus</strong> Xa^pavdrjvbi or SxpaTtos. No doubt Aelian has blundered ;<br />

probably because, as C. Robert <strong>in</strong> J. Schaefer De love apud Cares culto (Dissertationes<br />

philologicae Halenses xx. 4) Halis Saxonum 1912 p. 357 n. i suggests, he is mix<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

contents of Hdt. i. 171 with those of Hdt. 5. 1 19.<br />

- Lebas—Wadd<strong>in</strong>gton Asia M<strong>in</strong>eure no. 342 (a dedicatory <strong>in</strong>scription of s. i B.C., with<br />

a representation of a double axe above it) Qeo\x,vi]aTo\] ttju €CK6[va Q€6iJiv]\[7]]aTos A^optos<br />

Kara 8i vo6€(7[iav AtOKXelovs tov] \<br />

TloXuKXeiTov,<br />

hpevi Atos ^rpariov, [(j)L\o(TT]\opyias 'iveKiv<br />

Kai evvolas, [a.vid7)Ke]\\y'] Ad 'ZTpariajL.<br />

W. Judeich <strong>in</strong> the Ai/i. Mitlh. 1890 xv. 267 fif. no. 20 (a decree of s. i B.C.), 3 ff<br />

^do^ev TTJ 'TappecrvTwv cpvXrj yvuifiriP \<br />

[vLod]€(7Lav AioKXeiovs TOV UoXvKXfiTov, iepiws Albs |<br />

[dwo(pr]]va/j,evov<br />

QeofivrjcrTOv tov A^ovtos Kara Si \<br />

[SrJpaTetou<br />

Kai "Upas, 'Ayavhov<br />

apxovTo?, oirws k.t.X.<br />

Lebas—Wadd<strong>in</strong>gton As/'e M<strong>in</strong>eure no. 415 (supra p. 579 n. o no. (2) bis), 12 ff.<br />

ive^L^aaev 8e aiiToiis ^vdvTi\lov fijaprijpwv tcSc ofidpujp, AiovTos tov QeofivrjCTTOV tov A4ovtos,<br />

Ai/jLvaiov tov Qeo/nvrjcTTOv,<br />

\ [Kai<br />

EJyTroX^/iou tov Qeo/xvrjaTov iep^cos Alos Kapiov, Kai 'Idffovos<br />

Kai Qeo/jLvrjcTTov viwv Qeopi.vricr\[Tox/}, /uero. Kvpiov tov waTpbs avTwv QfOfj.vri(TTov tov A^ovtos<br />

KaTOL di viodeaiav AiOKXelovs \<br />

[tov] TLoXvkXeItov, iepiojs At6s "ZrpaTiov Kai<br />

"Hpas.<br />

Lebas—Wadd<strong>in</strong>gton Asie M<strong>in</strong>eure no. 343 (a dedication of s. i B.C.)<br />

Au. Srparta).<br />

^ C. Fellows An Account of Discoveries <strong>in</strong> Lycia London 1841<br />

pp. 67, 69.<br />

^ Ael. de nat. an. 12. 30 Zei)? 5e AajBpavdevs vaas Xd^pqj Kai TroXX

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