Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

The double axe and Zeus Lal?rdyndos 597
Stiwasa and Zougo were remote villages, where barbarism
lingered to the last. But Mylasa under Hekatomnos was the chief
city of Karia, and must needs move with the times. Accordingly,
though the old cult-image of Zeus Labrdyndos was still enshrined at
Labranda, advancing civilisation began to demand that the god be
represented after a newer and nobler pattern. Hekatomnos, as we
have seen\ placed an improved type of him on the satrapal coinage.
And it is likely enough that other attempts were made to raise the
ancient deity above the level of semi-barbaric art. Interesting proof
of this upward tendency has recently come to light in connexion with
a magnificent head of Zeus, which passed from private ownership
into the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (pi. xxviii). A. Furtwangler,
shortly before his death, made a detailed and penetrating study of
this masterpiece-. His observations were to the following effect.
The head is carved of a fine-grained marble, slightly bluish in tone.
On the top of it is a round hole (5cm deep, by i— i^'^'" broad) and
further back an oblong dowel-hole (3'-' deep, 2'-'^ broad, 6^^ long).
These marks presuppose that something light, made of metal, rested
on the head: let us say, a kdlathos. Probably, too, the groove that
separates the front hair from the crown of the head implies a metal
wreath-'. The head (height of worked surface 0'48'^) was inserted
in the neck of a statue, which presumably wore a chiton concealing
the insertion. And, if a chiton, doubtless a hividtion also. Since the
god is turning his head somewhat towards his right, and since the
right side of his head is more carefully finished than the left, it may
be inferred that he was grouped with another figure, perhaps a
seated female, on the left. The nearest stylistic parallels are to be
found in the sculptures from the Mausoleum ^ And Furtwangler
lettres d^a. sont suivies d'autres lettres qui ne presentent aucun sens. Cette figure me
parait etre une repetition grossiere et alteree d'une divinite indigene, armee de la foudre,
a la poitrine de femnie et barbue, en un mot, d"un type assez voisin de celui du Zeus de
Labranda.'
^ Supra p. 576.
- A. Furtwangler in the Text to Brunn—Bruckmann De7ikm. der gr. und rom. Sadpt.
pis. 572, 573. For other publications see H. Lechat Phidias Paris
(1906) p. 175 fig. 17 ('Tete d'une statue de Zeus, inspiree du Zeus de
Phidias '), H. N. Fowler—J. R. Wheeler—G. P. Stevens A Handbook
of Greek Archaeology New York—Cincinnati—Chicago 1909 p. 231 f.
fig- 173-
^ The head of Zeus Labrdyndos wearing laureate kdlathos and
bay-wreath with diadem occurs on a copper of Mylasa issued by
Augustus {Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Caria, etc. p. 130 pi. 22, i
(z=my fig. 500): cp. ib. p. 130 no. 19, Hunter Cat. Coins ii. 425 FJg. cqo.
no. I, and Imhoof-Blumer Kleinas. Miinzen i. 144 no. i silver of
Augustus and Livia).
* Especially Brit. Mus. Cat. Sculpture ii. 126 no. 1054 pi. 20, i, Collignon Hist, de