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Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

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The double axe and the labarum 6 1<br />

home of the Ophites was Phrygia^;- and there can be Httle doubt<br />

that <strong>in</strong> this, the central portion of their otherworld chart, they sought<br />

to comb<strong>in</strong>e old Phrygian beliefs with new Christian teach<strong>in</strong>g^ The<br />

appearance of a' Idbrys <strong>in</strong> such a context is <strong>in</strong> the highest degree<br />

significant : it attests precisely the same spirit of accommodation that<br />

we detect <strong>in</strong> the Constant<strong>in</strong>ian labarum. Another Gnostic rem<strong>in</strong>iscence<br />

of the double axe has been recognised by F. de Mely^ <strong>in</strong> the<br />

first book of the Kyranides. The author of that magico-medical<br />

compilation, who writes under the name of Hermes Trismegistos<br />

(the late Greek equivalent of the Egyptian Thoth)^ at some date<br />

prior to c. 408 A.D.^ <strong>in</strong>forms us <strong>in</strong> his prologue that he has put<br />

together the book of Kyranos k<strong>in</strong>g of Persia*' and another book<br />

dedicated by Harpokration of Alexandreia'' to his own daughter.<br />

dvwT^pd} kvkXoji' iiriy£ypafj./x^i>a, dWa re Kal 8vo drra, /ueif6c re /cat fiiKporepov viov Kal<br />

Trarpds.' evpofxev 8' qp-els ev TOVTifi T(p SLaypd/j.fxaTi tov fiei^ova kvkXov kul top puKporepov, uv<br />

iirl Tri% diafierpov etreyiypaiTTo ' waTr)p' Kal ' w6s,' Kai p-era^ii rod pLeL^ovoi, ev (p 6 puKpSrepos<br />

riv, Kal dWov (TvyKeip-ivov (so P. Koelschau, after E. Bouhereau, for dWovs

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