Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

654
The double axes of Tenedos
blades as any evidence of the divine duality. In art, as in language',
reduplication implies emphasis. The feeling that transformed the
lightning-fork^ into a thunderbolt, and thereby doubled the ability
of the thunder-god to strike, augmented the cutting edges of the
Idbrys with the same result. Accentuated further, it produced not
merely double but multiple blades, as in the case of the mould
from Palaikastro (fig. 525)1 Finally, double axes with twofold
blades and flower-like sepals, such as occur sporadically among the
bucrania of Mykenai (fig. 409, dy, are found at Pseira, a small island
in the Gulf of Mirabello, repeated as a pattern to cover the surface
of ceramic vessels (figs. 581, 582)^ The vessels and their contents
were thus protected by the whole armoury of heaven.
(o) The double axes of Tenedos.
The 'Minoan' conception of a bisexual axe is, as Sir Arthur
Evans® has pointed out, confirmed by the coin-types of Tenedos.
The obverse of these coins from the sixth century B.C. onwards
whether their style be archaic (fig. 583)', late archaic (fig. 584)*,
fine (figs. 585, 586)^ or decadent (figs. 587,
588)'"—shows a Janiform
head consisting of a male and a female profile combined : the reverse
has a double axe with a short handle. Sir Arthur Evans makes the
1 K. Brugmann Grundriss der verglekhenden Grannnaiik der indogermanischen
Sprachen^ Strassburg 1906 ii. i. 46 f., 56 ff., id. Kurze vergleichende Grammatik der
indogerinanischen Sprachen Strassburg 1904 pp. 286 f., 300 f., K. Brugmann—A. Thumb
Griechische Grammatik'^ Miinchen 1913 pp. 206 f., 302 ff., R. Kiihner—F. Holzweissig
Ausfiihrliche Grammatik der lateinischen Sprache"^ Hannover 1912 i. 729 ff., 947.
2 Infra § 3 (c) iv (^).
* Supra p. 623 f. ^ Supra p. 537.
^ R. B. Seager Excavations on the Island of Pseira (University of Pennsylvania. Tlie
University Museum: Anthropological Publications iii. i) Philadelphia 1910 p. 31 fig. 12,
G. Karo—G. Maraghiannis Antiquith Cr^toiscs Deuxieme serie Candie 191 1 p. ix pi. 21,4
( = my fig. 582) and 6 (=my fig. 581), a small basket-shaped vase and the lid of a large
vase, both of ' Late Minoan i.'
* Sir A. J. Evans in th&Journ. Hell. Stud. 1901 xxi. 108.
^ Brit. Mtis. Cat. Coins Troas, etc. p. 91 pi. 17, 2 ( = my fig. 583), Babelon Mann,
gr. ram. ii. j. 367 f. pi. 16, 2, Anson Num. Gr. ii. 6 no. 50 pi. i, Head Coins of the
Ancients p. 5 pi. 2, 19, id. Hist, num? p. 550.
® I figure an unpublished specimen from my collection.
^ Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Troas, etc. p. 92 f. pi. 17, 6— ro, Hunter Cat. Coins ii. 303 f.
pi. 49, 16, Babelon Monn. gr. rom. ii. 2. 1305 ff. pi. 166, 22— 33, Anson Num. Gr. ii.
6 f. nos. 48, 53—58, 61 f. pi. I, Head Coins of the Ancients p. 38 pi. 18, 20 f., id. Hist.
numP' p. 550. Figs. 585 and 586 are from specimens in my collection.
i** Brit. Mils. Cat. Coins Txoz.i,, etc. p. 94 pi. 17, 12, 13 ( = my fig. 588), 14, Hunter
Cat. Coitis ii. 304 no. 4, Anson Num. Gr. ii. 7 nos. 64—66 pi. 2, Head Coins of the
Ancients p. 91 pi. 49, 13, id. Hist, nutn."^ p. 551 fig. My fig. 587 is from Briider Egger
Auktiotis- /Catalog xlvi Griechische Miinzen (Sammlung des Herrn Theodor Prowe,
Moskau, u.a.) Wien 1914 p. 34 no. 699 pi. 12—an early example of the decadent class
with some exceptional features (pattern on stephdne, handle of axe).