Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

Gradual elimination of the thunderbolt 761
The inference is clear. Alexander, ignoring the idealised ruler at
Olympia, harked back to the more ancient and popular type of
Zeus Lykaios. After all, Mount Lykaion too was called Olympos^.
Yet so immense was the fame of the Pheidiac figure that tetradrachms
issued later in the name and with the types of Alexander
are increasingly influenced by it. The left leg is advanced instead
of the right (figs. 705—707), and the throne is manifestly assimilated
to that of Zeus Olyiiipios (figs. 705, 707)-. Coins of the Syrian kings
from Seleukos i Nikator to Antiochos ii Theos, and again from
Antiochos iv Epiphanes onwards^, exchange the eagle for Nike and
Fig. 704. Fig. 705.
Fig. 706.
'
Fig. 707.
proceed to drape the Jiiindtion over the left shoulder—in short,
frankly adopt the whole Pheidiac design.
So even Alexander failed to arrest the moral evolution of Zeus.
What motive led him to make the attempt ? Why did he select for
his world-wide coinage the old eagle-bearer of Arkadia rather than
the newer and nobler creation of Pheidias ? Just here an interesting
suggestion has been made by Mr C. T. Seltman. He points out
to me (Aug. 27, 1921) that on some of the coins struck at Tarsos
by Mazaios before 333 B.C.* Ba'al-tars precisely resembles the
1 Supra i. 68.
^ Figs. 705, 706 are from specimens in my collection. Fig. 707 is from one in the British
Museum (Head Coins of the Ancients p. 63 pi. 31, 14, P. Gardner Types of Gk. Coins
p. 186 pi. 12, 23), of which I possess a duplicate, formerly in the Pozzi collection.
^ E. Babelon Les Rois de Syi-ie, d'Arminie et de Commaghie Paris 1890 p. xcv. The
coins of Antiochos iv are discussed and illustrated infra Append. N stibfin.
* For the dating [see an important monograph by E, T. Newell ' Myriandros—Alex-