Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

780 Modifications in the shape
became extremely popular in Hellenistic' and Roman times {supra
i. 607 fig. 478, ii. 750 fig. 689, pi. xxxiv).
These three modifications of the lotos— flames, wings, and spiral
twist—are all to be found on the wonderful series of silver coins
struck by the temple-mints at Olympia (pi. xxxvi)^ The coins in
question form the subject of an important monograph by C. T.
Seltman, who has devoted a special section to their treatment of the
thunderbolt. It appears that the basis of the Olympian design was,
from first to last, the duplicated lotos. Flame-lines, commencing as
a detail on coins issued from c. 510 B.C. by the mint of Zeus
(pi. xxxvi, I ff.), end by becoming the principal feature on coins
issued from c. 421 B.C. by the mint of Hera (pi. xxxvi, 1 1 f.).
Wings, which begin as a mere feathering of the calyx (pi. xxxvi, i),
develop into pinions of various shapes and sizes. The thunderbolt is,
in fact, transformed before our eyes into a winged creature instinct
with a life of its own. Now it spreads its glorious vanes like a
^ E.g. on an Apulian kratir at Naples (Heydemann Vasensanunl. Neapel ^. 591 ff.
no. 3256, E. Braun in the Ann. d. Inst. 1836 viii. 99 ff., Man. d. Inst, ii pis. 30— 32,
Overbeck Gr. Kunstviyth. Zeus p. 182 ff. (n), Atlas pi. i, 26 (Zeus only), C. Robert Die
Maratkonscklacht in der Poikile und weiteres iiber Polygnot Halle 1895 p. 36 ff. (omitting
restorations), Reinach Rep. Vases i. 98— 100).
^ The arrangement of the coins on pi. xxxvi is not primarily chronological, but typo-
logical : nos. I— 4 = flower + flame + wings ; nos. 5, 6 = two exceptional forms; nos. 7,
8 = closing wings; no. 9 = flower + flame, without wings; no. 10 = flower + wings, with
flame reduced to a tninimiim ; nos. 11, i2=flames increased to a maximum. The
specimens figured are the following
:
— —
I McLean collection = Seltman no. 14, a pi. i, K ti of Series ii {c. 510 c. 471 B.C.).
1 McLean collection = Seltman no. 131, a pi. 4, BK 75 of Series xiii {c, i,-3,i—
C. 421 B.C.).
3 McLean collection = Seltman no. 124, c pi. 4, BH ^x
C. 432 B.C.).
4 McLean collection, cp. Seltman p. 57
pi. 8, 7 of Series x (c. 452
of Series xii (c. 452
c. 432 B.C.).
5 McLean collection = Seltman no. 143, a pi. 5, BP 7^ of Series xv (c. 421—
C. 365 B.C.).
6 McLean collection, cp. Seltman p. 32 f. pi. 8, 35 of Series xxv (r. 191 B.C. — ).
7 McLean collection = Seltman no. 154, c pi. 5, BT- 7