Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

Zeus Brontaios^ Brontm^ Brojttesios 835
Perhaps Syntrophus, like Pythagoras^ had been 'purified with the
thunder-stone' and 'lying prone' in the appointed place had been
warned to erect this monument to Zeus Hypsistos Brontaios.
Another marble stele, found between Tchakyrdja and Hadji Paon,
represents in relief an altar, the sacrifice of a bull, and four worship-
pers. Below is the inscription :
' Meleagros and Theoxenos and
Menandros, the sons of Protomachos, (discharged) a vow to Zeus
Brontaios'^!
Thunder, says Sir William Ramsay, '
in early summer is ex-
ceedingly common on the Phrygian uplands^' Hence one of the
chief cults of northern and eastern Phrygia was that of Zeus
Bronton, ' He
that Thunders.' Scores of inscriptions from this'' and
and his worship, thanks
adjoining districts^ make mention of him ;
to the traffic in Phrygian slaves, spread at a comparatively early
date to Rome''.
As to the character of this deity, apart from vague epithets such
1881 vi. 134
afterthought.
^ Supra i. 646.
f. no. 3). The order of the words suggests that Bpovraiip was added as an
^ F. W. Hasluck in the /otn-n. Hell. Stud. 1907 xxvii. 66 no. 12 MeX^a7pos Kal
Kal Mevavdpos ol Upwrofiaxov | Ad BpovTaiui. evxV"-
Qe6^evos I
'^
Sir W. M. Ramsay in theyottrn. Hell. Shed. 1882 iii. 124.
* At and near Nakoleia (Sir W. M. Ramsay in Xh&Joui-n. Hell. Stud. 1882 iii. 123 f.
1884 V. 257 f.), Dorylaeion {id. ib. 1882 iii. 123, 1884 v. 255 fif., id. in Studies in the
History and Art of the Eastern Provinces of the Roman Empire Aberdeen 1906 p. 276 f.
nos. 7, 10, II, Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 3810, Add. no. 381715, A. von Domaszewski in the
Arch.-ep. Mitth. 1883 vii. 174 ff. nos. 14, 16, 18, 29, 33, T. Preger in the Ath. Mitth.
1894 xix. 3iof. nos. 9— 11. See further stipra p. 280 n. 1), Prymnessos [Corp. inscr. Gr.
iii no. 3819), Kyviak {ib. iii no. 3822), Kotiaeion (G. Perrot— E. Guillaume—^J. Delbet
Exploration archiologiqne de la Galatie et de la Bithynie eXc. Paris 1872 i. ii6f. no. 77),
Kurtkiji (A. Korte in the Ath. Mitth. 1899 xxiv. 441 ff. nos. 35—37), Giinjarik {id. ib.
1899 xxiv. 443 f. no. 38), Inhissar {id. ib. 1899 xxiv. 446 f. no. 44), Bunarbashi {id. ib.
1900 XXV. 409 f. no. 19), Giivibet {id. ib. 1900 xxv. 4i6f. no. 29), at and near Inonic {id.
ib. 1900 xxv. 417 f. nos. 27— 30).
^ Bithynia (G. Mendel in the Bull. Corr. Hell. 1900 xxiv. 411 no. 103 Essir-keui,
413 no. 106 Koujonnloii), Galatia {Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 4135 Ogur or Ogut, Sir W. M.
Ramsay in \^& Journ. Hell. Stud. 1884 v. 258 Ankyra, J. G. C. Anderson ib. 1899 xix.
73 no. 24 Iki kilisse), Lykaonia {supra p. 817 Laodikeia Katakekaumene).
^ Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. ^g^i = /ftscr. Gr. Sic. It. no. 982 (Rome) r^atos KXai/6tos
EuTi^X'VS ^f
dei
Bron-
The Roman lupiter Tonans, a very different deity, was likewise represented in Greek
by Zeus BpovTQv (Dion Cass. 54. 4) or Bpoirrjo-tos [res gestae divi Augitsti 19 p. 22 f. Diehl
cited supra p. iii n. o, ib. 2 p. 38 f. Diehl).
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