Themis, a study of the social origins of Greek ... - Warburg Institute

IX] The Aguieus-Cone 407
and vehicle of a god thrice familiar, Apollo Aguieus, ' He
Ways.' Harpocration 1 thus describes him :
of the
Aguieus is a pillar tapering to the end, which they set up before the doors.
And some say they are proper to Apollo, others to Dionysos, others to both.
It is usually thought that Harpocration is blundering when
he attributes the Aguieus pillar
to Dionysos. Now that its real
nature as a fertility-symbol is
understood he is seen to be
right. The pillar was neither
Apollo nor Dionysos, it preceded
and entered into the nature of
both.
A good specimen of an actual
Aguieus-pillar 2
is still extant
and is given in Fig. 120. It is
cone-shaped, and on it are a
number of pegs on some of which
hang votive wreaths. About
two-thirds of the way up as on
the coin of Megara a fillet is
twined round the pillar. Round
the vase are sculptured figures
of Apollo himself in human form
dancing round his own Aguieus
pillar. Opposite him is Pan play-
ing on the syrinx. To their
piping dance the three Horae.
It is a strange conjunction of
old and new, the human-shaped
Fig. 120.
1 S.v. 'A7was' dyvuvs 5e eari kiwv eis 6£i> \riyuv, 8v Icrrdai irpb tQiv dvpwf l5iovs 5e
elvai (paaiv avrovs 'AttoWuvos, oi 5e Aiovvaov, oi 8e d/x