all, as is fitting, crowned with fillets and green garlands. Whensoever with them, both men and women, I come to a flourishing town, there am I worshipped. They follow along with me in countless throngs, fain to enquire what is the path to prosperity: some ask for oracles; others in all manner of diseases hear and hearken to my healing voice, albeit long pierced with sore pains." Since the historicity of Lycurgus the Spartan law-giver is still a moot point,[1] I will not appeal to the fact that in later days he was worshipped as a god ((
Greek characters)).[2] But after the battle of Aegospotami in 405 b.c. another Spartan, Lysander, was certainly recognised as a god: altars were erected to him, offerings brought, and paeans sung, while the Samians actually changed the name of their immemorial festival, the Heræa, to Lysandrea in his honour.[3] At Athens Cratinus more than once spoke of Pericles as Zeus,[4] and a well-known passage in the Acharnians of Aristophanes[5] says:
"Then Pericles the Olympian in wrath
Lightened and thundered and confounded Greece."
These phrases of the comedians voiced a belief that had been latent among the Athenians for centuries. The popular champion was the embodiment of Zeus. Hence, when Demetrius Poliorcetes entered Athens in 302 {sc|b.c.}}, "the people received him not only with frankincense and garlands and libations of wine, but also with processions
- ↑ G. Busolt, Griechische Geschichte, i.,² 569, n. 1.
- ↑ Ib., 578, n. 2.
- ↑ Plut., vit. Lys., 18, Athen., 696 e, Hesych., s.v. (
Greek characters).
- ↑ Plut., vit. Per., 3, (Greek characters) Aspasia he dubbed Hera (Plut. vit. Per., 24, schol. Plat., p. 391), as did Eupolis apparently (Hesych. s.v. (Greek characters)).
- ↑ 'Aristoph., Ach., 530 f.
