Zeus Epacrios
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Zeus Epacrios
Can someone explain the details of this Epithet of Zeus?
AgathonZante- God Member
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Join date : 2014-02-17
Age : 33
Re: Zeus Epacrios
AgathonZante wrote:Can someone explain the details of this Epithet of Zeus?
It's a title. It means 'lofty' or 'high above.'
Would I be right to say that the details beyond that are fairly self-explanatory?

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"O Best of Gods, blest daimon crown'd with fire . . . hear, and from punishment my soul absolve, the punishment incurr'd by pristine guilt, thro' Lethe's darkness and terrene desire: and if for long-extended years I'm doom'd in these drear realms Heav'n's exile to remain, O grant me soon the necessary means to gain that good which solitude confers on souls emerging from the bitter waves of fraudful Hyle's black, impetuous flood!"
-Iulianic Hymn to Apollon-Helios, ll. 65-106
"Having come for punishment, one must be punished. One must not pull apart the god within oneself."
-Iamblichus, Vita Pythagorica
"Truth would you teach, or save a sinking land,
All hear, none aid you, and few understand."
-Alexander Pope
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Erodius- Moderator
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Re: Zeus Epacrios
The epithet derives from "epi akrios", literally "upon the hight/high place". As far as I know this is an epithet of Zeus at Erchia, a deme of Attika. Zeus Epakrios had an altar on Mt. Hymettos, and the cult to Zeus Epakrios seems to have been separate from the cult of Zeus Hymettios, which was also located on the same mountain. The altar of Zeus Epakrios was I believe on the very summit of the mountain, and lay unused for a while, even though the altar of Zeus Hymettios remained in use. Offerings were made to Zeus Epakrios at Erchia on the 16th of Thargelion, according to a ritual calendar found at Erchia.
Last edited by J_Agathokles on Fri Jul 04, 2014 8:20 am; edited 1 time in total
J_Agathokles- Moderator
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Re: Zeus Epacrios
J_Agathokles wrote:The epithet derives from "eli akrios", literally "upon the hight/high place". As far as I know this is an epithet of Zeus at Erchia, a deme of Attika. Zeus Epakrios had an altar on Mt. Hymettos, and the cult to Zeus Epakrios seems to have been separate from the cult of Zeus Hymettios, which was also located on the same mountain. The altar of Zeus Epakrios was I believe on the very summit of the mountain, and lay unused for a while, even though the altar of Zeus Hymettios remained in use. Offerings were made to Zeus Epakrios at Erchia on the 16th of Thargelion, according to a ritual calendar found at Erchia.
Different minor, local shrines with different associate titles, in varying use over passing time; to call the cults *separate* is likely a bit of over-hairsplitting, and the remains and references few, anyway. Hymettus was itself, in essence, a Jovian shrine overall, with an emphasis largely on weather-associated powers of the deity, with each individual fane given its own focal title, as would be expected.
Ἐπάκριος is a general referent, rather than a local designation like Ὑμηττιος. Any mountaintop Jovian power would be functionally an Ἐπάκριος in semantics.
In any case, the upper reaches of Hymettus are closed to public access – so the relevance is perhaps most to historians and archaeologists.
Thank you, J_Agathokles.
_________________
"O Best of Gods, blest daimon crown'd with fire . . . hear, and from punishment my soul absolve, the punishment incurr'd by pristine guilt, thro' Lethe's darkness and terrene desire: and if for long-extended years I'm doom'd in these drear realms Heav'n's exile to remain, O grant me soon the necessary means to gain that good which solitude confers on souls emerging from the bitter waves of fraudful Hyle's black, impetuous flood!"
-Iulianic Hymn to Apollon-Helios, ll. 65-106
"Having come for punishment, one must be punished. One must not pull apart the god within oneself."
-Iamblichus, Vita Pythagorica
"Truth would you teach, or save a sinking land,
All hear, none aid you, and few understand."
-Alexander Pope
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Blog: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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Erodius- Moderator
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