Zeus : a study in ancient religion . t. The same humanity and affability are characteristic of Asklepios, evenwhen an attempt is made to emphasise his Zeus-hood by means of externalattributes. For instance, an alliance-copper of Pergamon and Ephesos, struckby Commodus,has Asklepios standing, in his right hand the serpent-staff, inhis left a Nike, who offers a wreath to Artemis (Rasche Lex. Num. vi. 888, Suppl. i. 295 : but cp. Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Mysia p. 164pi. 33, 4), while coppers of Caracalla show Asklepios withlittle Telesphoros to the left and the cosmic globe to theright (Rasche Lex.
Zeus : a study in ancient religion . t. The same humanity and affability are characteristic of Asklepios, evenwhen an attempt is made to emphasise his Zeus-hood by means of externalattributes. For instance, an alliance-copper of Pergamon and Ephesos, struckby Commodus,has Asklepios standing, in his right hand the serpent-staff, inhis left a Nike, who offers a wreath to Artemis (Rasche Lex. Num. vi. 888, Suppl. i. 295 : but cp. Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Mysia p. 164pi. 33, 4), while coppers of Caracalla show Asklepios withlittle Telesphoros to the left and the cosmic globe to theright (Rasche Lex. Num. i. 158, Stevenson—Smith—Madden Diet. Rom. Coins p. 775 f., Cohen Momi. ^ iv. 178 no. 329 f. p • M • TR • P • xvili • imp • ill • COS •ilil-P-P-S-C- first brass, cp. ib. iv. 179 no. 331 do. Telesphoros. Fig. 926 is from a second brass inmy collection. For other examples of Asklepios with theglobe see Rasche Lex. Num. Suppl. i. 298 f.: E. Loewe De Aesculapi figuraStrassburg 1887 p. 75 n. 7).. Fig. 926. (4) Asklepids and the Snake. Next we must note the constant association of this human Zeus with a himself on occasion took that form. He travelled from Epidauros toSikyon as a snake drawn by mules ; and from the roof of his temple in the lattertown hung a small figure of Aristodama, the mother of his son Aratos, riding ona snake (Paus. 2. 10. 3): the creature so ridden was presumably none other thanthe god, who was believed to have consorted with Aristodama in snake-form(Paus. 4. 14. 7 f., cp. Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 866 n. i). Again, it was as asnake that Asklepios came from Epidauros to Epidauros Limera on the eastcoast of Lakonike : he slipped out of the ship and dived into the earth not farfrom the sea at a place where altars, planted about with olive trees, were erectedto him (Paus. 3. 23. 7 : see F. W. Hasluck in the Ann. Brit. Sch. Ath. 1907—1908 xiv. 179). At Lebena in Crete there was a famous temple of Asklepio
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