of men was naturally felt to be
granted by Zeus; as, on the east coast of Greece, the greater clearness
of the air by the power of Athena. If you will recollect the prayer of
Rhea, in the single line of Callimachus--[Greek: "Taia phile, teke kai
su; teai d' odines elaphrai]," (compare Pausanias, iv. 33, at the
beginning,)--it will mark for you the connection, in the Greek mind, of
the birth of the mountain springs of Arcadia with the birth of Zeus. And
the centers of Greek thought on this western coast are necessarily Elis,
and, (after the time of Epaminondas,) Messene.

[Illustration: XVIII.

ARTEMIS OF SYRACUSE.

HERA OF LACINIAN CAPE.]

196. I show you the coin of Messene, because the splendid height and
form of Mount Ithome were more expressive of the physical power of Zeus
than the lower hills of Olympia; and also because it was struck just at
the time of the most finished and delicate Greek art--a little after the
main strength of Phidias, but before decadence had generally pronounced
itself. The coin is a silver didrachm, bearing on one side a head of
Demeter, (Plate XVI., at the top); on the other a full figure of Zeus
Aietophoros, (Plate XIX., at the top); the two together signifying the
sustaining strength of the earth and heaven. Look first at the head of
Demeter. It is merely meant to personify fullness of harvest; there is
no mystery in it, no sadness, no vestige of the expression which we
should have looked for in any effort to realize the Greek thoughts of
the Earth Mother, as we find them spoken by the poets. But take it
merely as personified Abundance,--the goddess of black furrow and tawny
grass,--how commonplace it is, and how poor! The hair is grand, and
there is one stalk of wheat set in it, which is enough to indicate the
goddess who is meant; but, in that very office, ignoble, for it shows
that the artist could only inform you that this was Demeter by such a
symbol. How easy it would have been for a great designer to have made
the hair lovely with fruitful flowers, and the features noble in mystery
of gloom, or of tenderness. But here you have nothing to interest you,
except the common Greek perfections of a straight nose and a full chin.

197. We pass, on the reverse of the die, to the figure of Zeus
Aietophoros. Think of the invocation to Zeus in the Suppliants, (525,)
"King of Kings, and Happiest of the Happy, Perfectest of the Perfect in
strength, abounding in all things, Jove--hear us,