Zis (deity)

Zis (Messapic: 𐌆𐌉𐌔) is a sky and lightning god in Messapian religion, occupying the most prominent role. The theonym is the equivalent and cognate of Albanian '' Zojz'' and Greek ''Zeus'', all from Proto-Indo-European '' *Di̯ḗu̯s'' 'sky god'. ''Zis'' appears in several votive inscriptions in the Messapic alphabet from Salento in Southern Italy.

Name

Attestation

The divine name appears in several votive epigraphic texts in the Messapic alphabet from Salento is attested in inscriptions starting from the early 6th century BCE.

Etymology

''Zis'' is the Messapic continuation of '' *Di̯ḗu̯s'', the name of the Proto-Indo-European daylight-sky-god. Cognates stemming from the noun ''*Di̯ḗu̯s'' with a similar phonological development are the Albanian '' Zojz'' and Greek ''Zeus''. In the Messapic ''Zis'', Albanian ''Zoj-z'', and Greek ''Ζεύς'', the original cluster ''*di̯'' of ''*di̯ḗu̯s'' underwent affrication to ''*dz''. The Tarentine god ''Dís'' (Δίς) has probably been borrowed from their neighbouring Messapians.

Epithets and role

Zis Batas

The cult of ''Zis Batas'' is the earliest and the more lasting one among the Messapians, attested from the archaic period to Roman Imperial times (from 8th to 2nd-1st centuries BCE). It appears in the earliest attested Messapic inscriptions, from votive dedication in the Grotta Porcinara in Leuca. This maritime cave was a Messapic sanctuary sacred to this deity, including an ash altar and miniaturistic sacrificial vases, and was located in a trade center along the routes connecting East and West, also frequented by Greeks. This indigenous Messapic deity was adopted by Greeks as ''Zeus Batios'' and by Romans as ''Iupiter Batius'' or ''Juppiter Optimus Maximus Batius'', which provide evidence for the continuity of this cult down to the Imperial period.

''Zis Batas'' has been interpreted as "Zis the Thunderer", a Messapian lightning and weather god, regarded as the ruler of atmospheric events including storms, and therefore protector of navigation. Hence it is reasonable to suppose that this deity was regarded by the sailors as a divine entity worshiped in order to assure good weather, salvation in sea and good navigation.; ; ; . Other than protector of navigation, ''Zis Batas'' could have been linked to aspects of fertility and prosperity, as indicated by the archaeological remainings of sacrificed goats offered to this deity, placed inside the miniaturistic vases and near the large ash altar in the Grotta Porcinara, dating from the 8th century BCE.

A bronze statue from Ugento is most likely the representation of the Messapic ''Zis Batas'' in the position of throwing a thunderbolt. It dates to ca. 530 BCE and was probably realized by a Tarentine artist.

Zis Menzanas

The Messapic sky god was also worshiped as ''Zis Menzanas''. The root in ''menzanas'' is a cognate of the Albanian ''mëz'' or ''mâz'' 'foal', from ''*me(n)za-'' 'horse', which underwent a later semantic shift 'horse' > 'foal' after the loan from Latin ''caballus'' into Albanian ''kalë'' 'horse'. Hence ''*me(n)zana-'' has been interpreted as a Palaeo-Balkan word for 'horseman'. Further relevant evidence can be seen in ''Iuppiter Menzanas'', mentioned in a passage written by Festus in relation to a Messapian horse sacrifice, and in ''ΜΕΖΗΝΑ̣Ι'' from a Thracian inscription on the Duvanli gold ring also bearing the image of a horseman.

Sky-Earth pair

The cult of ''Zis Batas'' is regarded as the male counterpart of the chthonic cults linked to Demeter (Messapic: ''Damatura'') and Kore. The origin of the Messapic goddess ''Damatura'' is debated: scholars like Vladimir I. Georgiev (1937), Eqrem Çabej, Shaban Demiraj (1997), or Martin L. West (2007) have argued that she was an Illyrian goddess (from PIE ''*dʰǵʰem-māter'', "earth mother", containing the Messapic root ''dā-'' "earth", cf. Albanian: '' Dheu'', "earth", used in Old Albanian for "Earth Mother"), eventually borrowed into Greek as Demeter, while others like Paul Kretschmer (1939), Robert S. P. Beekes (2009) and Carlo De Simone (2017) have argued for the Messapic borrowing from Greek ''Demeter''. According to Martin L. West, "the formal parallelism between the names of the Illyrian ''Deipaturos'' and the Messapic '' Damatura'' earth-mother"may favour their having been a pair, but evidence of the liaison is lacking."

Zeus Messapeus

The cult of Zeus Messapeus is documented in Spartan territory in Ancient Greece. Two ancient literary traditions attest ''Messapeus'' as a title of Zeus. Pausanias (2nd century CE) mentions a ''temenos'' of Zeus Messapeus on the west side of the Spartan plain. Stephanus of Byzantium (5th century CE) cites Theopompus (4th century BCE) providing evidence for the location of a sanctuary of Zeus Messapeus southwest of Sparta. Also an inscription on a vase found in Laconia dating back to c. 590-570 BCE attests the title ''Mesapeus'', and another 2nd century fragmentary stamped tile from Anthochori appears to refer to Messapian Zeus.

The Spartans possibly adopted the cult of ''Messapian'' Zeus from the Spartan colony of Taras in the sallentine peninsula where cultural exchanges between Messapians and Tarentines occurred. Indeed the Messapian god Zis was the most popular deity in the region.

References

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Citations

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Further reading

* {{cite journal , last=Catling , first=H. W. , title=A Sanctuary of Zeus Messapeus: Excavations at Aphyssou, Tsakona, 1989 , journal=The Annual of the British School at Athens , volume=85 , date=1990 , pages=15–35 , doi=10.1017/S0068245400015537 , jstor=30102837

Sky and weather gods
Paleo-Balkan mythology
Apulia