top of page
Search

Zeus and Solar Eclipses

  • Writer: scoa32
    scoa32
  • Sep 13, 2015
  • 1 min read

This coin displays the head of the Seleucid King Antiochus the VIII (Grypus) on the obverse and Zeus on the reverse. Zeus is standing holding a star which represents the moon and the crescent above him is solar. The below quote sheds some light on the powers of Zeus.

Zeus, father of the Olympians, made night from mid-day, hiding the light of the shining Sun, and sore fear came upon men.

Archilochus, Greek poet, refering to the solar eclipse of April 6, 647 BC

The reign of Antiochus the VIII was between 125-96 BC and the above coin was minted in Akko-Ptolemais. Solar eclipses in 126 and 125 BC were seen in the Eastern Mediterranean around the time of his ascension to the throne. Only brief solar eclipses followed and were seen in 115 and 103 BC. Grypus tried to promote the Hedonistic lifestyle, "the good life" and is showing Zeus possibly interupting a solar eclipse. Grypus is also calling himself "God made manifest" on the reverse. At the heart of all nature worship and paganism is the worship of self. The promotion of the ability to interrupt a fearful omen in nature is a divine attribute that Antiochus the VIII is trying to communicate to the people. It is important to remember the crescent moon phases were associated with planting and harvesting. The phases of the moon were like clockwork to the ancients and common to normal events. Solar eclipses were irregular and significant with divine intervention to the uneducated population.

Photo Gitbud-Naumann Coins


 
 
 

2000 years ago the cross was a Roman symbol of death and terror. Jesus Christ transformed this symbol into a universal sign of God's love, hope and resurrection. Solar eclipse events are recorded in Roman mythology during the conception of Romulus and Remus by the war god Mars and during the foundation of the city of Rome. The solar eclipse to the Romans was a sign from their gods that war was upon the Earth. The solar eclipse symbol of the star/pellet within the crescent on Roman coins and legionary standards was also a sign of their god's approval of Roman domination over conquered lands. Fifteen hundred years later, the "Our Lady of Guadalupe" Icon was presented to the New World as an inverted Roman Legionary Standard. Jesus Christ changed these symbols of Roman domination and slavery into an everlasting sign of God's love and compassion. 

bottom of page