Zis is theMessapic continuation of*Di̯ḗu̯s, the name of theProto-Indo-European daylight-sky-god.[4] Cognates stemming from the noun*Di̯ḗu̯s with a similar phonological development are theAlbanianZojz andGreekZeus. In the MessapicZis, AlbanianZoj-z, and GreekΖεύς, the original cluster*di̯ of*di̯ḗu̯s underwent affrication to*dz.[5] TheTarentine godDís (Δίς) has probably been borrowed from their neighbouring Messapians.[6]
The cult ofZis 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).[7] It appears in the earliest attested Messapic inscriptions, from votive dedication in the Grotta Porcinara inLeuca.[8] This maritime cave was a Messapic sanctuary sacred to this deity, including an ashaltar 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 asZeus Batios and by Romans asIupiter Batius orJuppiter Optimus Maximus Batius, which provide evidence for the continuity of this cult down to the Imperial period.[9][7][10][1]
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.[11][note 1] 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.[14][7]
A bronze statue fromUgento is most likely the representation of the MessapicZis Batas in the position of throwing a thunderbolt. It dates to ca. 530 BCE and was probably realized by aTarentine artist.[1]
The Messapic sky god was also worshiped asZis Menzanas.[15] The root inmenzanas is a cognate of the Albanianmëz ormâz 'foal', from*me(n)za- 'horse', which underwent a later semantic shift 'horse' > 'foal' after the loan fromLatincaballus into Albaniankalë 'horse'. Hence*me(n)zana- has been interpreted as aPalaeo-Balkan word for 'horseman'. Further relevant evidence can be seen inIuppiter Menzanas, mentioned in a passage written byFestus in relation to a Messapian horse sacrifice, and inΜΕΖΗΝΑ̣Ι from aThracian inscription on theDuvanli gold ring also bearing the image of a horseman.[16]
The cult ofZis Batas is regarded as the male counterpart of the chthonic cults linked toDemeter (Messapic:Damatura) andKore.[17] The origin of the Messapic goddessDamatura is debated: scholars likeVladimir I. Georgiev (1937),Eqrem Çabej,Shaban Demiraj (1997), orMartin L. West (2007) have argued that she was an Illyrian goddess (from PIE*dʰǵʰem-māter, "earth mother", containing the Messapic rootdā- "earth", cf. Albanian:Dheu, "earth", used in Old Albanian for "Earth Mother"), eventually borrowed into Greek asDemeter,[18][19] while others likePaul Kretschmer (1939),Robert S. P. Beekes (2009) andCarlo De Simone (2017) have argued for the Messapic borrowing from GreekDemeter.[20][6] According toMartin L. West, "the formal parallelism between the names of the IllyrianDeipaturos and the MessapicDamatura ["earth-mother"] may favour their having been a pair, but evidence of the liaison is lacking."[21]
The cult of Zeus Messapeus is documented inSpartan territory inAncient Greece. Two ancient literary traditions attestMessapeus as a title of Zeus.Pausanias (2nd century CE) mentions atemenos of Zeus Messapeus on the west side of the Spartan plain.Stephanus of Byzantium (5th century CE) citesTheopompus (4th century BCE) providing evidence for the location of a sanctuary of Zeus Messapeus southwest of Sparta. Also an inscription on a vase found inLaconia dating back to c. 590-570 BCE attests the titleMesapeus, and another 2nd century fragmentary stamped tile fromAnthochori appears to refer to Messapian Zeus.[22]
The Spartans possibly adopted the cult ofMessapian Zeus from the Spartan colony ofTaras 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.[23]
^Early evidence of celestial cult inIllyria, on the other side of the Adriatic, is provided by 6th century BCE plaques fromLake Shkodra, which belonged to theIllyrian tribal area of what was referred in historical sources to as theLabeatae in later times. Each of those plaques portray simultaneously sacred representations of the sky and the sun, and symbolism of lightning and fire, as well as thesacred tree and birds (eagles). In those plaques there is a mythological representation of the deity, who throws lightning into a fire altar, which is held by two men (sometimes on two boats). This mythological representation is identical to theAlbanian folk belief and practice associated to the lightning deity. A traditional Albanian practice during thunderstorms was to bring outdoors a fireplace (Albanian:vatër), in order to gain the favor of the deity so the thunders would not be harmful to the human community.[12] Albanian folk beliefs regard the lightning as the "fire of thesky" (zjarri i qiellit) and consider it as the "weapon of the deity" (arma/pushka e zotit/perëndisë). Indeed an Albanian word to refer to the lightning isrrufeja, related to theThracianrhomphaia, an ancientpolearm.[13]
^Pagliara, Cosimo (1990)."Grotta Porcinara".Bibliografia Topografica della Colonizzazione Greca in Italia e Nelle Isole Tirreniche (in Italian).8 (8). Siti: Gargara - Lentini:187–188.
Bottini, Angelo (2017). "Archéologie et religiosité des peuples italiques sur les territoires situés entre les mers Adriatique, Ionienne et Tyrrhénienne".Perspective actualité en histoire de l'art (1). INHA – Institut national d'histoire de l'art:65–90.doi:10.4000/perspective.7121.ISSN1777-7852.
Catling, R. W. V.; Shipley, D. G. J. (1989). "Messapian Zeus: An Early Sixth-Century Inscribed Cup from Lakonia".The Annual of the British School at Athens.84:187–200.doi:10.1017/S006824540002092X.JSTOR30104552.
Lamboley, Jean-Luc (2019) [2000]. "Les cultes de l'Adriatique méridionale à l'époque républicaine". In Delplace, Christiane; Tassaux, Francis (eds.).Les cultes polythéistes dans l'Adriatique romaine (in French). Ausonius Éditions. pp. 133–141.doi:10.4000/books.ausonius.6762.ISBN9782356132604.
Mannino, Katia (2009). "Uso funzionale della ceramica attica a Vaste: dal culto degli antenati ai riti funerari". In Simona Fortunelli, Concetta Masseria (ed.).Ceramica attica da santuari della Grecia, della Ionia e dell'Italia: atti convegno internazionale, Perugia 14-17 marzo 2007. Osanna. pp. 439–454.ISBN9788881672622.
Catling, H. W. (1990). "A Sanctuary of Zeus Messapeus: Excavations at Aphyssou, Tsakona, 1989".The Annual of the British School at Athens.85:15–35.doi:10.1017/S0068245400015537.JSTOR30102837.
