Zis (deity)

Bronze statue most likely representing the Messapic god Zis Batas, probably by a Tarentine artist, ca. 530 BCE.[1]

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'.[2] Zis appears in several votive inscriptions in the Messapic alphabet from Apulia.

  1. ^ Mastronuzzi 2009, pp. 86–87.
  2. ^ Søborg 2020, p. 74.