Numismata hellenica: a catalogue of Greek coins; with notes, a map ...

28
Metal Size Weight
M
M
IE
M
M
M
M
M
M
3
3
^
6
6-5
H
167
169-5
168-1
163-5
ASIATIC GREECE.
ASCALON Phoenicia.
Female bust, with apex, to r. B. AS.
Veiled and turreted female head to r
iol.
Dove standing to r.
B. AL. TOP (year 176, a.d. 72). Galley
Same type. R- AS. nP (year 180, a.d. 70). Same type.
Augmtm.
SE. Head of Augustus to I. ; before the neck, ? R. AS. Roman soldier, adv. ;
in raised right hand, sword ;
in left hand, shield and palm branch.
Domitianm.
C6BA. Head of Domitian to r. R. AC. HSP (year 198). Same type.
Note.—This date proves that Eusebius (in Chron.) is correct in placing the year 380 of the ffira of
Ascalon in the first year of the 264th Olympiad, or second year of the emperor Probus. Hence it
appears that in the year B.C. 104, in the reign of Antiochus VIII., the Ascalonitte asserted their
autonomy and their independence of both Syria and Egypt.
ASPENDUS Pamphyliaj.
Note.— Aspendus was situated on the Eurymedon, at six or eight miles from its mouth (see my
Asia Minor, p. 194). The Argive colony, which settled here, gave to the local name the Greek
form ASnENAOS. The preservation of the Pamphylian form on the Aspendlan coins shew*
that the Pamphylians, like the Lycians and Phrygians, had a language of their own, to which they
applied the Greek alphabet, though probably not so extensively as the Lycians, no inscribed monuments
having been found in Pamphylia similar to those of Lycia. As none of the non-Hellenic characters,
representing Lycian sounds, so numerous in that language, occur in the Pamphylian name of As-
pendus, in which all the letters are Greek of the sixth century B.C., there is a presumption that the
Pamphylian tongue was different from the Lycian. According to Strabo (p. 631), the Lycian,
Pisidlan, and Lydian languages were all spoken in his time. The Pamphylian was probably the
same as the Pisidian, and the Lydian the same as the Phrygian. Of the latter there are some well-
preserved specimens still extant on monuments of the Gordian dynasty in the centre of Phrygia, not
far from Nacoleia (Asia Minor, p. 21). From these specimens it seems evident that the Greek
letters were applied to the Phi-ygian language at a much earlier time than to the Lycian and Pam-
phylian —a natural consequence of the easier communication of Lydia and Phrygia with the western
coast, where the Phoenician letters were first introduced, and where they were naturahzed and
applied to their own language by the earliest Greek or Pelasgic colonies.
Warrior, with sword and shield, to r. ; between his legs, a globule. R. EST.
Triquetra, or figure formed of three human legs, joined at the thighs in a trian-
gular form ; behind the lower part of the triquetra, a Hon to I. ; all in quadrate
incuso.
Another, but no globule, and lion to r.
Electrotype.
Two wrestlers engaged. R. . STFEaIIVS. Slinger to r., clothed in a shirt without
sleeves, and adjusting his sling ; in field to r., triquetra ; all in dotted square,
within a quad. inc.
Same type; in field, no ; all in a finely dotted circle, upon which, as a small
countermark, is an owl standing to r. R. Similar, but countermark indistinct.
Same type. R. Same legend, type, and symbol, but with four countermarks:
1, helmeted head ; 2, 2 ; 3, head of Hercules ; 4, quadruped lying down, and
all in dotted square, within quad. inc.
looking back ;
Same type. R. ESTFEAIIVS. Same type and same symbol; in field to /-., four
countermarks: 1, uncertain; 2, ox standing tor. ; 3, quadruped to r.,
looking back ; 4, quadruped running to r., over it a crescent.
Electrotype.