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

Metal Size Weight
S I 17-7
6i
8-7
8
6
6-5
7-6
7-6
4i
2
2
2
270-5
276
258-4
263-5
263-2
262-5
264-8
130-5
12-6
21
SICILY AND ADJACENT ISLANDS. 67
GELA.
Ifote.— Tlie position of Gela lias been a subject of mucli dispute among Sicilian antiquaries. The
people of Licata claim that honour, and it is difficult for the traveller who visits that place for the
first time not to fall into their opinion, on finding a large river seeming to answer to the Gela, with a
site on which, among many remains of ancient buildings, are found not only coins of Gela, but
inscriptions of different ages, in which the name of the people of Gela occurs. A comparison of the
best authorities, however, clearly shows that the river of Licata is not the Gela, but the southern
Himera, which rises on the opposite side of the same range of mountains as tlie northern Himera,
whence the two Himerse were fabled to originate in a common source. The southern Himera
was the boundary between the Agrigentiue and Geloian territories, when the two cities were equally
flourishing ; but at length, about the year 282 B.C., Phintias of Acragas took and destroyed Gela,
and removed the inhabitants to a new town at the mouth of the Himera, which he named Phintias.
It is evident, therefore, that Licata is the site of Phintias and Terra Nova of Gela. The latter site is
known by the remote age of the vases, and other objects of antiquity found there, but particularly by
the remains of a Doric temple, of which a column was still standing within a century, but now lies
prostrate.
It appeared to me to have belonged to a hexastyle temple of the 5th or 6th century b.c,
having columns between five and six feet in diameter. Such a temple could not have belonged to
any city between Agrigentum and Camarina, but the " iramanis Gela fluvii cognomine dicta" of Virgil
(JEn. 3, v. 702) : this river joins the sea about half a mile from the site of the temple, and is now
known as Giaudone or Fiume di Terra Nuova. As to the Geloan inscriptions at Licata, some of them
appear, from the form of the letters, to be of a later date than Phintias, and show that the people of
Phintias continued to call themselves Geloi ; another which I there copied, and which (to judge from
the Corpus Inscriptionum Grrecarum of Boeckli) is still unpublished, was on a fluted stele of the
best times it ; began O AAMOS TON TEAOION, sliowing by the O, that it must have been consi-
derably older than Phintias, having been brought probably from Gela at the time of the foundation
of the new city. With this knowledge of the history of Gela, we are prepared to observe, that
Bcarcely any of its coins appear to be later in date than the fourth century b. c.
iililUOAli, Female head to I. ; hair covered both on the forehead, and in a
decorated bag behind (Proserpine ?), R. rEAA[S]. Anterior part of andro-
morphous
bull to I.
Note.— Sosipolis seems here to be an epithet of the goddess, to whom some national success, or relief
from calamity, had been attributed.
. A30. Fore-half of andromorphous bull to r. R. Charioteer, in long drapery in
biga to r. ; horses walking gently; Victory, flying to r., and crowning the
horses.
CEAA€. Same type. R. Same type.
CEAA. Same type. R. Same type; beyond which, Ionic column (starting or win
ning post) ; below, ear of corn.
CEAAS. Same type. R. Same ; type below,
rEAAC.
R
FEAAS.
ear of corn ?
Same type. R. Same type ; in exergue, ?.
Same type; in field to r., close to the face, water-plant (river Gela).
Same type. — Electrotype.
Whole andromorphous bull to I. ; immediately before the face, bulrushes,
springing from the ground (river Gela) ;
in exergue, grain of barley,
riga to Z ; horses in extreme action ; above, eagle, flying to I. •
ear of corn.
Youthful male head to I., with narrow diadem, and small horn on forehead ; around,
three large fishes (trout or mullet ?), a river god. R. Biga to r. ; above, garland
; below, TEAaioN.— Electrotype from the B. M.
Fore-half of andromorphous bull to r. ; below, TEAAS. R. Bearded naked horse-
man, with pointed cap, galloping and throwing spear
TEAAS. Same type. R. Armed horseman, galloping
Five others ; medium weight, 7-4 grains.
. EAA
to I.
to r.
. Same type, in linear circle. R. Horse, stepping to r., bridle hanging
loose ; above, crown,
[q
R. Quadin
exergue,