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

166
Metal Size Weight
M
M 3-
'2-
El. 254-6
M 4-2J
2+
5-4
ISLANDS.
of PlatDea, caused a veiled wooden figure to be placed on a car, and drawn by oxen, pretending that
it was Plattea, daughter of Asopus, whom he was about to marry. Juno, having been informed of it,
met the procession, and tearing off the veil, thus discovered the fraud, and was reconciled to the king
of gods and men. At Platsea, which is not more than twenty-five miles from Chaleis, there was a
temple of Juno, the greatest of that goddess in this part of Greece. Besides her colossal statue by
Praxiteles, it contained a sitting figure of Juno by Callimachus, which the revei-se of tlie present coin
may possibly represent. This statue bore the epithet Nc/i^cvo/icvi;, implying that at the time of this
mythus she was not yet espoused to Jupiter.
Eagle flying to ?. B. -^ (XEP).
CHERSONASUS CietJE.
Note.—V. Numismata Hellenica, Islands, p. 8.
Helmeted male head to I. B. XE. Prow to r.
Another similar ; but helmeted head to r.
Androsphinx with curled wing
incusa, forming square. — Electrotype.
CHTUS, Ins. loniffi.
seated to r.
before it, grapes. B. Four quadrata
Note.—The genuineness of the original of this stater is doubtful, its style and execution being so
much inferior to those of the Cyzicene staters and of the contemporary Asiatic coins in general. Its
weight, however, is very much in its favour ; it is not only very nearly that of the Cyzicene staters,
but its excess over tliem makes its weight exactly equal to that of the Phocaean stater, with which,
on account ef the vicinity of Phocsea to Chins, it is more likely that its weight should agree, than with
that of the Cyzicene stater.
ISO'S Similar type to I. B, Quad. inc. divided into four by cross-bars.
55'3 Same type ; before it, wine-jar. B. Same type.
Same type seated to r. on winged caduceus ; left fore-foot raised. B. MHTPO-
AQP[OS] XIOS in two lines ; between them, wine-jar ; all in wreath.
CNOSUS sive CNOSSUS Creta;.
Note. —One of the most puzzling questions in Greek numismatics is that of reconciling the symbol
of the Cretan labyrinth on coins of Cnossus with the fact of the existence of the labyrinth itself near
Gortyna, for that the excavation near Aghius Dheka at the foot of Mount Ida is the renowned Cretan
labyrinth, the antiquity of which is proved by its connexion with the mythology of Crete, cannot be
doubted on reading the descriptions of it by Tournefort and Pocock, and more recently by Mr. Cockerell,
a traveller peculiarly qualified by his profession to give an accurate description of this most
remarkable memorial of remote antiquity. Mr. Cockerell, when he examined it, mindful of the
example of Theseus and Ariadne, placed a guard at the entrance of the cavern with one end of a
clue, of which Mr. Cockerell, or one of his companions, held the other end. In the cavern which
forms the vestibule of this extraordinary excavation tliere are four door-ways, three of which ai'e so
obstructed as not to admit of any entrance into the passages. " We did not leave," says Mr. Cockerell,
" a single passage of those which are still penetrable unexplored, but we found tlie greater part of
them stopped up by the falling ceiling, or by fragments of stone which had been thrown into them.
Considering their number, and that three of the four entrances from the vestibule are now quite im-
pervious, it may be presumed that not more than a third ef the labyrinth is now accessible." In
fact, on referring to Mr. Cockerell's plan, we find that he followed fifteen passages or branches of the
main passage, each of which ended in a small chamber, and that he left twenty-five branches un-