The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

QUAESTIONES CYRENAICAE. 259
naturally lead us to suppose. The one exception is
the fruit-laden branch which is found on a Rhodian
didrachm with the puzzling inscription BA 31 (M.
i. 364), on Ptolemaic gold staters of Phoenician weight
(Svoronos, op. cit., No. 101), and on late bronze (M. i. 339).
In none of these cases is the symbol coupled with the
ethnic of Gyrene, and in the last we have what is
probably the initial of Euesperides, so we may conclude
that here, too, we have a clear example of the
local significance of a symbol. 100
Of M. i. 364 I have no explanation to offer.
BA$I must stand for BASIAEIIS. The fruit branch
seems to imply Euesperides. The coin itself, to judge
by the stiff style of the silphium, does not come early
in the series of Ehodian didrachms. The head suggests
personal traits and has vague Ptolemaic analogies, but
to say, as does Miiller (I. c.), that it is a head of Soter
seems too much. The enigmatic inscription would
suggest some time of interregnum such as the period
between the death of Ptolemy I and the open defection
of Magasfrom his half-brother Philadelphus (283-280?).
With this the style of the silphium accords well
enough, while the fleshy face agrees with what we
know of Magas' appearance. 161 At the same time it
is doubtful whether Magas actually assumed the royal
title. As I shall attempt to show later, the coins read-
ing BA$IAEH3 MAFA cannot be accepted as evidence,
1G2 and the literary authorities are not unanimous ; nor,
if they were, would their evidence be conclusive, for
they are mostly on a level with Justin who calls even
160 See below, p. 278.
61 As Cavedoni suggested, M. i. p. 143, and note 4.
162
Cp. the references collected in Thrige, p. 223, note 9.