The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

QUAESTJONES CYRENAICAE. 81
The coins of Cyrene-Euesperides, according to the
theories here advanced, were issued by Arcesilas
after B. c. 462. Herodotus's account of Cyrenaic history,
though he makes no direct mention of such an event,
house. The
implies the previous fall of the kingly
famous oracle cannot but be, as Busolt points out, a vati-
cinium post eventum. Herodotus's account is worked up
from material gathered during a visit which probably
took place about 443. G1
time for the oracle
Allowing
to establish itself in circulation, the fall of Arcesilas
cannot have occurred much later than 445 ; for other
reasons it is probably not much earlier than 450.
Arcesilas had made himself hated :
there were many
that the exiles retired
powerful exiles. Is it not likely
on Barce, the natural enemy of their own city, and
thence plotted the tyrant's downfall? Barce would
naturally be willing to do all in her power to harm
the government of her rival. If, as has been suggested
on the poor authority of Polyaenus, 62 Barce was already
a republic, the likelihood is increased. May we not
see in this coin the recognition of help aiforded in the
successful attempt of the Cyrenaeans to expel their
king? Such help would be very needful to the new
government of Gyrene. Arcesilaus still lived ; at first
01
Jacoby in Pauly-Wissowa, s.v. Herodotus, p. 254.
52
Polyaen. vii. 28, describing the siege of Barce by Arsames,
presumably c. 483, speaks of ot apxovres as being sent by the
besieged city to treat for terms. This has been taken to show
that Barce had already ejected her kingly house : but (1) Busolt
and Meyer regard the incident as a duplication of the Aryandes-
Barce story ; (2) if, as is very possible, it does refer to a second
siege, Polyaenus is very likely to have written the story in accordance
with his own ideas of what an ancient Greek city was like,
and to have been mistaken in mentioning the apxovrfs who (3) may
anyhow quite well have co-existed with a king; see p. 73, note 47.
NCMIS&I. CHRON., VOL. XV, SERIES IV.
Q.