Sicily presents to the ordinary tourist attractions which in number ...

154 ANTIQUITIES IN THE MUSEUM AT PALERMO.
Inside it is circular, but outside it has seven facets, each
nine millimetres long and seven broad. In some of them
the artist has introduced as many as five figures of
whitish gold, silver, or some other metallic substance. All
the subjects are derived from the Gospel history, and we
have here perhaps the most minute representations ever
executed of the Annunciation, Visitation of Elizabeth,
Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Baptism of Christ, Ecce
Homo, and Women at the Sepulchre. In the centre of
these compartments is a shield bearing figures of an emperor
and empress standing, and Christ between them,
also erect, apparently in the act of uniting the two august
personages. 1 As in the case of the caduceus, the value of
this precious relic is considerably enhanced by the inscription
upon it, ΟΟω ΠΛΟΝΕΥΔΟΚΙΑΟΕΟΤΕΦΑΝΟΟΑΟΗΜΑΟ,
which is nielloed and circular. No one can doubt that
this motto is derived from the last verse of the fifth
Psalm, ώς οττλω Ευδοκίας ΐσπφάνωσας ημάς, and that it contains
a punning allusion to some princess named Eudocia. 2
But as there are no less than eleven mentioned in Byzantine
history, it is difficult to determine who is meant here.
Of these ladies the earliest occurs in the fourth century,
the latest in the twelfth, and some of them were called
Eudoxia as well as Eudocia. In this long series the wife
of Arcadius stands out most prominently on account of
her persecution of Chrysostom, who is said to have reviled
her as Jezebel and Herodias ; but two of her successors
distinguished themselves more honourably by literary performances,
and deserve to be classed with the historian
Anna Comnena. 3
1 In consequence of the very small
size of the figures it is difficult to
distinguish whether the central one
is intended for Christ or the Virgin
; it has been suggested that the artist
might have preferred to introduce the
latter out of compliment to Eudocia.
This view is to some extent supported by
the prominence given to the Empress in
the legends upon the coins of Roms.nus
IV. and Eudocia; see the " Memoir"
quoted in the last note, pp. 17 and 18.
Again, the head-dress appears to be a
wimple, square and straight over the forehead,
and coming down the sides of the
face, as we see it in illuminated manuscripts,
e.g. head of St. Thecla in a Greek
Psalter from Byzantium, shown me by Mr.
Thompson of the British Museum ; comp.
Sabatier, " Monnaies Byzantines," vol. ii,
Pl. 1, No. 12, Romain IV. et Eudocie.
2 Similarly the words Άγάθυνον, Κύριε,
ev τij ευδοκία σου την καΐ οικοδομηθητω
τα τείχη Ιερουσαλήμ. Do good in thy good
pleasure unto Zion : build thou the walls
of Jerusalem, Psalm li (ed. Bagster), 18,
were applied to Eudocia, wife of the
Emperor Theodosius II; she spent many
years at Jerusalem, and repaired its walls;
Glicas, Annales, in the " Byzantine
History," torn, ix, p. 202 A.
3 The Eudocia mentioned in the preceding
note wrote poems chiefly on
Scriptural subjects; Eudocia Macremboli-