CHAPTER VIII.

COINS OF GETAS, KING OF THE EDONEANS, AND OF THE KINGS OF OTHER PARTS OF MACEDONIA AND THRACE; OF THE KINGS OF EPIRUS AND SICILY; OF THE KINGS OF CARIA, OF THE KINGS OF CYPRUS, OF THE KINGS OF PÆONIA; SCILURUS, KING OF SARMATIA, TISIPHONUS, TYRANT OF PHEROS, AND DIONYSIUS TYRANT OF HERACLEA.

Ir appears convenient, in treating of the coinage of short dynasties, to form several series into groups having soine chronological affinity. Those series which terminate before, or shortly after the time of Alexander the Great, I have placed next after the Macedonian series, arranging them as nearly in chronological order as convenient, but extreme observance of chronological succession would be impossible. My general plan, however, will be to leave such series as extend greatly beyond the Christian era to be described last, so as not to have to retrace our steps in order to notice a number of coins of a comparatively early period, after having once advanced deeply into the decadence of Greek art. The earliest regal coins after those of Macedonia are undoubtedly those of Getas, king of the Edoneans, and they will therefore range first in this miscellaneous chapter.

COINS OF GETAS, KING OF THE EDONEANS.

These are very remarkable monuments, and no doubt of equal antiquity with the celebrated coins of Alexander I. of Macedon, always cited in elementary works on ancient coins as the earliest to which a date can be assigned. These coins of Getas, though no historical record helps us to a date, the name being only known through the medium of the coins under description, can safely be assigned to the same date as those of Alexander I., as the mode of fabric is precisely the same, which, when the districts

There

are near to each other, is a tolerably certain test. fore they may be assigned to a period at least as early as 480 B.C. The coin of Alexander I. is the first example of the occurrence of an unabbreviated name of a prince upon a coin; but that of Getas is perhaps quite as remarkable in being the earliest example of the title of king (BAXIAETE) being placed on the public money of a state. The two curious and highly interesting coins which are here referred to are both in the British Museum. They are of unusual size in the silver coinage of any period, being octodrachms, and are proofs of the wealth of this nation at the early period at which they must have been issued. The Edoneans appear to have possessed that portion of Thrace which contained the rich silver and gold mines of Mount Pangœum, Dates, Crenides, and Scaplæ-Hyla; the subsequent possession of which enabled the sovereigns of Macedon to subdue the world, as foretold by the Delphic oracle when it directed Philip to fight with lances of silver, while we find Horace stating that the Macedonian conquerors forced the gates of towns, broke down ramparts and dispersed armies, as often with the ore of the Thessalian mines as with the Macedonian phalanx. Herodotus tells us that the silver mines on the borders of Thrace yielded a talent of silver per day.

These coins of the Edoneans exhibit inscriptions in different dialects, showing that they were in wide communication with different Greek states. One inscription is гETA HAQAN BAZIENZ, in the Doric dialect, and the genitive case; and the other is, ΓΕΤΑΣ ΗΔΟΝΕΟΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ, in the Ionic dialect,

and the nominative case.* The relief of the type is bold and striking.

Coins of the Osseans, a people of a neighbouring district of Thrace, have also the same types as those of Alexander I. and Getas, and are of the same fabric with a similar punch mark and inscription on the reverse. The inscription is ΟΣΣΕΩΜ, an Æolian genitive for ΟΣΣΕΩΝ.

Rude coins of Amadocus, king of the Odryces, a Thracian tribe, with AMA-KO—and a head of Jupiter, and on the reverse a two-headed axe, are attributed to an Amadocus, a prince of this region. Alcibiades speaks of the advantage to be derived by the Athenians from the alliance of Amadocus and Seuthes. This was previous to the battle of Ægos-Potamos in 405 B.C. A second Amadocus, however, appears about thirty years later than the first, to whom some attribute these coins, but the square at the back would almost justify its attribution to the first, as may be seen by a comparison with contemporary kings of Macedon. The coin has a twoheaded axe and a Caduceus on the obverse, with AMA— KO—, and on the reverse in a small square, is a branch of vine with AHM, and o.

A coin with the head of Jupiter on the obverse, and a horseman on the reverse, a poor imitation of the coins of Macedonia, appears to belong rather to the second Amadocus. It has the inscription . . . . . ΔΟΚΟΥ.—ΟΔΡΙΣΙΤΩΝ.

Teres, another king of the same country, who appears to have been dethroned after the reign of Amadocus II. by Philip of Macedon, has also left coins similar to those of Amadocus I. The type of the double axe belongs to Tenedos, and the bunch of grapes to Maronea, to which places the dominions of these kings did not extend, so that their occurrence on these coins is not accounted for.

We have coins of Seuthes, king of a portion of Thrace, probably Odressia, which may be those of Seuthes III., about 325 B.C. The former princes bearing this name do not appear to have coined money; at all events none has come down tc us. Those attributed to Seuthes III. are

The only doubt as to the antiquity of these coins arises probably from the use of the in forming the genitive; notwithstanding which, the best numis matists give them the period I have named.

of bronze, with a head of Jupiter on the obverse, a horseman on the reverse, and the inscription Ereor. A fourth Seuthes appears to have reigned about 200 B.C., and his coins have an eagle on the obverse, and on the reverse, within a laurel crown, Eror.

COINS OF SCILURUS, KING OF EUROPEAN SARMATIA, IN THE FIRST CENTURY BEFORE CHRIST.

Scilurus, king of European Sarmatia, reigned in the first century before Christ. He was a contemporary of Mithridates II., Eupator, and defended his dominion against that prince. This prince appears to have possessed extensive dominions in Europe, which reached to the Chersonesus, where, in the ruins of the Greek town of Olbiopolis (Olbia), coins have been found bearing his name. The obverse has the head of Mercury wearing the pileus, and the reverse the caduceus, with the inscription BAZIA. ZKIAO, variously abbreviated. Others have been found on the same site bearing also the name of the city, with that of Scilurus and a queen, Pythodoris. The coins supposed to be of his queen Pythodoris, have a rude car or rather wagon drawn by two horses on the reverse, with пrеоAоРIAOX.BA; and on the obverse a female head, veiled.

Scilurus is stated to have had eighty sons, and it is to him that the well-known apologue, inculcating unity, is applied, of the old man giving the bundle of sticks to break, which, when together, resisted all their efforts; but singly were easily broken. Head of Mercury on obverse; caducous and inscription on reverse.

COINS OF THE KINGS OF PEONIA.

Patraus appears to have reigned about 356, and Audoleon 310 B.C. The last was driven from the kingdom by Lysimachus, and his treasure being betrayed to the conqueror by one of his officers, his means of resistance were paralysed, and the kingdom ended with his reign.

The coins of these Peonian princes belong to a good period of Grecian art, and their close neighbourhood to Macedonia enabled them to procure good artists to execute their money. Those of Patraus are remarkable; they have on the obverse a head of Apollo, which may be in allusion to the king's name, Apollo being known under the name of Patröus, and on the reverse a horseman riding over an enemy, in allusion to triumphs over the Macedonians; the inscription is (ПАТРАOT) of Patraus.

Those of Audoleon have a head (a front face) wearing a helmet on the obverse; and on the reverse, a horse stepping, very boldly executed, and ΑΥΔΩΛΕΟΝΤΟΣ.

A king, Ariston, is mentioned by historians, whom Lysimachus pretended to replace on the throne of Peonia, and others suppose that a prince named Eupolemus had also obtained some portion of territory, and struck money before the pretended restoration of Ariston, as coins are known of the character of their reigns, with the legend, ΕΥΠΟΛΕΜΟΥ. The order of the dynasty is supposed by the more recent discoveries to stand thus :

1. Agis, father of Patraus,

2. Patraus,

3. Audoleon,

4. Eupolemus,

5. Ariston.

The coins of Lyceius or Lycceus, mentioned by Eckhel, after having been excluded from this series, have been reinstated in consequence of the discovery of fresh coins by Mr. Cousinery.

COINS OF THE KINGS OF ANOTHER PORTION OF THRACE.

Gavarus, a Gaulish king of part of Thrace. The Gauls appear to have invaded Macedonia and Thrace, in the third century B.C., and to have immediately coined money after the manner of the Greeks. There are coins of this Gallic leader having on the obverse a laureated head of Apollo, and on the reverse a figure of victory standing with an arm extended, and the inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΚΑΥΑΡΟΥ, and a monogram. Gavarus was the second Gaulish king of Thrace,