4. Obv.-Head of Persephone, with short curly hair and cornwreath; behind, owl. Rev.-ZYPAKOMINN. Nike in quadriga, right, with 5. Obv.-Head of bearded Herakles, in lion's skin, left. Rev. Similar to preceding, with letters wt. 81 grs. = A. A. 8; full 6 litræ. (Pl. XIII. 6.) 6. Obv.-Head of Apollo, left, laureate. 4 litræ. Rev.-ZYPAKOZIN. Nike carrying trophy and palm; The specimen of this type in the British Museum is re-struck over a piece of 4 litræ of Gelon, described above, p. 63. (Pl. XII. 12.) 7. Obv.-Head of Persephone, left, wearing corn-wreath; behind, torch. Rev.-EYPAKOMINN. Zeus standing, front, and looking right; he rests on spear; in field, left, flying eagle and XAP. Æ. 95; full wt. 185 grs. = 10 litræ. (Pl. XIII. 8.) 8. Obv.-Head of Apollo, left, laureate. Rev.-ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΙ. Female figure with inflated veil, holding a half-unrolled scroll and a filleted branch. In field, A, K, or ❖. R. ·55; full wt. 33.75 2 litræ. (Pl. XIII. 9.) 9. Obv.-Head of Artemis, right, with quiver over shoulder. Rev.-ZYPAKOZIOI. Owl facing, with letters A, K, or. R. 45; full wt. 16.87 XIII. 10.) 10. Obv.-Head of Pallas, left. = 1 litræ. (Pl. Rev.-ZYPAKOZIOI :·XIII, with letters, A or K. The prevalence of the head of Pallas as an obverse type during these few years of democracy, may be a reminiscence of the Corinthian stater, first introduced by Timoleon, after the expulsion of the Dionysian family. No coins with this type had been seen at Syracuse for more than half a century, when Hieron struck the last degraded imitation of the earlier Corinthian stater. The Democracy after Hieronymos would appear, therefore, to have reintroduced this type, so long popular at Syracuse, and to have struck pieces with the head of Pallas in gold of 40 litræ, and in silver of 12, 8, and 1 litræ, respectively. The reverses of the gold and of type 2 of the silver probably represent some celebrated statue of Artemis Soteira, while the obverse of No. 9 shows us the head of the same statue. The reverse of No. 7 has been proved by G. Abeken (Annali dell' Instituto, 1839, p. 62) to represent the statue of Jupiter Imperator, mentioned by Cicero (in Verr., iv. 58) in the following passage: "Hoc tertium, quod erat Syracusis, quod M. Marcellus armatus et victor viderat, quod religioni concesserat, quod cives atque incolæ Syracusani colere, advenæ non solum visere, verum etiam venerari solebant, id Verres ex templo Jovis sustulit." With regard to the :-XIII on the reverse of No. 10, see Mommsen (ed. Blacas, p. 116), who proves that it is to be understood as 13 copper litræ. This mark of value in the Roman character indicates a further depreciation in the value of the copper litra, and, consequently, of the copper talent, which was originally equal to 120 silver litræ or nummi; after the first reduction to 24; after the second to 12; after the third to 10; and, as is proved by this little coin, ultimately to 9 only. The following table shows the several reductions in the weight of the copper litra, together with the equivalents in copper of the silver litra, the weight of which was always the same, viz., 13.5 grains : Æ. lit. R. lit. R. lit. Æ. lit. 1 Æ. litra, originally 8875 grs. 120=120...1= 1 It is needless to repeat that these successive reductions of the litra of account do not of necessity involve a corresponding rise in the value of copper, considered as a metal, in comparison with silver (see p. 13). Nor is it even clear that the weight of the copper currency was reduced, although the silver coins were legally rendered of greater value, in respect to the unit of account. The issue of copper during the three years between the death of Hieronymos and the capture of the city does not appear to have been extensive. The following are the pieces which I would assign to this period: 1. Obv.-Head of Poseidon. Rev.-EYPAKOZION. Trident, between two dolphins; beneath, Aг, O . E. 8. (Pl. XIII. 12.) 2. Obv.-Same. Rev.-ZYPAKOMINN. Same. E. 55. 3. Obv.-Head of Apollo, laureate. Rev. EYPAKOMINN. The Dioscuri; beneath horses, 4. Obv.-Head of Apollo, laureate. Rev.-EYPAKOZION. Tripod. E. 5. (Pl. XIII. 14.) 5. Obv.-Female head diademed, right. Rev.-Same as preceding. E. ·5. The first two of these pieces follow the type of Hieron II. They are generally of inferior work, and as they bear the name of the city in the place of that of Hieron, it is reasonable to suppose that they are subsequent to his reign. Nos. 3, 4, and 5 seem, from their rude style of work, to belong to the same time. The magistrate's initials, which occur upon these copper coins, are the same as those which we have noticed before on the coins of Hieron and Hieronymos. XV. SYRACUSE UNDER THE ROMANS. Syracuse, judging from the style of the copper coins described below, must have been allowed by her conquerors to strike copper in her own name for some considerable time after her capture. Many of the types also of the following coins are very late, especially those which are derived from the worship of Isis, which can hardly be supposed to have been established at Syracuse for more than a century after the capture, if so early. Some of the types which follow are perhaps earlier than these but I find it impossible to speak with any degree of certainty with regard to these rude coins. They are the last vestiges of Syracusan autonomy. 1. Obv.-Head of Zeus, right, laureate. ; Simulacrum of Isis (?) in triumphal quadriga, holding torch. E. 1. (Pl. XIV. 1.) 2. Obr.-Head of Zeus, right, laureate. Rev.-ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ. City of Syracuse standing left, turreted, holding rudder and sceptre. E. 85. (Pl. XIV. 2.) 3. Obv.-Head of Zeus, left, laureate. Rev.-EYPAKOMINN (in exergue). Nike, with whip, in fast biga; above, crescent or star. Æ. 9-·8. (Pl. XIV. 3.) 4. Obv.-Head of Zeus, right, laureate. Rev.-EYPAKOZION. 5. Obv.-Head of Pallas. Eagle on thunderbolt. Æ. 8. Rev.-ZYPAKOZION. Nike sacrificing bull. E. 8. (Pl. XIV. 4.) 6. Obv.-Head of Serapis, wearing tænia and lotus flower. Rev. EYPAKOZION. Isis standing, left, with lotusflower head-dress, holding sistrum and leaning on sceptre. . 75. (Pl. XIV. 5.) 7. Obv.-Head of Isis, with long hair bound with wreath and surmounted by lotus flower. Rev.-EYPAKOMINN. Head-dress of Isis, consisting of cow's horns surmounted by globe and plumes, behind which are two ears of barley. Æ. 7. (Pl. XIV. 7.) 8. Obr.-Head of Persephone, right. Rev.-EYPAKOZINN. Demeter, standing, left, veiled, holding torch and sceptre. Æ. 75. (Pl. XIV. 6.) 9. Obr.-Head of Persephone. ΣΥΡΑ Rev.-KOZI within wreath of barley. E. 6. (Pl. XIV. 9.) 10. Obr.-Head of Demeter, veiled, right. Rev.-ZY PAK OMI ÎN. Two torches crossed. 11. Obv.-Head of Apollo, left, laureate. ΣΥΡΑΚΟ Rev. ΣΙΩΝ Torch. E. 6. (Pl. XIV. 10.) 12. Obr.-Head of Zeus (?), laureate, right. 13. Obr.-Head of Apollo, right, laureate. |