262 



GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES. 



bers than in all the Scandinavian lands together. Of the 

 latter, those of Ethelred are even more numerous than in 

 England itself. Situated in a sea whose shores at that 

 period seem to have been inhabited by a dense population, 

 Gotland appears to have occupied the position of com- 

 mercial supremacy which England holds in Europe to- 

 day. 



We have historical evidence of its being a great emporium 

 of trade as late as the fourteenth century, until Wisby, its chief 

 town, was destroyed by the Danes. Its magnificent towers, 

 walls, and ruined churches still bear witness to its past 

 greatness. 1 



From the time of Alexander Severus (A.D. 235) to Theodosius 

 (A.D. 395), which comprises a period of 160 years, the coins 

 become very scarce, and Roman gold coins take the place of 



1 See " Land o the Midnight Sun." The 

 islands of Zealand and Fyen are especially' 

 rich in Roman objects and show the exist- 

 ence of great intercourse with the Roman 

 provinces ; while Gotland is particularly 

 rich in coins. In the hamlet of Ryk 

 (Tanum parish), Bohusliin, a Roman coin 

 struck A.n 179 for the Emperor Marcus 

 Aurelius was found in the ground. From 

 the inscription on the coin the date can 

 be accurately fixed, for it was said that 

 it was coined iii the year when Marcus 

 Aurelius was Tribune for the thirty-third 

 time, Imperator for the tenth time, and 

 Consul for the third time. 



A gold coin of Tiberius (14-37) was 

 found in a stone-set roffin at Rorbrek ; 

 a silver denarius of Nerva (96 98) in the 

 find of Fraugdegard, Fyen; and a silver 

 denarius of Antoninus Pius (138-161), 

 with a skeleton, in a natural hill at 

 Bennebo, near Holbcek ; a silver denarius 

 of Lucius Verus (161-1H9), with a ske- 

 leton, in a hill at Gunuerugs, near 

 Presto; a barbaric imitation in gold of .1 

 Roman imperial coin, with a loop soldered 

 to it, found with a skeleton at Aareslen 

 in Odense amt, Fyen. One limit of time 

 obtained by means of the coins is certain 

 enough, for the graves cannot have been 

 closed before the year of their coinage. 



Pyteas mentions Gut tuna'. The Got- 

 landers in the Sagas are called Gutar; 

 they may have met him on some of their 

 trading journeys. The two names seem 

 to be sufficiently similar to make this a 

 probable supposition. In the island of 



Gotland a Greek coin of copper was found, 

 but it seems to have been struck at Panor- 

 mus in Sicily. On the obverse is a female 

 head looking to the right, on the reverse 

 a horse galloping to the left: it has no 

 Punic letters. (In the collection of Capt. 

 C. T. von Braun, of Ystad.) Two Mace- 

 donian coins of silver were also found ; 

 one of them is a diabole of Philip 11., 

 similar to the coins described in Miiller, 

 " Der Macedoniske Konge Philipp II. 's 

 Mynter," p. 3, Nos. 14-16, and engraved 

 Plate 1. (Both were in the collection 

 of Capt. v. Hrauu, of Ystad ; now only 

 one remains there.) 



Also Roman coins anterior to 

 Augustus, found together about 100 

 years ago. A silver coin of the family 

 of Lucretia; a silver coin of the 

 family of Na?via ; a coin of the 

 family of Sulpicia. They are all un- 

 usually well preserved, but shorn on the 

 border. (In the collection of Capt. von 

 Braun Ystad.) A silver coin of the 

 family Funa; a silver coin of the family 

 Poldicia ; one suba-rate coin of the family 

 Postumia; one silver coin of the family 

 Procilia; a silver coin of the family 

 Tituria ; a silver coin of the family 

 Veturia. (In the collection of Capt. von 

 I'.raun.) A silver coin of the family 

 Naevia, given by Capt. Braun to the 

 Museum at Uddevala ; and a silver coin of 

 the family Sicinia, both well preserved 

 (In the Wisby Museum ; formerly in the 

 collection of Mr. P. A. Save.) 



