6 On the Inscription on the 



the third line of the inscription ought to be read AION AA- 

 Pl ANON ; but, as he admits that he did not decipher a single 

 letter of the inscription, his conjecture cannot be placed against 

 the positive testimony of Messrs. Leake, Squire, and Hamilton, 

 who first ascertained the name to be AIOKAHTIANON ; 

 and of Messrs. Jaubert, Salt, and Chateaubriand, who equally 

 assert that they distinguished clearly this name, to which, if 

 necessary, I could also myself testify. 



No doubt can now remain that the inscription; must be read 

 as follows : 



TON TrMIWTATON AYTOKPATOPA 

 TON nOAIOYXON AA€HANAP€IAC 

 AIOKAHTIANON TON ANIKHTON 



nociAioc enAPxoc AirvnroY 



; [" Posidius, prefect of Egypt (has erected) the most honoured emperor, [ 

 the guardian deity of Alexandria, Diocletian the Invincible."} 



I do not mean to assert that there was no fifth line, but I cer- 

 tainly could not distinguish any vestiges of it ; and Mr. Salt's 

 drawing shows that, on his second examination, he was of the 

 same opinion. 



I cannot but wish that the name of the Prefect had been 

 Pompey, as it would have accounted for the name by which this 

 celebrated pillar has been latterly called. Sandys says, that 

 " it was called by the Arabians Hemadeslaer, but by the Western 

 Christians the Pillar of Pompey." With these foreigners, 

 therefore, the modern name originated, and not with the natives. 

 Tradition could have no weight against positive testimony, were 

 there any to support its former name. It is now proved that 

 the column was dedicated to Diocletian, and it will, probably, 

 in future, be called by his name. 



Believe me to be. 

 To My dear Sir, 



W. T. Brande, Esq. Yours, ever faithfully, 



Royal Institution, Mountnokrih. 



