OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, 217 



AGE, the first letter being on the left of the head of the owl, and the 

 other two on the right. Below are names of three persons, probably 

 magistrates. • The first is AHEAAIKON, occupying two lines, 

 partly on one side and partly on the other of the owl. The next, in- 

 scribed on the left of the owl, is r O P r I A 2 , in three lines. And 

 the third, which could be made out only by a careful examination, 

 under different lights, is A E I N I A 2 , the first two syllables being on 

 the left in two lines, and the third on the right of the owl. On the 

 right of the owl, in the space between the syllables K 12 N and A 2 , 

 there is a winged Pegasus, leaping. The three names are, then, 

 Apellicon, Gorgias, and Deinias. T he following figure represents 

 the coin very faithfully. 



"Eckhel (II. 219, 220) describes two coins of the time of Mithri- 

 dates VI., the first of which has the names of Mithridates and Aris- 

 Hon, the second has Arisiion and Philon^ with three letters of a third, 

 H r I ; to these he subjoins a third, with the names ApeUicoii, Gorgias, 

 and part of a third name, Diosio. Of the date of the first two there 

 can be no doubt ; whether the third is synchronous with them de- 

 pends upon the identity of the Apellicon with the person bearing 

 that name in the second. It seems highly probable that the tetra- 

 drachmon now exhibited belongs to the same period as the last of those 

 described by Eckhel, in the passage referred to, since two of the 

 names are the same on both. 



" The winged horse is common on the coins of Mithridates, and the 

 political connection between that monarch and the tyrant Aristion ex- 

 .plains the introduction of the name of Aristion on a coin of the King 

 of Pontus, and of his symbol on an Athenian coin struck by Aristion. 

 Aristion was a Peripatetic philosopher, who, having taught in various 

 places, was sent on a mission to Mithridates, and afterwards became 

 tyrant of Athens. Sulla laid siege to Athens in B. C. 87. Aristion 

 set fire to the Odeion and fled for refuge to the Acropolis ; but the 

 Acropolis having been taken, Aristion was dragged from the altar of 



VOL.. III. 28 



