1904.] BREZINA — COLLECTIONS OF METEORITES. 213 



These envoys were received with divine honors, embalmed 

 and draped and worshiped in temples built for them. 



From about 400 (or 500) B.C. to 300 A.D. coins were struck 

 in honor of these divinities by emperors and autonomous 

 cities. 



In general the images were rather naturalistic in older 

 times and became human-like (iconic) afterward. 



Many of these betyl coins represent stones reported ex- 

 pressly to have fallen from heaven ; some of them present as 

 a common feature the likeness to conic stones, or obelisks 

 or to archaic, half -iconic simulacra; so it comes that similar 

 representations of unknown origin were likewise supposed 

 to represent sacred meteorites. 



A. Betyls Reported to Have Fallen from Heaven. 



1. The Omphalos of Delphi. — A black stone which was given 

 by Rhea to Uranos instead of the new-born Zeus, and ren- 

 dered to Zeus after his victory over Kronos; Zeus or Saturn 

 threw it on the Earth, on the point which was considered as 

 the centre of the Earth. 



Eleuthernai, Kreta; Autonomous 2 AE.^ 



Makedonia; Philippus II AR. PI. I, Fig. i. 



Myrina, Aiolis; Auton. AR. Fig. 2. 



Nakrasa, Lydia; Auton. AE. Fig. 3. 



Neapolis, Campania; Auton. 3 AE. Fig. 4. 



Parthia; Tiridates 3 AR, Fig. 5, Arsaces II AR, Phriapa- 

 tius AR, Phraates I 4 AR, Mithradates I 5 AR. Fig. 6. 



Roma, Italia; Sabina AE. 



Syria; Antiochus I Soter 10 AR, Fig. 7, Antiochus II 

 Theos AR, Antiochus Hierax 2 AR, Seleucus III Ceraunus 

 3 AR, Antiochus filius AR, Antiochus III Magnus 17 AR, 

 Seleucus IV Philopator 2 AR, Antiochus IV Epiphanes AR, 

 Demetrius I Soter 3 AR, Fig. 8, Alexander I Bala 4 AR. 



2. The Stone of Emisa, El Gahal. — A black, conical stone, 

 which Herodian reports to have fallen from heaven; Elagabal 

 transferred it to Rome, where it remained until 222 A.D. 



^ AE bronzes, AR argent, AV aurum (gold); the number before 

 gives the number of different kinds represented: 2 AE, two bronzes. 



