April 26, 1888] 



NATURE 



611 



to which the seal is to be referred. But, whatever may 

 be the case with respect to the general history of 

 geometry, certainly there are indications of something very 

 like Pythagoreanism, such as we should by no means have 

 expected to find on a Hittite or Asiatic monument. Still, 

 however unexpected these indications may be, the scien- 

 tific spirit requires that we should be loyal to facts. Among 

 such indications may perhaps be placed the mysterious 

 powers or properties apparently associated with vegetable 

 forms on the Tarsus seal, as also on the Boghaz-Keui 

 sculpture. But still greater importance and interest 

 attach to the evidence of the seal as to the attribution of 

 occult significance to number and to geometrical form. 

 By the vertical rods of face (3) we are reminded of the 

 Pythagorean doctrine concerning duality and unity, the 

 even and the odd. (Plutarch, De Is. 48.) Moreover, we 

 can scarcely mistake the sinister character of duality when 

 we observe that the two parallel rods are carried on face (5) 

 by the pig-tailed figure. Very probably the indications 

 on the seal point to one of the sources whence were derived 

 the doctrines attributed to Pythagoras. And such a view 

 accords very well with the ancient tradition concerning 

 the travels of Pythagoras, and the composite nature of 

 Pythagoreanism. 



But some additional consideration requires to be given 

 to the figure on the Tarsus seal (faces 2, 3, 4), which I 

 have spoken of as a symbol of life. In investigating 

 the significance of this figure the most convenient method 

 may be to compare it with the symbol most nearly re- 

 sembling it which can be found elsewhere. This is to be 

 seen on the coinage of Cyprus (Fig. W, 2). Here we have 



Fig. W. — I, Symbol on Tarsus seal ; 2, symbol on Cypriote coinage 

 3, crux ansata ; 4, symbol en Indo-Scythian coin. 



the rounded head (though without the projections on the 

 symbol of the Tarsus seal), the horizontal stroke or body, 

 and the divergent legs. True, on the seal there are slight 

 projections at the ends of the horizontal piece, and at the 

 ends of the divergent legs there are the " Hittite boots" ; 

 but in this last particular the symbol on the seal resembles 

 the mandrake at Boghaz-Keui {supra, p. 514), the ends 

 of the root being similarly turned up and meta- 

 morphosed.^ As to the meaning of the symbol on the 

 Cypriote coinage, we can make a reasonable inference 

 from the fact that it seems to be introduced as an alterna- 

 tive symbol in place of the crux ansata, or symbol of life, 

 which, indeed, is quite common on Cypriote coins.^ The 

 crux ansata was possibly derived from Egypt, but still it 

 may very well be regarded as giving an indication of the 

 meaning of the other symbol. If, however, the divergent 

 legs of (2) are supposed to collapse, we have at once a crux 

 ansata (3). The evidence so far would go towards the 

 conclusion that the symbol on the Tarsus seal is a symbol 

 of life. But by tracing the Cypriote symbol to its probable 

 origin the evidence may be greatly strengthened. 



The coins on which the Cypriote symbol just alluded to 

 occurs are Phoenician. Now there occurs on Phoenician, 

 and especially on Carthaginian, monuments a symbol by 

 which scholars have been much puzzled. It consists of a 

 triangle, normally, as it would seem, equilateral, though 

 varying at times a good deal from this form. At the 



* The triangular cap of the symbol on face (2) shows a connection between 

 the syn>boI and the equilateral triangle. But what may be exactly the differ- 

 rence in the significance of the symbol when capped with the triangle and 

 when destitute of this covering it is scarcely possible to say, unless the 

 added triangle is supposed to give power and vitality. 



2 See De Vogue, " Melanges d'Archi?ologie Orientale," plate xi., 

 Figs. 13, 16, 17, 18. 



vertex of the triangle is a horizontal stroke or bar, 

 with projections at the ends, which may be taken 

 for arms, or hands held up ; and these also 

 are found to present variations. Above is a head 

 of circular form. This frequently occurring symbol,* 

 which may be seen to the reader's left in Fig. X, some 

 scholars have taken for a representation of a man or 

 woman praying and holding up his or her hands. But M. 

 Renan justly observes that the position in which the 

 symbol is found on the monuments is not compatible with 

 such an opinion ; and in the figure it evidently appears as 



Fig. X. — Upper portion of stele of Lilybaeum. 



an object of worship. Regarded as denoting life, or as a 

 sort of generalization of deity as the giver of life, its 

 position on the stele becomes intelligible. It corresponds 

 in form with the Cypriote symbol, except that the latter 

 has lost the base of the triangle and the projections at the 

 end of the horizontal piece, but indications of these being 

 retained are clearly to be seen on the Tarsus symbol. M. 

 Renan could make nothing of the triple object above the 

 altar in Fig. X.-* But when we look at the trident-like 

 object of worship above the altar on face (2) of the Tarsus 

 seal, the problem receives a good deal of light ; and we 

 recognize in the mysterious tripartite object of the stele a 

 modification of the trident, expressing, like the triangle, 

 the idea of tri-unity. 



FlQ, y.— I, Portion of broken tablet in the British Museum ; 2, archaic 

 cuneiform character, din, " life." 



With respect to the loss of the base of the triangle in 

 the Cypriote symbol, and the import of this and other 

 symbols before mentioned, we have evidence on a unique 

 tablet in the British Museum. Though it is unfortunately 

 broken, its testimony is still very important. The tablet 



' M. Renan cbservei of this symbol: " Praecipua inter fiRuras reli^iosai 

 est imago qui nihil apud Phoenicas et Poenos frequenlius" ("Corp. mscr. 

 sem.," vol. i. p. 281). 



' He observes : " Supra figura cemittir tnpartita, tribus cippis impanbus 

 constans, cum basi duplici, qua: quid sibi velit non apparet " (op. cit. vol. i. p. 

 179). Fig. X. is a little reduced from the figure in the " Corpus.' 



