86 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



362 ; two very rare coins. The Museum previously possessed 

 no Eleian drachras of so early a period. 



Pkeneos in Arcadia. — A new variety of the exceedingly 

 rare and beautiful silver stater struck about B.C. 362, after the 

 battle of Mantinea, when several cities of Arcadia, Pheneos 

 among them, separated themselves from the Pan-Arcadian 

 confederation of which the centre was Megalopolis. On the 

 obverse is the head of Demeter, accompanied by the letters 

 no, probably an artist's signature. On the reverse is a 

 group of Hermes carrying on his arm the infant Arkas, whom 

 he confided to the care of the Nymph Maia on Mt. Cyllene. 

 (Apollod. III. 8, 2.) The work suggests that the artist may 

 have been to some extent influenced in the choice of his 

 subject by the famous masterpiece of Praxiteles, which 

 represents Hermes carrying the infant Dionysos. 



Tegea in Arcadia. — Two rare drachms, circ. B.C. 400-370, 

 one of which shows the hero Kepheus on the reverse, and the 

 other an owl. 



Gydonia in Crete. — A didrachm struck about B.C. 400, 

 Obverse, head of a Nymph or Msenad, wreathed with grapes 

 and vine leaves ; inscription, NEYANTOS EEIGEI ; reverse, 

 a naked youth stringing his bow, inscr. KYACtN. A coin 

 of great interest, from the fact of its being signed by 

 its engraver, Neuantos. Artists' signatures on Greek coins 

 are well known to be of rare occurrence, and an example 

 of the signature of Neuantos has always been one of the 

 desiderata of the British Museum. The work of Neuantos, 

 as displayed on the obverse of this coin, gives evidence of 

 considerable technical ability, though it perhaps shows a 

 tendency to be over-ornate. The coin engraved by Neuantos 

 may be compared for style with that of another Cretan 

 engraver, Pythodorus (B. M. Cat., Crete, p. xxiv). Both 

 artists appear to have worked contemporaneously in the 

 north-western part of the island. The figure on the reverse 

 is probably Kydon, the hero of the famous Cydonian bowmen 

 (cf. Steph. Byz, s. v. Kvdwvia, and Horace, Carm. iv. 9, 17, 

 " Tela Cydonio direxit arcu," &c.). 



Pythodoris, Queen of Pontus. — A very rare drachm, dated 

 year 60 (H), which has been shown by Giel {Kleine Beitrdge 

 zur antiken Numismatih Sudrusslands, Moscow, 1886) to 

 correspond with A.D. 29-30. Pythodoris was a granddaughter 

 of M. Antony, and wife of King Polemon I. She survived 

 her husband, and reigned over Pontus until about A.D. 33. 

 Of the duration of her reign her coins afford the only extant 

 evidence. 



Nicoea in Bithynia. — A bronze coin of Gordian TTT. 

 reverse, Veiled goddess Gaia (?), wearing polos, and presenting 

 infant Erichthonios(?) to seated Athena. 



Adramyteufp. 



