1836.] Note on the Indo-Scythic Coins of Beghrdm. 267 



Hindus also seem to attach to them a peculiar sanctity, claiming in 

 the Bibi Nanni, a personation of their favourite goddess, Pdrbati. 

 These are all, however, mere conjectures, the real meaning of the 

 Greek legend remaining yet to be explained. * 



In a subsequent number* of the Journal of our Society, a far differ- 

 ent explanation of the Greek legend is given by its indefatigable 

 Editor, which is, perhaps, a .near approximation to its true meaning. 

 There the goddess Nanaia is represented to bear a close analogy, in 

 name and character, to the Anaitis of the Greek, and Anahid of the 

 Persian, mythology. This hypothesis is based upon the authority of 

 Strabo, quoted by Colonel Wilford. A goddess called by the 

 former Anaia, is considered by the latter to be equivalent to the 

 Sanscrit Andyasd devi. But, how far the deity, recognised under the 

 one or the other appellation, can be supposed to be identical with 

 Nanaia, remains yet to be ascertained. 



Anahid was the tutelary goddess of Armenia, during its continuance 

 in the darkness of idolatry. She is also known in our mythological 

 works by the names of Artemis and Aphrodite, being supposed to have 

 sprung from the froth of the sea, and descended from Zevs, Aramazd 

 or Jupiter. Anahid or Anaid is considered by us to be identical with 

 the planet Venus, and the letters composing it being inverted, it reads 

 Diana, which is equivalent to Artemis, by which name the goddess of 

 hunting is invariably designated throughout all the Ai-menian books 

 treating of the ancient mythology of our country. 



The word Nanaia, or Nancea distinctly occurs in the second book 

 of the Maccabees : " For, when the leader was come into Persia, and 

 the army with him that seemed invincible, they were slain in the 

 temple of Nanaa, by the deceit of Nancea's priestsf." It was in the 

 compass of the temple of this goddess, that Antiochus the Great was 

 put to death. She is also called \^bu,llny Anaia, or ^^Uu Naneas, 

 the genitive of which, according to the Greek termination, is written 

 r ^.Afruy Nanea. It has its derivation from the Persian language, 

 literally meaning maternal or motherly. To the honor of Nanaia, 

 or Nancea, many temples were raised in Armenia, the most magnificent 

 of which, according to the authority of U^u^ulicj-k^nu Agathangelus, 

 existed in a village called p*/-/^ Thiln, situated in Upper Armenia. 

 This idolatrous temple was razed to the ground by Surb Gregor 

 Lusavorich, and a splendid church erected in its stead. Jjin.^'i 



* Journal of the Asiatic Society for September, 1S34. 

 + II Book of the Maccabees, chap, i., v. 13. 

 2 M 2 



