CH. IX] UNICURSAL PROBLEMS 185 



drawn in figure ii, as can be easily seen by bending round a 

 circle the rectangular figure there given. 



Mr Inwards has suggested* that this design on the coins 

 of Cnossus may be a survival from that on a token given by 

 the priests as a clue to the right path in the labyrinth there. 

 Taking the circular form of the design shown above he sup- 

 posed each circular wall to be replaced by two equidistant 

 walls separated by a path, and thus obtained a maze to which 

 the original design would serve as the key. The route thus 

 indicated may be at once obtained by noticing that when a 

 node is reached (i.e. a point where there is a choice of paths) 

 the path to be taken is that which is next but one to that 

 by which the node was approached. This maze may be also 

 threaded by the simple rule of always following the wall on 

 the right-hand side or always that on the left-hand side. 

 The labyrinth may be somewhat improved by erecting a few 

 additional barriers, without affecting the applicability of the 

 above rules, but it cannot be made really difficult. This 

 makes a pretty toy, but though the conjecture on which it is 

 founded is ingenious it has no historical justification. Another 

 suggestion is that the curved line on the reverse of the coins 

 indicated the form of the rope held by those taking part in 

 some rhythmic dance ; while others consider that the form was 

 gradually evolved from the widely prevalent svastika. 



Copies of the maze of Cnossus were frequently engraved on 

 Greek and Roman gems; similar but more elaborate designs 

 are found in numerous Roman mosaic pavements f. A copy 

 of the Cretan labyrinth was embroidered on many of the state 

 robes of the later Emperors, and, apparently thence, was 

 copied on to the walls and floors of various churchesj. At 

 a later time in Italy and in France these mural and pavement 

 decorations were developed into scrolls of great complexity, 

 but consisting, as far as I know, always of a single line. Some 

 of the best specimens now extant are on the walls of the 



* Knowledge, London, October, 1892. 



t See ex. gr. Breton's Pompeia, p. 303. 



f Ozanam, Graphia aureae urbis Romcte, pp. 92, 178, 



