1841.] Description of some Ancient Gems and Seals, Sfc. 151 



unknown prince, noticed above as being one of the successors of Kadphises. 

 On those coins we invariably find the legend OCPO, which is no doubt 

 the name of the figure; and consequently we may pretty safely take this 

 word OCPO to be the equivalent of the Bactrian Pali legend of the gem. 

 Now Professor Lassen has happily explained Okro, by Ugra, a name of 

 Siva, of whom indeed the trident and the sacred bull Nundi, are peculiar 

 and unmistakeable attributes : and hence it follows that the figure on 

 the seal must be that of the God Siva. 



No. 8. A Cameo, in the collection of Sir Ales. Burnes, of most admir- 

 able workmanship, in bold and beautiful relief. It represents a half length 

 of Silenus to the right ; his head bald and bearded, and bound with a 

 wreath of vine leaves; with a flat nose, sparkling eye, and laughing, all 

 betokening the merry companion of Bacchus. He is holding up his left 

 hand before his face with the fore -finger, and little finger raised, and in 

 his right hand he is carrying his drinking can in a sloping direction. 

 A thyrsus is placed behind him, and his robe is thrown over his right 

 arm. 



In this exquisite little gem Silenus appears, cup in hand, telling some 

 humorous story, replete with the wine-inspired wit, broad fun, and 

 shrewd pithy remarks for which he was celebrated : the sly expression of 

 his face is excellent ; and his jolly corpulent figure reminds us at once 

 of 'laughter holding both his sides ;' while the sloping way in which he 

 holds his cup shows either that it is empty, or that he is so tipsy, and so 

 taken up with his story, which he is impressing with the action of his 

 left hand more earnestly upon his hearers, as not to know that he is 

 losing his wine ; or we may suppose that, having drained the cup, he 

 is exclaiming ' Papaiapoex ! — what a sweet taste it has !' 



The exceeding beauty of this exquisite little Cameo of the Grecian 

 Falstaff, proves that it must have been engraved at a time when the arts in 

 Bactria were in the very highest perfection ; and consequently during the 

 earliest period of the Bactrian power : and I think it highly probable 

 that this gem may have been executed during the reign of Agathocles, 

 whose coins usually exhibit devises belonging to the worship of Bacchus ; 

 and no doubt upon his seals and gems there were represented stories 

 and figures emblematic of the same worship. 



The coins of Agathocles, are, in my opinion, the most beautiful of the 

 Bactrian series as works of art, and therefore I am inclined to place him 

 before Enthydemus and Demetrius in the list of Bactrian Princes ; and 

 to assign him the country of the Parapamisades as his kingdom, Nysa 

 or Dionysopalis for his capital, in which ' City of Dionysus ' I suppose 



