340 Lassen on the History traced [No. 100. 



Greek vowels e, *?, «, u, while a is substituted for a and o. We 

 are also acquainted with an 6, the long sound of the Sanscrit, 

 compounded of a and u, which, however, when it concludes a 

 word, loses so much of its value as to correspond with even an 

 omicron. It is always expressed by an independent symbol 

 in the line. We have supposed by anticipation, ee to be of a 

 similar nature with o ; but that ai and au exist uncontracted, 

 is to be doubted. 



With regard to the language, as we know as yet too little 

 of it, it will be best to put together our results at the end of 

 the next paragraph. But for the system of vowels I think it most 

 convenient to insert here a short disquisition. 



£, o, v 9 not existing in the language, and the simple vowels 

 being restricted to a and e, it may be inferred, that the language 

 upon the coins, as regards the system of its vowels, continued 

 to exist (from of old) in the same undisturbed and simple state. 

 Of simple vowels, we have to expect only an oo, and it seems 

 even probable, that, when preceded by consonants, it was writ- 

 ten in a similar way as e. 



Mr Grotefend, by reading Ukratido, imagined that he had 

 discovered the initial oo in the name Eukratides ; we may sub- 

 sequently dispute this view. To find the u, preceded by a con- 

 sonant, we must here discuss the name, Philoxenos. 



In this name the second syllable is not d, as it represents \ 

 in Apollodotos; but in As. Trans, vol. iv.pl. xxi. No. 1. and 

 No. 2. there occurs on both occasions one and the same symbol be- 

 tween shino and the beginning of the word which has a r>. It is 

 but half preserved upon No. 1 . ; upon No. 2., however, where we do 

 not find any appearance of decay, a + occurs ; thus we may fairly 

 suppose, that ^ belongs at this place only to 1, and *l may be 

 the symbol for u. R. R. II. No. 5 also is unfortunately much 

 spoiled; yet, it is evident, that there was only one symbol between 

 shino and the beginning of the word, which can only be a well 

 preserved J* 1 ; on the other hand, in No. 6. between shind, and 

 the beginning of the word, we observe the following, IH, so 

 that we should be inclined to suppose H to be substituted for ^, 

 viz. for Xo, and 1 to be K. This Mr. Grotefend has adopted. 

 But as I shall assign to K an entirely different figure, which 



