GRECIAN MYTHOLOGY. 115 
distinguish her as queen of the world of shades from the milder queen of 
the sky. Indeed, her entire figure is wanting in that majestic and matronly 
quality so prominent in the statues of Hera. She was often represented as 
a vorgen, especially on coins. Thus at jig. 12b we see her bust with a 
collar, and a diadem used as a head-band, which marks her as Libera. The 
dolphins are intended to indicate the fertility of Sicily, whose inhabitants 
especially worshipped her, believing that Zeus had presented her this island 
as a marriage gift. The inscription on the coin shows that it is Syra- 
‘cusan. The reverse of this coin (pl. 22, jig. 180) exhibits an Olympic 
(2. ¢., a victor in the Olympic games) riding in the guadriga (a car drawn 
by four horses abreast), and receiving a crown from Vike, the goddess of 
victory. Immediately below is a complete suit of armor, consisting of shield, 
coat of mail, helmet, and greaves. 
The obverse of another coin, which, through the mistake of our designer, 
has been confounded with the first one mentioned (pl. 28, jig. 12a), repre- 
sents Persephone also as a virgin, with a wreath composed of ears, and 
the head-dress of her mother Demeter ; while the reverse (pl. 22, jig. 18a) 
shows a Nike or Victoria placing a trophy upon a field of battle. Among 
the ancients this was accomplished by hewing the trunk and limbs of a 
tree to something like a human shape, and then placing upon them the 
war equipments of a fallen enemy, the helmet, mail coat, tunic, shield, &e. 
Some have also supposed that pl. 24, fig. 4, was intended for Persephone 
as virgin, but as we have only coins representing this goddess in that 
character, the presumption is against such a conclusion, so that the figure 
probably refers to some other similar goddess. The coin (pl. 25, fig. 19a) 
represents her repelling Zeus, who approaches her as a serpent. 
So long as she assisted her husband in passing sentence upon the dead, 
Persephone equalled him in stern and sober gravity. Still, she was not 
wholly insensible to appeals prompted by love or compassion, and Admetos 
and Orpheus were indebted to her for the recovery of their wives Alcestis 
and HLurydice from the world of shades. 
8. Tae Inrerior Gops. 
The inferior gods, whose nature is not easily defined, but who possessed 
some traits of divinity, composed the third order of deities. Considering 
the extensive sphere which he occupied, and the influence which he exerted, 
Eros held the highest position in this class. 
1. Eros (Cupid, Amor, or Love) is not mentioned by Homer, but in the 
older theogonies Eros emerged together with Gaza (earth) from Chaos, and 
was the symbol of the vital and generative principle, also the element 
combining and assimilating contending forces in the primeval creation. 
Sappho makes him the offspring of heaven and earth. 
In the later legends, however, the supernatural being known as Z7os, the 
most youthful of all the gods, was the son of Aves and Aphrodite, and was 
recognised as the god of love. His chief occupation consisted in exciting 
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