Evans, Arthur J.: "The ring of Nestor". A glimpse into the Minoan after-world and a sepulchral treasure of gold signet-rings and bead-seals from Thisbê, Boeotia (London, 1925)

'THE RING OF NESTOR/ ETC.

21

that the ewers had been filled from it, and we are led to the conclusion that
the Genii are not engaged in the actual watering of the plant,52 but are about
to bring down ' the rain of heaven ' on thirsty vegetation in general, as sym-
bolised by the palm shoots, by pouring water into the basin. So, too, in

Fig. 22.—Genii about to pour
Libations into Pedestaled
Bowl, before Nursling Palm.

Fig. 23.—Genii pouring Liba-
tions into Tripod Caul-
drons.

another scene we see the Genii pouring libations into cauldrons (Fig. 23). In
that case we have a close parallel to the ceremonial scene on the gold bead of
the Thisbe Treasure.

Fig. 24.—Goddess as Britomartis or Diktynna

Shooting Stag, (f-)

No. 8, PI. II. 4, Fig. 24. Weight 5*84 gm. Goddess as Artemis, shooting stag.

Here the Goddess appears as a huntress, in the character preserved by
Britomartis or Diktynna, her native representative in classical times.53 She is
pursuing a stag, which, from the palmation visible in the horns, must be a fallow
deer, like the animal depicted on the great signet-ring, No. 4. The groups of dots

52 My own original interpretation (cf.
Myc. Tree and Pillar Cult, p. 3 [101])
had been that the Genii were in the act
of watering the young palm with water
drawn from the basin. The other view,
however, corresponds better with the
parallel ceremonial in which the Genii take
part on other intaglios.

ApT€p.tS.

53 Bpir6[j.apTis if KpTjTp *
Hesych., s.v. Cf. Solinus, 11,
Dianam reHgiosissime venerantur, Brito-
martem gentiliter nominantes, quod sermone
nostro sonat virginem dulcem.' Pausanias
(ii. 30) and Diodorus (v. 76) make Diktynna
an epithet or alternative name of Brito-
martis.