DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4377#0355
GREEK INSCRIPTIONS. GS5
Ialysus, and Caininis, ever used the type of the
rose as representing" the island m genere. The
Chevalier Kedenburg informed me that his coin
was found on the coast opposite Rhodes.
With regard to the value of eight ohols assigned
to the hemiekton by Crates, this would be too low,
whether we calculate cither by the Cyziccne or the
lighter Milesian standard. ]\Ioinmsen (p. 58) sup-
poses that the hemiekton mentioned by Crates is
an Athenian coin, the twelfth part not of ihc staler
but of the drachma.
But may we not rather presume that the line in
the Ad.y.ia. refers to a foreign coin of which the
value Avas not universally known at Athens ? To
remind the Athenian public of the value of one of
their own gold coins would seem a gratuitous piece
of information.
Bocckh (Metrologische Untcrsuchungen, Ber-
lin, 183S, p. 135) remarks that we cannot tell to
what state the hemiekton of Crates belonged. He
supposes either that the currency was very much
debased, or much below the nominal standard.
Prom the mention of helcla? in contemporary
Athenian inscriptions, it is evident that about the
time of Crates much of the trihute was paid into the
Athenian treasury in the electrum coinage of Asia
Minor. As this was more or less adulterated with
alloy, more especially the Phocsean coinage, the
exchange of this foreign currency against Athenian
silver would be fluctuating, and, in the absence of
nice analysis, was, probably, matter of dispute ; as
the Athenians would naturally endeavour to de-
preciate the electrum currency much below its real
value by exaggerated assertions as to the amount
Ialysus, and Caininis, ever used the type of the
rose as representing" the island m genere. The
Chevalier Kedenburg informed me that his coin
was found on the coast opposite Rhodes.
With regard to the value of eight ohols assigned
to the hemiekton by Crates, this would be too low,
whether we calculate cither by the Cyziccne or the
lighter Milesian standard. ]\Ioinmsen (p. 58) sup-
poses that the hemiekton mentioned by Crates is
an Athenian coin, the twelfth part not of ihc staler
but of the drachma.
But may we not rather presume that the line in
the Ad.y.ia. refers to a foreign coin of which the
value Avas not universally known at Athens ? To
remind the Athenian public of the value of one of
their own gold coins would seem a gratuitous piece
of information.
Bocckh (Metrologische Untcrsuchungen, Ber-
lin, 183S, p. 135) remarks that we cannot tell to
what state the hemiekton of Crates belonged. He
supposes either that the currency was very much
debased, or much below the nominal standard.
Prom the mention of helcla? in contemporary
Athenian inscriptions, it is evident that about the
time of Crates much of the trihute was paid into the
Athenian treasury in the electrum coinage of Asia
Minor. As this was more or less adulterated with
alloy, more especially the Phocsean coinage, the
exchange of this foreign currency against Athenian
silver would be fluctuating, and, in the absence of
nice analysis, was, probably, matter of dispute ; as
the Athenians would naturally endeavour to de-
preciate the electrum currency much below its real
value by exaggerated assertions as to the amount