DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9841#0132
XXVIII.]
HYRTAK0S OR HYRTAKINA.
113
seen. A little to the south-west of the acropolis are
remains of an entrance, one of the stone pillars of which
is still standing, and a small piece of wall, consisting,
like the rest, of massive stones.
From the summit of the acropolis we have an ex-
tensive view in every direction: the extremity of the
promontory of Kastel-Selino and the sea, even over the
hills which terminate in Cape Kno are visible: we have
before and below us the villages of Platanias and Pro-
ddrmi: to the west and north-west are seen two other
villages, half-buried in the olive-trees by which they
are surrounded. On descending I notice two tombs
cut out of the rock.
I believe this to be the site of the ancient city of
Hyrtakos, or Hyrtakina, the coins of which, presenting
as they do types similar to those of Elyros2, might alone
lead one to suppose, if we knew nothing of its situation,
that it was somewhere in these mountains. But, little
as we learn of its position from Ptolemy3 and Stephanus
of Byzantium1, yet we may safely infer, from the former's
words, that it was situated to the south-east of Polyr-
rhenia, and to the west of Lappa. Scylax teaches us
something more respecting its site: he places it on the
south side of the island, and to the south of the Dictyn-
naean temple of Artemis and the Pergamian district5.
2 On the coins of Hyrtakina are found the epigraphs AT1Y, and YPTA-
KINIQN. They have heen erroneously ascribed to Elyros, by Combe, (who
read YPIAKINIQN,) Numi Musei Britannici, Tab. 25. fig. 20. Rasche,
Lexicon Rei Numariae, Tom. ii. Part. i. 000. and Mionnet, Description
de Medailles etc. Tom. n. p. 277- Nos. 157 and 158. See Sestini, Lettere
e Dissertazioni Numismatiche, Tom. vin. pp. 4 and 5. Mionnet, Supple'-
ment, Tom. iv. p. 324.
3 Ptolemy places it among the inland cities of Crete.
4 Stephanus Byzant. Vi 'YpraKos, ?; <cat 'YpTa/ctyos, ttoais KjO^tj)?.
<5 iroAiTiis "YpraKLVOS. IIoXu/3ios fie to 6r)\vKov 'Tp-raKlvi] d-wo tov 'Ypra-
Kll/OS idflKOU. aV6 'TpTOLKOV 06 'YpTUKlOS.
6 Scylax, p. 18. ed. Huds. (compare Meursius, Creta, p. 40.) Aiktw-
vaiov ApTe/u5os lepov irpo<i fiopeav avefxov tij^ x°>Pa9 Hepyajtii'as. irpos
vorov fil 'TpTanLua. Kvfitavia, xal \tfn}ij kKciutoi, 7rpos popeav. ev ficeo-
yeia Si "EXvpos iro\is.
HYRTAK0S OR HYRTAKINA.
113
seen. A little to the south-west of the acropolis are
remains of an entrance, one of the stone pillars of which
is still standing, and a small piece of wall, consisting,
like the rest, of massive stones.
From the summit of the acropolis we have an ex-
tensive view in every direction: the extremity of the
promontory of Kastel-Selino and the sea, even over the
hills which terminate in Cape Kno are visible: we have
before and below us the villages of Platanias and Pro-
ddrmi: to the west and north-west are seen two other
villages, half-buried in the olive-trees by which they
are surrounded. On descending I notice two tombs
cut out of the rock.
I believe this to be the site of the ancient city of
Hyrtakos, or Hyrtakina, the coins of which, presenting
as they do types similar to those of Elyros2, might alone
lead one to suppose, if we knew nothing of its situation,
that it was somewhere in these mountains. But, little
as we learn of its position from Ptolemy3 and Stephanus
of Byzantium1, yet we may safely infer, from the former's
words, that it was situated to the south-east of Polyr-
rhenia, and to the west of Lappa. Scylax teaches us
something more respecting its site: he places it on the
south side of the island, and to the south of the Dictyn-
naean temple of Artemis and the Pergamian district5.
2 On the coins of Hyrtakina are found the epigraphs AT1Y, and YPTA-
KINIQN. They have heen erroneously ascribed to Elyros, by Combe, (who
read YPIAKINIQN,) Numi Musei Britannici, Tab. 25. fig. 20. Rasche,
Lexicon Rei Numariae, Tom. ii. Part. i. 000. and Mionnet, Description
de Medailles etc. Tom. n. p. 277- Nos. 157 and 158. See Sestini, Lettere
e Dissertazioni Numismatiche, Tom. vin. pp. 4 and 5. Mionnet, Supple'-
ment, Tom. iv. p. 324.
3 Ptolemy places it among the inland cities of Crete.
4 Stephanus Byzant. Vi 'YpraKos, ?; <cat 'YpTa/ctyos, ttoais KjO^tj)?.
<5 iroAiTiis "YpraKLVOS. IIoXu/3ios fie to 6r)\vKov 'Tp-raKlvi] d-wo tov 'Ypra-
Kll/OS idflKOU. aV6 'TpTOLKOV 06 'YpTUKlOS.
6 Scylax, p. 18. ed. Huds. (compare Meursius, Creta, p. 40.) Aiktw-
vaiov ApTe/u5os lepov irpo<i fiopeav avefxov tij^ x°>Pa9 Hepyajtii'as. irpos
vorov fil 'TpTanLua. Kvfitavia, xal \tfn}ij kKciutoi, 7rpos popeav. ev ficeo-
yeia Si "EXvpos iro\is.