1. The Greek legend, had all of it appeared, would, undoubtedly have been either ΒΑϹΙΛΕωΝ ΜΕΓΑϹ ΜΟΝΝΗϹΗϹ, or ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕωΝ ΜΕΓΑϹ ΜΟΝΝΗϹΗϹ; of which I should chuse the former, notwithstanding it is such Parthian Greek, as the round of the medal seems not to have been capable of containing the latter. It will be, at first sight, observed, that this legend is different from those of the Parthian coins hitherto described; which are exhibited in the [69]genitive, not the nominative, case. The last two letters MO leave no room to doubt, tho’ the O is not so extremely well preserved, that the piece was struck when Monneses sat upon the Parthian throne. It is true, indeed, the first element of the prince’s name is not so apparently a _Mu_; tho’ it resembles that letter, even as preserved on this very medal, much more than any other of the Greek alphabet. It is however totally unlike the _Alpha_ near it, as well as all the other forms of that element to be met with in Montfaucon[70], and bears not the least resemblance to _Beta_[71], particularly the _Beta_ which ought to have been impressed on this piece; as most evidently appears from a particle of that letter, visible in its proper place. From whence we may infer, that the character I am considering must be _Mu_; as _Alpha_, _Beta_, and _Mu_, were the only initial letters, according to Dr. Vaillant[72], of the names of the Parthian kings reigning after the introduction of the _Omega_ of the minuscular form, as it here occurs, upon the Parthian coins. But Monneses was the only one of those princes whose name began with _My_, and consequently the two last Greek elements on this medal are part of his name. The metal and size of this piece, as none belonging to the other Parthian monarchs seem to have been yet met with of the same form, which exactly agree with those of Monneses’s[73] coin published by Dr. Vaillant, may likewise be urged, as an additional argument of no small weight, in support of my opinion.
[Illustration: _Philos. Trans. Vol. L._ TAB. IV. _p. 176_.
_Num. Parth. apud Jeannem Swinton, A. M. Oxoniens. R. S. S._
_Scale of feet, 20-1 Inch_ _J. Mynde sc._]
2. That the Greek and unknown legends on this medal are either of the same or a similar import, will be acknowleged by all versed in this kind of literature extremely probable. The Greek and Phœnician legends on the same [74]coins of Tyre and Sidon, as I have, upon examination, found, and shall hereafter more fully evince, clearly correspond. The Latin and Punic legends on Juba’s medals, as has been by me formerly proved[75], very well agree. The sense[76] I have assigned the legend in unknown characters, exhibited by the reverse of my former Parthian coin, with, I flatter myself, some appearance of truth, sufficiently answers to the Greek one preserved by other medals of the same prince. We may therefore be permitted to suppose, that both the legends handed down to us by the coin before me related to Monneses, and conveyed the same, or at least extremely similar, ideas to the Parthians and the Greeks. Nothing can be more consonant to reason, tho’ we must not directly assume this as a postulate, than such a supposition.