THE LERNEAN HYDRA.
51
That the octopus was a familiar object with the
ancient Greeks, we know by the frequency with which its
portrait is found on their coins, gems, and ornaments.
Aldrovandus describes " very ancient coins " found at
Syracuse and Tarentum bearing the figure of an octopus.
He says the Syracusans had two coins, one of bronze, the
other of gold, both of which had an octopus alone on one
FIG. 19. — FIGURE OF AN OCTOPUS ON A GOLD ORNAMENT, FOUND BY
DR. SCHLIEMANN AT MYCENiB,
side. On the reverse of the bronze one was a veiled
female face in profile, with the inscription ZYPA. I have one
of these bronze Syracusan coins ; it was kindly given to
me, some years ago, by my friend Dr. John Millar, F.L.S.
The octopus is really well depicted. On the gold coin the
female head was differently veiled, and at the back of the
neck was a fish. The inscription on this coin was