enough to embrace two such destinies,20
but the true reason was undoubtedly that the Asiatic officials were
already familiar with the Persian sovereign's seal and were accustomed
tö render it due obedience.
The
emblem of the anchor used by the Seleucidae, the dynasty founded in
Syria by Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander's generals, is said to have
originated in a strange dream of Laodicea, mother of Seleucus and wife
of Antiochus. One night she dreamt that she was visited by the God
Apollo, and that he bestowed upon her a ring set with a stone on which
an anchor was engraved. This was to be given to the son she was to
bear. As such a ring was found in the room the next morning, the dream
seemed to be thoroughly corroborated, and, moreover, when Seleucus was
born, he had on his thigh the birthmark of an anchor. Subsequent to
Alexander's death in 323 B.c., Seleucus founded, in 312 b.c. the
kingdom of Syria, which was transmitted to a long series of his
descendants, each of whom in turn is said to have borne a similar
birthmark.21
In the Hellenistic period (ca. 300 B.c.-ca. 100 b.c.) signet
rings entirely of metal largely gave place to those in which the seal
was engraved on a stone set in a metal ring. Chalcedony continued to be
freely used for this purpose, but the employment of the choicer and
harder precious stones from India, transparent and brilliant, and of
deeper coloring, characterizes this period. In the front rank is the
jacinth, unknown in earlier times, with its wonderful ruddy hues. This
is the favorite stone of the time. Usually the gem is given a strongly
convex
20 " De rebus gestis Alexandri Magni, regis Macedoni»," lib. vi, No. 6.
21 Justini, " Historiarum phillipicarum libri XLIV," lib. xv, cap. 4.
