By the kindness of Mr. B. P. Lascelles, I am able to publish two red-figured vases in the Harrow School Museum. The drawings are by Mr. F. W. Lambert. I must also thank Miss G. M. A. Richter, Mr. L. D. Caskey and Dr. Waldhauer for permission to reproduce vases in New York, Boston and Petrograd.

On the coins of Alexandria Troas of Roman date we find certain types, which are evidently related to the story of the foundation of the Smintheion; as well as another which may refer to the foundation of the city itself. They have been discussed at length by Wroth. The most remarkable (Fig. 1, a) shows on the left a grotto, surmounted by a cultus-statue of Apollo Smintheus; within the grotto is another statue, precisely similar, but lying on the ground. Before the grotto stands a herdsman, holding a pedum in his left hand, and raising his right in a gesture which, as Wroth says, may be interpreted as expressing either adoration or surprise. ‘On the right, a bull is seen running away, as if terror-stricken, with its head turned back towards the cavern. It would seem that some local legend connected with the discovery of the statue of the god is here portrayed. The engraver appears to have naively blended two incidents of the legend—first, the chance finding in a cavern of the statue of Apollo Smintheus by a herdsman—next, the setting up of a statue for worship in a place of honour over the cavern. On other coins of Alexandria Troas a herdsman—who is evidently the same herdsman—is represented in the presence of a divinity who appears to be Apollo … and he often appears standing beside the feeding horse that occurs frequently as a coin-type of Alexandria Troas’ (Fig. 1, d).

The present year, 1916 A.D., is the centenary of the acquisition by the public of the Elgin Collection of ancient sculptures, inscriptions, casts and drawings. It has therefore seemed a suitable moment to print a fuller account than has hitherto been attempted of the formation and purchase of that collection.

I should state that I have been engaged on this subject for some time past, by desire of the Earl of Elgin, who has put all his papers bearing on the subject into my hands. It was the wish of Lord Elgin that the episode of the marbles should appear in its due proportion in a full biography of his distinguished grandfather. The other aspects of that career are being studied by Sir Harry Wilson, K.C.M.G. But the call of other duties and the distractions of the time have made it doubtful whether the biography can be completed at an early date. The present narrative is therefore offered now, by way of a centennial commemoration.

The mask of a young woman and the forearm, both of ivory, which are republished and studied in this article are now exhibited in the third wall-case on the right of the Museo Profano of the Vatican Library. They were found in the Sabine country in 1824, as appears from a report of an excavation published in that year by P. E. Visconti.

The identity of provenance and correspondence in scale and style prove that, the two fragments belong to the same statue.

An undated note in the archives of the Library, written about 1830, gives the information that they were offered to the Papal Commission of Antiquities and Fine Arts by the Antiquary Capranesi, and acquired for 50 Roman scudi (about 268·50 francs, or a little less than £11).