Olympia, as they are given by
Pausanias. The names of the several states seem to be arranged on the
serpent generally according to their relative importance, and also
with some regard to their geographical distribution. The states of
continental Greece are enumerated first; then the islanders and
outlying colonies in the north and west. It is supposed the present
inscription was placed on the serpent B.C. 476.

The dedicatory inscriptions on the statues at Branchidae probably range
from B.C. 580-520. The famous Sigean inscription, brought from the
Troad to England in the last century, is now admitted to be not a
pseudo-archaic imitation, as Bockh maintained, but a genuine specimen
of Greek writing in Asia Minor, contemporary, or nearly so, with the
Branchidae inscriptions. Kirchhoff considers it not later than Olympiad
69 (B.C. 504-500).

A most interesting inscription of the archaic period is the celebrated
bronze tablet, which Sir William Gell obtained from Olympia, and on
which is engraved a treaty between the Eleans and Heraeans. The terms
of this specimen of ancient diplomacy are singularly concise.
Kirchhoff places this inscription before Olympiad 75 (B.C. 480); Bockh
assigns it to a much earlier date. In any case, we may regard this as
the oldest extant treaty in the Greek language. It must have been
originally fixed on the wall of some temple at Olympia.

A series of Athenian records on marble has been found inscribed on the
wall of the Parthenon, while others have been put together out of many
fragments extracted from the ruins on the Acropolis and from
excavations at Athens. Of the public records preserved in these
inscriptions, the following are the most important classes: the
tribute lists, the treasure lists, and the public accounts.

An interesting inscription has been lately brought to light in the
diggings on the Athenian Acropolis. It is the treaty-stone between
Athens and Chalcis. The inscription is of the days of Pericles, and
records the terms on which Chalcis in Euboea was again received as an
Athenian dependency or subject ally after its revolt and recovery in
B.C. 445. The event is recorded in Thucydides. The inscription is in
Attic Greek, but the spelling is archaic.

Funeral monuments usually bear an inscription which gives the names
and titles of the deceased, his country, his age, the names of his
father and of his mother, his titles and his services, his
distinguished qualities and his