^{page 136 note 1} MidP. arlcpat, Gr. (G.lr. Ph.i, 257), (for which in Theophylactus, iii, 8) means originally the military governor of a fortress. ArdaŠir, the founder of the Sassanian dynasty, was appointed Argabedh of Dārābgerd by Gōzihr, King of Fārs (Nöldeke, Ṭabarī, p. 5). On his accession to the throne Argabedh became the highest military title, and as such was reserved only for members of the royal family. The family of Artabides had, according to Theophylactus (iii, 8), as one of its privileges that of crowning the king (Christensen, , L'Empire des Sassanides, Copenhagen, 1907, p. 27)Google Scholar. This year's excavations have brought to light a very interesting inscription concerning the argapates of Doura. It will be published in the coming number of the Comples-Rendus de I'Academie des Inscriptions et Belles,Lettres, Paris. (Cumont, Oral information.)

^{page 137 note 1} The series of inscriptions discovered in 1928 at Doura is very interesting. It gives us an idea of the military organization of the city during the period of the Roman occupation. At the head of the garrison there was a tribune. The detachment of guards posted at the Palmyrene gate had probably the duty of keeping a close watch on the road which led from Palmyra to Doura, and also over its traffic. Were not these guards perhaps also customs-officers of Doura ? The detachment was commanded by a beneficiarus and a stalor of the tribune—functions which are already known in the Roman provinces. The stalor was perhaps a non-commissioned officer of the police (Rostovtzeff, , Comptes-Bendus, 1928, p. 530).Google Scholar

^{page 138 note 1} From time immemorial have been the natural writing material. This is supported by a leather-roll dating from the twelfth Egyptian dynasty as early as 2000–1800 B.C. pertaining to the British Museum. Again, we learn from Herodotus (v, 58) that the archives of the Aehæmenian sovereigns were written on prepared skins. We hear of their use also in Ionia and among the Jews. According to a tradition preserved in the Pahlavi, Artāk Vīrāz Nāmak, i, 5Google Scholar (edition of Jamasp Asa, Bombay, 1902, p. 1) the sacred scriptures of the Zoroastrians were written in golden ink upon prepared cow-skins. The discovery of three parchments in the village of Avroman in Persian Kurdistan made in 1909 is worth mentioning, although they are of a relatively later date than those discovered at Doura-Eropos. The two Greek documents are dated according to Mr. Minns about 94 B.C. and 20 B.C. (JHS., vol. xxxv, pp. 41, 42)Google Scholar, whereas the third Pahlavi document is dated 300 of the Arsacide era corresponding to A.D. 53–4.

^{page 140 note 1} These coins are at present in Yale University. Their close examination has shown that they are Roman coins, approximately contemporaneous with the downfall of- Doura, (M. Cumont, Oral information).

^{page 146 note 1} It seems rather certain that the peacock-motive is of Persian origin. A vase of Tepe Ali Abad near Tepe Moussain in Susiana of style No. 1 bis has apparently a decoration of two rows of peacock's feathers (Contenau, G., Manuel, p. 332, fig. 242)Google Scholar. This proves that the peacock was not unknown to the early Elamites. At any rate, we know that the peacock was introduced from India into the West in historic times. Before entering Syria, it must have had to pass through Persia, where especially in north-western Iran, in Media in particular, it must have been considered a very remarkable bird. Thus it is that we have a wide diffusion of the Sassanian and post-Sassanian peacock-motive. They are found from Vladicaucas to Birka in Sweden. Further, it is called (Suidas) “ the Median bird ”. Moreover, the peacock plays also an important part in the Zravanite theology of north-western Iran and subsequently of the whole of Central Asia. (Junker, , Mittelpers. frašēmurv “ Pfau ”, Wönter und Sachen, Festband xii, Heft 1, Heidelberg, 1929, p. 135).Google Scholar