Classical Numismatics Discussion
  Welcome Guest. Please login or register. 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Expert Authentication - Accurate Descriptions - Reasonable Prices - Coins From Under $10 To Museum Quality Rarities Welcome Guest. Please login or register. 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Support Our Efforts To Serve The Classical Numismatics Community - Shop At Forum Ancient Coins

New & Reduced


Author Topic: EΠI - What does it mean?  (Read 4744 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Joe Sermarini

  • Owner, President
  • FORVM STAFF
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 12104
  • All Coins Guaranteed for Eternity.
    • FORVM ANCIENT COINS
EΠI - What does it mean?
« on: August 09, 2018, 09:47:01 am »
I am not clear on the meaning of the title abbreviated EΠI.  I have seen it interpreted to abbreviate consular legate, however, it seems to be on some coins that pre-date Roman control.  I am confused.  Please help.
Joseph Sermarini
Owner, President
FORVM ANCIENT COINS

Offline FlaviusDomitianus

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1766
    • My gallery:
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2018, 10:10:14 am »
Hello Joe.

In ancient Greek  EΠI is is a very common preposition and adverb that means above, towards, near, about, etc.

On coins it precedes the name of the magistrate(s) and assumes a meaning of the type: "under the authority of".

At least, I got it so.

Alberto

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2018, 10:17:57 am »
The abbreviation for "functioning as consular governor" is VΠA, not EΠI.
Curtis Clay

Offline cmcdon0923

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1148
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2018, 11:12:17 am »
On some ancient Judaean coins, EΠI is used to denote something along the lines of "in the time of".....e.g., " :Greek_epsilon: :Greek_Pi: :Greek_Iota:   :Greek_Alpha: :Greek_Gamma: :Greek_Pi_2: :Greek_Iota: :Greek_Pi: :Greek_Pi: :Greek_Alpha:" to denote "in the time of Agrippa"

Offline Joe Sermarini

  • Owner, President
  • FORVM STAFF
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 12104
  • All Coins Guaranteed for Eternity.
    • FORVM ANCIENT COINS
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2018, 11:48:28 am »
Thanks.  I am surprised.
Joseph Sermarini
Owner, President
FORVM ANCIENT COINS

Offline Altamura

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 2934
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2018, 01:25:34 pm »

Offline Joe Sermarini

  • Owner, President
  • FORVM STAFF
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 12104
  • All Coins Guaranteed for Eternity.
    • FORVM ANCIENT COINS
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2018, 02:29:35 pm »
It is an Abdera bronze that prompted my question. It is not listed in the usual refs (different magistrate) but similar coins are dated 4th or 3rd century.
Joseph Sermarini
Owner, President
FORVM ANCIENT COINS

Offline Jochen

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 12278
  • Omnes vulnerant, ultima necat.
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2018, 03:29:31 pm »
ΕΠΙ was used too widespread on coins of Asia Minor with Genitivus, meaning "at the time of", followed by the name of the issuing magistrate.

Jochen

Offline PMah

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 598
  • Qui risus classe devicta multas ipsi lacrimas...
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2018, 07:09:45 pm »
Not an expert on Greek, and in the coin sense is "in the time of"  as previously noted, but I think the specific meaning technically depends on the "case" of the following noun. 
Be Well, Stay Healthy, Support your Local Numismatic Club

Paul 

My Gallery: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album

Offline okidoki

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 4272
    • https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=37270
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2018, 02:26:46 pm »
also it's on provincial coins as Jochen stated with Magistrates but also as dates


https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-117690
All the Best,
Eric
There are no strangers, only friends you do not know yet.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=37270

Offline Jochen

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 12278
  • Omnes vulnerant, ultima necat.
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2018, 03:02:35 pm »
Hi Eric!

I don't think that EΠI belongs to the date of BYP (era of Gaza), but it is the abbreviation of EΠIΔEMIA (Epidemia), meaning the voyage of Hadrian, and belongs to Γ. So it the 3rd voyage of Hadrian to Gaza, in the year 192 of the era of Gaza.

Take a look at the coins of Gaza issued after Hadrian: EΠI doesn't appear anymore before the date of Gaza era.

Jochen

Offline okidoki

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 4272
    • https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=37270
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2018, 03:24:18 pm »
yes you are right, i was certain i saw it some were in my Hadrian provincials


found it in my own
Note.
JUDAEA, Gaza Hadrian 132-33 AD Io and Tyche standing
Reference.
RPC III, 4029; De Saulcy 5; BMC 25; Cop. - Lindgren- - ANS.920

Issue   Year 4 = 193

Obv. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟС С
Laureate and draped bust of Hadrian, right seen from rear.

Rev. ΕΙW ΓΑΖΑ in ex. Δ ΕΠI Γ Ч P
Io, in long dress, standing r., and City-goddess, in long dress, turreted and holding cornucopia in her l. hand, clasping hands

12.88 gr
26 mm
12h

Note.
Hadrian visited Gaza more than once, and it was upon such a visit in AD 128 that an additional reckoning date, that of the επιδημία (imperial visit), was added. During one of his trips the great temple of Zeus-Marnas may have been founded, as it first appears on the coins of Hadrian.
All the Best,
Eric
There are no strangers, only friends you do not know yet.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=37270

Offline Pscipio

  • Tribunus Plebis 2009
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 3756
  • Si vis pacem, cole iustitiam
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #12 on: August 26, 2018, 05:35:27 am »
Note that EΠI, in some cases, can also stand for ἐπιμελητής (epimeletes), which originally had a very broad and unspecific meaning - it derives from the verb 'to take care of' (see Leschhorn p. 112) and could be the title of a supervisor, a Royal deputy for a polis or a governor (Antipater I the Idumaean, the father of Herodes the Great, was called 'epimeletes of the Jews'). In Roman times, when epimeletai appear on coins, the title usually refers to magistrates who were in charge of the coinage of the polis.

Unfortunately, when only the short form is given, it can be difficult to differentiate between EΠI in the sense of 'struck under' or 'struck in the time of' and EΠI as an abbreviation of the title epimeletes. In Grimenothyrae, f.i., most coin legends naming Loukios Tullios Per. start with the short EΠI, and it is only through a few types with the longer EΠIM that Loukios' title epimeletes becomes apparent (RPC III 2481ff.).

Lars
Leu Numismatik
www.leunumismatik.com

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2018, 11:21:14 pm »
From my notes on the only coin of Abdera that I have, a silver tetrobol circa 395-360 BC (dating is that proposed in ‘Agoranomia: Studies in Money and Exchange, Presented to John H. Kroll’):

J. M. F. May  ‘The Coinage Of Abdera
Pages 44-48, Magistrates And Symbols. It is stated that during the years in which this coin was struck, “the magisterial name is engraved in full, either by itself or prefixed by the familiar ‘EΠI’ (‘in the time of’)…”

my tetrobol carries the inscription EΠIΠPΩTEΩ

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2018, 12:32:30 pm »
Not an expert on Greek, and in the coin sense is "in the time of"  as previously noted, but I think the specific meaning technically depends on the "case" of the following noun.  

Help me if you can, anyone.

Regarding my Abdera tetrobol with the inscription EΠIΠPΩTEΩ

Barclay V. Head  ‘Historia Numorum’  1911 Edition
At the bottom of page 254, triobols with my coin’s reverse type and magistrate are described. At the bottom of page 255, ΠPΩTEΣ is said to be the nominative case of this name.

I would have expected the name ΠPΩTEΩ on my coin, being only a magistrate, to have been in the nominative singular case. But if I read Barclay Head correctly, ΠPΩTEΩ is genitive, or something else (dative, accusative, vocative)?

Any thoughts on the name and the prefix EΠI on this tetrobol? Any references you can link to, or cite, that might help?

here are images of the tetrobol I am asking about:


Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2018, 01:00:16 pm »
EΠI is a preposition which must be followed by the genitive, dative, or accusative case, depending on the meaning intended.

Following EΠI by a noun or name in the nominative case would be like saying "I gave it to he" in English, instead of "I gave it to him".

My Greek is rather poor, but I wouldn't doubt that Head is correct to write that ΠPΩTEΩ is the genitive of ΠPΩTHΣ.

That's an impressive tetrobol you have there, by the way!
Curtis Clay

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2018, 01:09:27 pm »
Curtis, I was modifying my previous post while you were responding, for which I apologize.

Thanks for that. I believe Head stated that ΠPΩTEΣ is the nominative case of the name on the coin, without specifying what case was seen on the coin. So, it might be something other than genitive on the coin. My understanding of Greek grammar is poor as well...I was thinking that if the case seen on the coin is genitive, it would be like 'in the time of of ΠPΩTEΣ' which doesn't seem right to me. As well, are magistrates ever in the genitive? I understand why rulers or peoples (city, empire, etc) would be in the genitive. A ruler or a people could claim a coinage as theirs (possessive), but would a magistrate ever do this?

This is an interesting website.
https://classics.osu.edu/Undergraduate-Studies/Latin-Program/Grammar/Cases/dative-case
"The Dative case is chiefly used to indicate the person for whom (that is, for whose advantage or disadvantage) an action happens or a quality exists. In a sense, all datives are Datives of Reference or Datives of Advantage and Disadvantage; as a result that particular category is not very useful though it does remind that the Dative case refers to a personal or affective interest in the action."

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #17 on: September 26, 2018, 01:40:46 pm »
EΠI meaning "under" or "in the time of" must be followed by a name in the genitive case, as a simple matter of grammar and usage, without any implication whatever that the coin "belongs to" the magistrate named.
Curtis Clay

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #18 on: September 26, 2018, 01:46:44 pm »
EΠI meaning "under" or "in the time of" must be followed by a name in the genitive case, as a simple matter of grammar and usage, without any implication whatever that the coin "belongs to" the magistrate named.

OK, genitive case, I believe you. If you can link or cite a reference for this, I would appreciate it (something I could use for further education and for citations in the future).

Offline Jochen

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 12278
  • Omnes vulnerant, ultima necat.
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #19 on: September 26, 2018, 02:12:10 pm »
Dear Kevin!

The name of the magistrate is ΠΡΩΤΗΣ as Curtis has stated, not ΠΡΩΤEΣ. All coins of Abdera in this time have ΕΠ or ΕΠI followed by the name of the magistrate in Genitivus. The grammatically correct Genitivus of ΠΡΩΤΗΣ should be ΠΡΩΤΕΩΣ. ΠΡΩΤΕΩ on your coin is Genitivus where the last Σ of ΠΡΩΤΕΩΣ is omitted.

Best regards

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #20 on: September 26, 2018, 04:12:10 pm »
Dear Kevin!

The name of the magistrate is ΠΡΩΤΗΣ as Curtis has stated, not ΠΡΩΤEΣ. All coins of Abdera in this time have ΕΠ or ΕΠI followed by the name of the magistrate in Genitivus. The grammatically correct Genitivus of ΠΡΩΤΗΣ should be ΠΡΩΤΕΩΣ. ΠΡΩΤΕΩ on your coin is Genitivus where the last Σ of ΠΡΩΤΕΩΣ is omitted.

Best regards

"All coins of Abdera in this time have ΕΠ or ΕΠI followed by the name of the magistrate in Genitivus."

^^Not quite right, but still your post is very enlightening and I thank you.

I got out my copy of Historia Numorum and found that indeed I was mistaken in stating ΠΡΩΤEΣ. Also, the coin that Head refers to with this name apparently does not have a preposition (no ΕΠI or ΕΠ). This is what Head writes at the bottom of page 255 (HN 1911 edition): "ΠΡΩΤΗΣ in the nominative without ΕΠI..." So it appears Head was referring to a coin carrying the name ΠΡΩΤΗΣ in the nominative (no illustration of this coin given). Apparently Head saw one of these coins with this name in nominative, but without a preposition. May does state (see citation in post above) “the magisterial name is engraved in full, either by itself or prefixed by the familiar ‘EΠI’ (‘in the time of’)…”

It looks like when these coins are found with only the magistrate's name and no preposition, they are in the nominative; when with preposition they are in the genitive. And, when May states that “the magisterial name is engraved in full", there might in fact be a letter missing from the end of the inscription.

Perhaps the final Σ in the name on my coin was omitted simply because of space constraints? Had I known there was intended to be an Σ at the end, I would have seen the genitive case.


Offline Jochen

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 12278
  • Omnes vulnerant, ultima necat.
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #21 on: September 26, 2018, 05:22:31 pm »
Dear Kevin!

You are right. I should have written "All coins of Abdera in this time which have ΕΠ or ΕΠI are followed by the name of the magistrate in Genitivus."

Best regards

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #22 on: September 26, 2018, 08:03:32 pm »
I want to run more by you guys on this subject.

There are other coins of Abdera that are like mine, in that it appears a final Σ has been left off, which would be required for a genitive case ending. However, I propose the possibility that these coins might not be missing a final letter and that they were intended to be in the dative case; the coins that carry the EPI preposition might be found in both the genitive and dative cases. As proof of this possibility, I offer the following:

Greek Prepositions
http://www.bcbsr.com/greek/gprep.html
Epi (Genitive, Dative, Accusative)

    1. With Genitive
        a. Spatial: on, upon, at near
        b. Temporal: in the time of, during
        c. Cause: on the basis of
    2. With Dative
        a. Spatial: on, upon, against, at, near
        b. Temporal: at, at the time of, during
        c. Cause: on the basis of
    3. With Accusative
        a. Spatial: on, upon, to, up to, against
        b. Temporal: for, over a period of

This information gives a meaning for the preposition EPI in genitive of 'in the time of, during' (the same meaning that May gives in his book). However, this information also gives a meaning in dative of 'at the time of, during'. Both of these case meanings would be appropriate to the coins in question.

While I have not yet found a reference for a dative case ending for the name of Protes (ΠΡΩΤΗΣ), I did find one for the name of Orpheus, and it is the same ending as that seen on my coin of Protes.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Orpheus
Case               Singular
nominative       Orphe͡us
genitive               Orpheī, Orpheos
dative               Orpheō
accusative       Orpheum, Orphea
ablative               Orpheō
vocative               Orphe͡u


Henry Noel Humphreys  ‘The Coin Collector's Manual’
Page 40 (see image below), Regarding a coin of Alexander I of Macedon: “The inscription stands ALEXANDRO, in the dative case, in the ancient manner, with O instead of Ω.” Abdera was a neighbor, and the practice of using dative case coin inscriptions is attested here in Macedon before the time of my coin.

Offline PtolemAE

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1942
  • PtolemyBronze.com
    • The PtolemAE Project - Ptolemaic Bronzes
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #23 on: September 27, 2018, 02:39:15 am »
Thanks.  I am surprised.

Here's a Seleukid coin of Antiochos IV from 'Kallirohe' (Edessa) with EPI used as a prefix to the city name (KALLIROHE).  To the right of standing Zeus is 'ANTIOX...' (if someone can make it out exactly please write a reply).  The the left of Zeus is the word 'TON' on one line and then EPIKALLIROE on the second line with some monogram to the left under the eagle in Zeus's outstretched hand.  As I recall someone once said TON EPI means 'in the area of' and I assumed the long word on the right of Zeus was 'ANTIOXEON' (Antioch).  Other related Antiochos IV coins say 'TON PROS DAPHNEN' to the left of Zeus and the DAPHNEN is supposedly another name for Antioch on the Orontes but TON and PROS are a bit mysterious on those.  That latter type is illustrated here:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-32969

Maybe all these short prefixes TON, PROS, and EPI could be further elucidated by the resident classical linguists here with some explanation of the meaning of combining two or three of them in a single inscription.

Thanks

PtolemAE

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #24 on: September 27, 2018, 03:18:30 pm »
PtolemAE,

Have you looked in 'Seleucid Coins' for this coin? Your reading of ANTIOXEON looks good to me.
 

Offline PtolemAE

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1942
  • PtolemyBronze.com
    • The PtolemAE Project - Ptolemaic Bronzes
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #25 on: September 27, 2018, 04:41:45 pm »

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #26 on: September 27, 2018, 05:06:58 pm »
Curtis Clay

Offline Perikles

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 177
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #27 on: September 27, 2018, 06:05:52 pm »
Ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡ τοῦ νομίσματος ἐπορίσθη χρῆσις...,ὃ τῶν χρησίμων αὐτὸ ὂν εἶχε τὴν χρείαν εὐμεταχείριστον πρὸς τὸ ζῆν.
Ἀριστοτέλης, Πολιτικά

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #28 on: September 27, 2018, 07:39:18 pm »

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #29 on: September 27, 2018, 07:51:16 pm »

Offline Perikles

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 177
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #30 on: September 28, 2018, 02:09:43 am »
Ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡ τοῦ νομίσματος ἐπορίσθη χρῆσις...,ὃ τῶν χρησίμων αὐτὸ ὂν εἶχε τὴν χρείαν εὐμεταχείριστον πρὸς τὸ ζῆν.
Ἀριστοτέλης, Πολιτικά

Offline PtolemAE

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1942
  • PtolemyBronze.com
    • The PtolemAE Project - Ptolemaic Bronzes
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #31 on: September 28, 2018, 02:34:40 am »

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #32 on: September 28, 2018, 11:50:16 am »

Offline Perikles

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 177
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #33 on: September 28, 2018, 06:08:46 pm »
Ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡ τοῦ νομίσματος ἐπορίσθη χρῆσις...,ὃ τῶν χρησίμων αὐτὸ ὂν εἶχε τὴν χρείαν εὐμεταχείριστον πρὸς τὸ ζῆν.
Ἀριστοτέλης, Πολιτικά

Offline Kevin D

  • Consul
  • ***
  • Posts: 314
Re: EΠI - What does it mean?
« Reply #34 on: September 28, 2018, 07:44:22 pm »

 

All coins are guaranteed for eternity