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Argilos__470-460_BC.JPG
Time of Alexander I, AR Hemiobol, struck 470 - 460 BC at Argilos in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Forepart of Pegasos facing left.
Reverse: No legend. Quadripartite granulated incuse square.
Diameter: 8.78mm | Weight: 0.20gms | Die Axis: Uncertain
Liampi 118 | SNG - | GCV -
Rare

Argilos was a city of ancient Macedonia founded by a colony of Greeks from Andros. Although little information is known about the city until about 480 BC, the literary tradition dates the foundation to around 655/654 BC which makes Argilos the earliest Greek colony on the Thracian coast. It appears from Herodotus to have been a little to the right of the route the army of Xerxes I took during its invasion of Greece in 480 BC in the Greco-Persian Wars. Its territory must have extended as far as the right bank of the Strymona, since the mountain of Kerdylion belonged to the city.
Argilos benefited from the trading activities along the Strymona and probably also from the gold mines of the Pangeion. Ancient authors rarely mention the site, but nevertheless shed some light on the important periods of its history. In the last quarter of the 6th century BC, Argilos founded two colonies, Tragilos, in the Thracian heartland, and Kerdilion, a few kilometers to the east of the city.
Alexander I was the ruler of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from c.498 BC until his death in 454 BC. Alexander came to the throne during the era of the kingdom's vassalage to Persia, dating back to the time of his father, Amyntas I. Although Macedonia retained a broad scope of autonomy, in 492 BC it was made a fully subordinate part of the Persian Empire. Alexander I acted as a representative of the Persian governor Mardonius during peace negotiations after the Persian defeat at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. From the time of Mardonius' conquest of Macedonia, Herodotus disparagingly refers to Alexander I as “hyparchos”, meaning viceroy. However, despite his cooperation with Persia, Alexander frequently gave supplies and advice to the Greek city states, and warned them of the Persian plans before the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. After their defeat at Plataea, when the Persian army under the command of Artabazus tried to retreat all the way back to Asia Minor, most of the 43,000 survivors of the battle were attacked and killed by the forces of Alexander at the estuary of the Strymona river.
Alexander regained Macedonian independence after the end of the Persian Wars and was given the title "philhellene" by the Athenians, a title used for Greek patriots.
After the Persian defeat, Argilos became a member of the first Athenian confederation but the foundation of Amphipolis in 437 BC, which took control of the trade along the Strymona, brought an end to this. Thucydides tells us that some Argilians took part in this foundation but that the relations between the two cities quickly deteriorated and, during the Peloponnesian war, the Argilians joined with the Spartan general Brasidas to attack Amphipolis. An inscription from the temple of Asklepios in Epidauros attests that Argilos was an independent city during the 4th century.
Like other colonies in the area, Argilos was conquered by the Macedonian king Philip II in 357 B.C. Historians believe that the city was then abandoned and, though excavations have brought to light an important agricultural settlement on the acropolis dated to the years 350-200 BC, no Roman or Byzantine ruins have been uncovered there.
1 comments*Alex
PHILIP_II_OF_MACEDON.JPG
Philip II, 359 - 336 BC. AE18. Struck after 356 BC at an uncertain mint in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Young male head, usually identified as Apollo, with hair bound in a taenia, facing left.
Reverse: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Naked rider on horse prancing left, uncertain control mark, often described as the head of a lion, beneath the horse. The control mark looks a bit like the ram on the prow of a galley to me, but that is just my personal opinion.
Diameter: 17.4mm | Weight: 6.9gms | Die Axis: 12
SNG ANS 872 - 874

The bronze series of this type is extensive and differentiated principally by the different control marks. These control marks are symbols and letters which generally appear on the reverse, very occasionally the obverse, of the coin, and they were used to identify the officials responsible for a particular issue of coinage.
Philip II won the horseback race at the 106th Olympics in 356 BC, and it is thought that the horseman on the reverse of this coin commemorates that event.


Philip II of Macedon was King of Macedon from 359 until his death in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III Arrhidaeus. In 357 BC, Philip married Olympias, who was the daughter of the king of the Molossians. Alexander was born in 356 BC, the same year as Philip's horse won at the Olympic Games.
Only Greeks were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, and Philip was determined to convince his Athenian opposition that he was indeed worthy to be considered Greek. And, after successfully uniting Macedonia and Thessaly, Philip could legitimately participate in the Olympics. In 365 BC Philip entered his horse into the keles, a horseback race in the 106th Olympics, and won. He proceeded to win two more times, winning the four horse chariot race in the 352 BC 107th Olympics and the two horse chariot race in the 348 BC 108th Olympics. These were great victories for Philip because not only had he been admitted officially into the Olympic Games but he had also won, solidifying his standing as a true Greek.
The conquest and political consolidation of most of Greece during Philip's reign was achieved in part by the creation of the Macedonian phalanx which gave him an enormous advantage on the battlefield. After defeating Athens and Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC Philip II established the League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, with him at it's head, with the intention of invading the Persian empire. In 336 BC he sent an army of 10,000 men into Asia Minor to make preparations for the invasion by freeing the Greeks living on the western coast and islands from Persian rule. All went well until the news arrived that Philip had been assassinated. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated by Persian forces near Magnesia.
Philip II was murdered in October 336 BC, at Aegae, the ancient capital of the Macedonian kingdom, while he was entering into the town's theatre. He was assassinated by Pausanius, one of his own bodyguards, who was himself slain by three of Philip's other bodyguards. The reasons for Philip's assassination are not now fully known, with many modern historians saying that, on the face of it, none of the ancient accounts which have come down to us appear to be credible.
5 comments*Alex
PHILIP_II.JPG
Philip II, 359 - 336 BC. AE18. Struck after 356 BC at an uncertain mint in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Young male head, usually identified as Apollo, with hair bound in a taenia, facing left.
Reverse: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Naked rider on horse prancing right, forepart of bull butting right control mark (helmet?) beneath the horse.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 6.95gms | Die Axis: 9
GCV: 6699 | Forrer/Weber: 2068

The bronze series of this type is extensive and differentiated principally by the different control marks. These control marks are symbols and letters which generally appear on the reverse, very occasionally the obverse, of the coin, and they were used to identify the officials responsible for a particular issue of coinage.
Philip II won the horseback race at the 106th Olympics in 356 BC, and it is thought that the horseman on the reverse of this coin commemorates this event.


Philip II of Macedon was King of Macedon from 359 until his death in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III Arrhidaeus. In 357 BC, Philip married Olympias, who was the daughter of the king of the Molossians. Alexander was born in 356 BC, the same year as Philip's horse won at the Olympic Games.
The conquest and political consolidation of most of Greece during Philip's reign was achieved in part by the creation of the Macedonian phalanx which gave him an enormous advantage on the battlefield. After defeating Athens and Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC Philip II established the League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, with him at it's head, with the intention of invading the Persian empire. In 336 BC, Philip II sent an army of 10,000 men into Asia Minor to make preparations for the invasion by freeing the Greeks living on the western coast and islands from Persian rule. All went well until the news arrived that Philip had been assassinated. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated by Persian forces near Magnesia.
Philip II was murdered in October 336 BC, at Aegae, the ancient capital of the Macedonian kingdom, while he was entering into the town's theatre. He was assassinated by Pausanius, one of his own bodyguards, who was himself slain by three of Philip's other bodyguards. The reasons for Philip's assassination are not now fully known, with many modern historians saying that, on the face of it, none of the ancient accounts which have come down to us appear to be credible.
*Alex
Philip_II_retrograde_E.JPG
Philip II, 359 - 336. AE18. Struck after 356 BC at an uncertain mint in Macedonia Obverse: No legend. Young male head, usually identified as Apollo, with hair bound in a taenia, facing right.
Reverse: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Naked rider on horse prancing right, retrograde E control mark beneath the horse.
Diameter: 17.16mm | Weight: 6.09gms | Die Axis: 12
SNG ANS 919 - 920

The bronze series of this type is extensive and differentiated principally by the different control marks. These control marks are symbols and letters which generally appear on the reverse, very occasionally the obverse, of the coin, and they were used to identify the officials responsible for a particular issue of coinage.
Philip II won the horseback race at the 106th Olympics in 356 BC, and it is thought that the horseman on the reverse of this coin commemorates this event.


Philip II of Macedon was King of Macedon from 359 until his death in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III Arrhidaeus. In 357 BC, Philip married Olympias, who was the daughter of the king of the Molossians. Alexander was born in 356 BC, the same year as Philip's horse won at the Olympic Games.
The conquest and political consolidation of most of Greece during Philip's reign was achieved in part by the creation of the Macedonian phalanx which gave him an enormous advantage on the battlefield. After defeating Athens and Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC Philip II established the League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, with him at it's head, with the intention of invading the Persian empire. In 336 BC, Philip II sent an army of 10,000 men into Asia Minor to make preparations for the invasion by freeing the Greeks living on the western coast and islands from Persian rule. All went well until the news arrived that Philip had been assassinated. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated by Persian forces near Magnesia.
Philip II was murdered in October 336 BC, at Aegae, the ancient capital of the Macedonian kingdom, while he was entering into the town's theatre. He was assassinated by Pausanius, one of his own bodyguards, who was himself slain by three of Philip's other bodyguards. The reasons for Philip's assassination are not now fully known, with many modern historians saying that, on the face of it, none of the ancient accounts which have come down to us appear to be credible.
*Alex
359_-_336_BC_PHILIP_II_of_MACEDON.JPG
Philip II, 359 - 336. AE18. Struck after 356 BC at an uncertain mint in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Young male head, usually identified as Apollo, with hair bound in a taenia, facing right.
Reverse: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Naked rider on horse prancing left, spearhead control mark beneath the horse.
Diameter: 18.00mm | Weight: 6.00gms | Die Axis: 12
SNG ANS 850 | Mionnet I: 750

The bronze series of this type is extensive and differentiated principally by the different control marks. These control marks are symbols and letters which generally appear on the reverse, very occasionally the obverse, of the coin, and they were used to identify the officials responsible for a particular issue of coinage.
Philip II won the horseback race at the 106th Olympics in 356 BC, and it is thought that the horseman on the reverse of this coin commemorates this event.


Philip II of Macedon was King of Macedon from 359 until his death in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III Arrhidaeus. In 357 BC, Philip married Olympias, who was the daughter of the king of the Molossians. Alexander was born in 356 BC, the same year as Philip's horse won at the Olympic Games.
The conquest and political consolidation of most of Greece during Philip's reign was achieved in part by the creation of the Macedonian phalanx which gave him an enormous advantage on the battlefield. After defeating Athens and Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC Philip II established the League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, with him at it's head, with the intention of invading the Persian empire. In 336 BC, Philip II sent an army of 10,000 men into Asia Minor to make preparations for the invasion by freeing the Greeks living on the western coast and islands from Persian rule. All went well until the news arrived that Philip had been assassinated. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated by Persian forces near Magnesia.
Philip II was murdered in October 336 BC, at Aegae, the ancient capital of the Macedonian kingdom, while he was entering into the town's theatre. He was assassinated by Pausanius, one of his own bodyguards, who was himself slain by three of Philip's other bodyguards. The reasons for Philip's assassination are not now fully known, with many modern historians saying that, on the face of it, none of the ancient accounts which have come down to us appear to be credible.
*Alex
336_-_323_BC_ALEXANDER_III_Hemiobol.JPG
Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 BC. AE Hemiobol (4 Chalkoi). Struck 336 - 320 BC, possibly under Philip III at Miletus in Macedonia.Obverse: No legend. Head of Alexander the Great as Herakles, wearing lion-skin knotted at base of neck, facing right.
Reverse: AΛEΞANΔ•POY. Bow in Gorytos (a case for bow and quiver) above, club below. ΠΥΡ monogram control mark below club
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 5.79gms | Die Axis: 3
Price: 0335

Alexander the Great reigned from 336 to 323 BC. Price supposes this coin to be a lifetime issue and Sear concurs stating that the issues that are more likely to be posthumous are the ones bearing the title BAΣIΛEOΣ. Thompson however, has proposed a posthumous date of 321 - 320 BC (Thompson series IV) based on the compound ΠΥΡ monogram used as a control mark.

It is difficult to interpret the die orientation in these issues because not only is it unclear what the Ancient Greeks would have considered "up" with respect to the reverse design but modern scholars are ambiguous on the subject as well. I have, however, assumed that the modern conventional orientation is with the name reading horizontally, and therefore have described my example as having a 3 o'clock orientation, the "top" of the reverse being aligned with the back of Herakles' head on the obverse.
1 comments*Alex
57314q00~0.jpg
15 HadrianHADRIAN
BI tetradrachm, Alexandria mint, 11.1g, 25.1mm
29 Aug 125 - 28 Aug 126 A.D.
ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑΙ Α∆ΡΙΑ CΕΒ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, wearing aegis, from behind / L ∆Ε KATOV (year 10), Canopus jar of Osiris, ornamented with figures, wearing crown of horns, uraei disk, and plumes
Kampmann-Ganschow 32.351; Geissen 903; Dattari 1326; Milne 1154; BMC Alexandria p. 75, 630; Emmett 827
Choice gVF
Purchased from FORVM

Note that at some point in this coin's history, it seems to have been used a host for very poor quality fakes. After discussion on the FORVM board, I am comfortable that this coin is indeed the original. Shame on the former owner that used it for copies!

During the mummification process, large organs, such as the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were extracted and placed in four jars. In the Ptolemaic period, the Greeks called these jars "canopic jars," relating them to the deity of the old city Canop (now a village in Abu Kyr). The heart was left in the body because it held the spirit, understanding and senses and would be needed on the Day of Judgment in the underworld. -- FORVM
RI0073
3 commentsSosius
marseille-obole-droite.JPG
LT abs, Gaul, MassaliaMassalia (Marseille, south of France)
Circa 385-310 BC ?

Silver obol, 0.67 g, 10 mm diameter, die axis 8h

O/ youthful head of Apollo, right, with a visible ear and sideburns
R/ wheel with four spokes, M and A in two quarters

Marseille was founded by the Phocean Greeks circa 600 BC. This obol has obviously more greek than celtic origins.
1 comments
Aigina_turtle.jpg
002a, Aigina, Islands off Attica, Greece, c. 510 - 490 B.C.Silver stater, S 1849, SNG Cop 503, F, 12.231g, 22.3mm, Aigina (Aegina) mint, c. 510 - 490 B.C.; Obverse: sea turtle (with row of dots down the middle); Reverse: incuse square of “Union Jack” pattern; banker's mark obverse. Ex FORVM.


Greek Turtles, by Gary T. Anderson

Turtles, the archaic currency of Aegina, are among the most sought after of all ancient coins. Their early history is somewhat of a mystery. At one time historians debated whether they or the issuances of Lydia were the world's earliest coins. The source of this idea comes indirectly from the writings of Heracleides of Pontus, a fourth century BC Greek scholar. In the treatise Etymologicum, Orion quotes Heracleides as claiming that King Pheidon of Argos, who died no later than 650 BC, was the first to strike coins at Aegina. However, archeological investigations date the earliest turtles to about 550 BC, and historians now believe that this is when the first of these intriguing coins were stamped.

Aegina is a small, mountainous island in the Saronikon Gulf, about midway between Attica and the Peloponnese. In the sixth century BC it was perhaps the foremost of the Greek maritime powers, with trade routes throughout the eastern half of the Mediterranean. It is through contacts with Greeks in Asia Minor that the idea of coinage was probably introduced to Aegina. Either the Lydians or Greeks along the coast of present day Turkey were most likely the first to produce coins, back in the late seventh century. These consisted of lumps of a metal called electrum (a mixture of gold and silver) stamped with an official impression to guarantee the coin was of a certain weight. Aegina picked up on this idea and improved upon it by stamping coins of (relatively) pure silver instead electrum, which contained varying proportions of gold and silver. The image stamped on the coin of the mighty sea power was that of a sea turtle, an animal that was plentiful in the Aegean Sea. While rival cities of Athens and Corinth would soon begin limited manufacture of coins, it is the turtle that became the dominant currency of southern Greece. The reason for this is the shear number of coins produced, estimated to be ten thousand yearly for nearly seventy years. The source for the metal came from the rich silver mines of Siphnos, an island in the Aegean. Although Aegina was a formidable trading nation, the coins seemed to have meant for local use, as few have been found outside the Cyclades and Crete. So powerful was their lure, however, that an old proverb states, "Courage and wisdom are overcome by Turtles."

The Aeginean turtle bore a close likeness to that of its live counterpart, with a series of dots running down the center of its shell. The reverse of the coin bore the imprint of the punch used to force the face of the coin into the obverse turtle die. Originally this consisted of an eight-pronged punch that produced a pattern of eight triangles. Later, other variations on this were tried. In 480 BC, the coin received its first major redesign. Two extra pellets were added to the shell near the head of the turtle, a design not seen in nature. Also, the reverse punch mark was given a lopsided design.

Although turtles were produced in great quantities from 550 - 480 BC, after this time production dramatically declines. This may be due to the exhaustion of the silver mines on Siphnos, or it may be related to another historical event. In 480 BC, Aegina's archrival Athens defeated Xerxes and his Persian armies at Marathon. After this, it was Athens that became the predominant power in the region. Aegina and Athens fought a series of wars until 457 BC, when Aegina was conquered by its foe and stripped of its maritime rights. At this time the coin of Aegina changed its image from that of the sea turtle to that of the land tortoise, symbolizing its change in fortunes.

The Turtle was an object of desire in ancient times and has become so once again. It was the first coin produced in Europe, and was produced in such great quantities that thousands of Turtles still exist today. Their historical importance and ready availability make them one of the most desirable items in any ancient coin enthusiast's collection.

(Greek Turtles, by Gary T. Anderson .
1 commentsCleisthenes
ANTOSE86a.jpg
1. Aeneas travels from Troy to Italy Antoninus Pius. 138-161 AD. Sestertius (24.15g, Ø 33mm, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 140-144.
Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right.
Rev.: S C [left and right in field], Aeneas wearing a short tunic and cloac, advancing right, carrying Anchises on left shoulder and holding Ascanius by right hand. Anchises (veiled and draped) carries a box in left hand, Ascanius wears a short tunic and Phrygian cap and caries a pedum in left hand. RIC 627[R2], BMCRE 1292, Cohen 761; Banti (I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali) 373 (4 specimens); Foss 57b.

This sestertius was issued in preparation of the 900th anniversary of Rome which was celebrated in A.D.147.
The scene depicts Aeneas leaving Ilium, as the Romans called Troy, with Ascanius and Anchises. According to Vergil (Aeneid, Book 2), Aeneas, the son of the goddess Venus and the Trojan Anchises, fled with some remnants of the inhabitants of Troy as it fell to the Greeks, taking with him his son, Ascanius, his elderly father, Anchises, and the Palladium, the ancient sacred statue of Athena. The Trojans eventually made their way west to resettle in Italy. There they intermarried with the local inhabitants and founded the town of Lavinium, and thereby became the nucleus of the future Roman people. One of the descendants of Aeneas' son Ascanius (known now as Iulus) was Rhea Silvia, mother of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. The mythological depictions on this coin reinforce the importance of Ilium, not only as the seedbed of the future Roman people, but also as the mother city of the future caput mundi.
Charles S
PCrassusDenAmazon~0.jpg
1ab Marcus Licinius CrassusFormed First Triumvirate with Caesar and Pompey in 60 BC, killed at Carrhae in Parthia in 53 BC.

Denarius, minted by son, P Licinius Crassus, ca 54 BC.
Bust of Venus, right, SC behind
Amazon with horse, P CRASSVS MF.

Seaby, Licinia 18

These coins were probably minted to pay Crassus' army for the invasion of Parthia, which led to its destruction. My synthesis of reviewing 90 examples of this issue revealed a female warrior wearing a soft felt Scythian cap with ear flaps; a fabric garment with a decorated skirt to the knees; probably trousers; an ornate war belt; a baldric; a cape, animal skin, or shoulder cord on attached to the left shoulder; and decorated calf-high boots. She matches the historically confirmed garb of the real amazons—Scythian horsewomen—and of course holds her steed. The horse’s tack is consistent with archeological discoveries of tack in use by Scythians and Romans.

Adrienne Mayor writes that amazon imagery on Greek vases suddenly appeared in 575-550 BC, initially depicting them in Greek-style armor. By the end of the century, as the Greeks learned more through direct and indirect contact with Scythians, they began to appear wearing archeologically confirmed Scythian-Sarmatian-Thracian patterned attire. (Adrienne Mayor, The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2014, 199-200). To this, artists added their own creative ideas regarding colors, fabric patterns, and decorations. “They dressed the warrior women in body-hugging ‘unitards’ or tunics, short chitons or belted dresses, sometimes over leggings or trousers. . . . In paintings and sculpture, pointed or soft Scythian caps with earflaps or ties (kidaris) soon replaced the Greek helmets, and the women wear a variety of belts, baldrics (diagonal straps), corselets, shoulder cords or bands, and crisscrossing leather straps attached to belt loops like those worn by the archer huntress Artemis. . . . Amazon footgear included soft leather moccasin-like shoes, calf-high boots (endromides), or taller laced boots (embades) with scallops or flaps and lined with felt or fur.” (Mayor, 202)

The artists apparently had detailed knowledge of gear used by real Scythian horsewomen to equip their imagined Amazons. “Archeological discoveries of well-preserved sets of clothing confirm that real horsewomen of ancient Scythian lands dressed much as did those described in Greek texts and illustrated in Scythian and Greek artwork.” (Mayor, 203)
1 commentsBlindado
PCrassusDenAmazon2.jpg
1ab_2 Marcus Licinius CrassusFormed First Triumvirate with Caesar and Pompey in 60 BC, killed at Carrhae in Parthia in 53 BC.

Denarius, minted by son, P Licinius Crassus, ca 54 BC.
Bust of Venus, right, SC behind
Amazon with horse, P CRASSVS MF.

Seaby, Licinia 18

These coins were probably minted to pay Crassus' army for the invasion of Parthia. My synthesis of reviewing 90 examples of this issue revealed a female warrior wearing a soft felt Scythian cap with ear flaps (visible in this example); a fabric garment with a decorated skirt to the knees; probably trousers; an ornate war belt; a baldric; a cape, animal skin, or shoulder cord on attached to the left shoulder; and decorated calf-high boots. She matches the historically confirmed garb of the real amazons—Scythian horsewomen—and of course holds her steed. The horse’s tack is consistent with archeological discoveries of tack in use by Scythians and Romans.

Adrienne Mayor writes that amazon imagery on Greek vases suddenly appeared in 575-550 BC, initially depicting them in Greek-style armor. By the end of the century, as the Greeks learned more through direct and indirect contact with Scythians, they began to appear wearing archeologically confirmed Scythian-Sarmatian-Thracian patterned attire. (Adrienne Mayor, The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2014, 199-200). To this, artists added their own creative ideas regarding colors, fabric patterns, and decorations. “They dressed the warrior women in body-hugging ‘unitards’ or tunics, short chitons or belted dresses, sometimes over leggings or trousers. . . . In paintings and sculpture, pointed or soft Scythian caps with earflaps or ties (kidaris) soon replaced the Greek helmets, and the women wear a variety of belts, baldrics (diagonal straps), corselets, shoulder cords or bands, and crisscrossing leather straps attached to belt loops like those worn by the archer huntress Artemis. . . . Amazon footgear included soft leather moccasin-like shoes, calf-high boots (endromides), or taller laced boots (embades) with scallops or flaps and lined with felt or fur.” (Mayor, 202)
The artists apparently had detailed knowledge of gear used by real Scythian horsewomen to equip their imagined Amazons. “Archeological discoveries of well-preserved sets of clothing confirm that real horsewomen of ancient Scythian lands dressed much as did those described in Greek texts and illustrated in Scythian and Greek artwork.” (Mayor, 203)

Plutarch wrote of Crassus: People were wont to say that the many virtues of Crassus were darkened by the one vice of avarice, and indeed he seemed to have no other but that; for it being the most predominant, obscured others to which he was inclined. The arguments in proof of his avarice were the vastness of his estate, and the manner of raising it; for whereas at first he was not worth above three hundred talents, yet, though in the course of his political life he dedicated the tenth of all he had to Hercules, and feasted the people, and gave to every citizen corn enough to serve him three months, upon casting up his accounts, before he went upon his Parthian expedition, he found his possessions to amount to seven thousand one hundred talents; most of which, if we may scandal him with a truth, he got by fire and rapine, making his advantages of the public calamities. . . . Crassus, however, was very eager to be hospitable to strangers; he kept open house, and to his friends he would lend money without interest, but called it in precisely at the time; so that his kindness was often thought worse than the paying the interest would have been. His entertainments were, for the most part, plain and citizen-like, the company general and popular; good taste and kindness made them pleasanter than sumptuosity would have done. As for learning he chiefly cared for rhetoric, and what would be serviceable with large numbers; he became one of the best speakers at Rome, and by his pains and industry outdid the best natural orators. . . . Besides, the people were pleased with his courteous and unpretending salutations and greetings, for he never met any citizen however humble and low, but he returned him his salute by name. He was looked upon as a man well-read in history, and pretty well versed in Aristotle's philosophy. . . . Crassus was killed by a Parthian, called Pomaxathres; others say by a different man, and that Pomaxathres only cut off his head and right hand after he had fallen. But this is conjecture rather than certain knowledge, for those that were by had not leisure to observe particulars. . . .
1 commentsBlindado
PCrassusDenAmazon2~1.jpg
1ab_2 Marcus Licinius CrassusFormed First Triumvirate with Caesar and Pompey in 60 BC, killed at Carrhae in Parthia in 53 BC.

Denarius, minted by son, P Licinius Crassus, ca 54 BC.
Bust of Venus, right, SC behind
Amazon with horse, P CRASSVS MF.

Seaby, Licinia 18

These coins were probably minted to pay Crassus' army for the invasion of Parthia, which led to its destruction. My synthesis of reviewing 90 examples of this issue revealed a female warrior wearing a soft felt Scythian cap with ear flaps (visible in this example); a fabric garment with a decorated skirt to the knees; probably trousers; an ornate war belt; a baldric; a cape, animal skin, or shoulder cord on attached to the left shoulder; and decorated calf-high boots. She matches the historically confirmed garb of the real amazons—Scythian horsewomen—and of course holds her steed. The horse’s tack is consistent with archeological discoveries of tack in use by Scythians and Romans.

Adrienne Mayor writes that amazon imagery on Greek vases suddenly appeared in 575-550 BC, initially depicting them in Greek-style armor. By the end of the century, as the Greeks learned more through direct and indirect contact with Scythians, they began to appear wearing archeologically confirmed Scythian-Sarmatian-Thracian patterned attire. (Adrienne Mayor, The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2014, 199-200). To this, artists added their own creative ideas regarding colors, fabric patterns, and decorations. “They dressed the warrior women in body-hugging ‘unitards’ or tunics, short chitons or belted dresses, sometimes over leggings or trousers. . . . In paintings and sculpture, pointed or soft Scythian caps with earflaps or ties (kidaris) soon replaced the Greek helmets, and the women wear a variety of belts, baldrics (diagonal straps), corselets, shoulder cords or bands, and crisscrossing leather straps attached to belt loops like those worn by the archer huntress Artemis. . . . Amazon footgear included soft leather moccasin-like shoes, calf-high boots (endromides), or taller laced boots (embades) with scallops or flaps and lined with felt or fur.” (Mayor, 202)

The artists apparently had detailed knowledge of gear used by real Scythian horsewomen to equip their imagined Amazons. “Archeological discoveries of well-preserved sets of clothing confirm that real horsewomen of ancient Scythian lands dressed much as did those described in Greek texts and illustrated in Scythian and Greek artwork.” (Mayor, 203)
2 commentsBlindado
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501. Constantine I Cyzicus GLORIA EXERCITVSCyzicus

Cyzicus was an ancient town of Mysia in Asia Minor, situated on the shoreward side of the present peninsula of Kapu-Dagh (Arctonnesus), which is said to have been originally an island in the Sea of Marmara, and to have been artificially connected with the mainland in historic times.

It was, according to tradition, occupied by Thessalian settlers at the coming of the Argonauts, and in 756 BC the town was founded by Greeks from Miletus.

Owing to its advantageous position it speedily acquired commercial importance, and the gold staters of Cyzicus were a staple currency in the ancient world till they were superseded by those of Philip of Macedon. (For more information on ancient coinage click here) During the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) Cyzicus was subject to the Athenians and Lacedaemonians alternately, and at the peace of Antalcidas (387 BC), like the other Greek cities in Asia, it was made over to Persia.

The history of the town in Hellenistic times is closely connected with that of the Attalids of Pergamon, with whose extinction it came into direct relations with Rome. Cyzicus was held for the Romans against Mithradates in 74 BC till the siege was raised by Lucullus: the loyalty of the city was rewarded by an extension of territory and other privileges. Still a flourishing centre in Imperial times, the place appears to have been ruined by a series of earthquakes —the last in AD 1063— and the population was transferred to Artaki at least as early as the 13th century, when the peninsula was occupied by the Crusaders.

The site is now known as Bal-Kiz and entirely uninhabited, though under cultivation. The principal extant ruins are the walls, which are traceable for nearly their whole extent, a picturesque amphitheatre intersected by a stream, and the substructures of the temple of Hadrian. Of this magnificent building, sometimes ranked among the seven wonders of the ancient world, thirty-one immense columns still stood erect in 1444. These have since been carried away piecemeal for building purposes.

RIC VII Cyzicus 110 R5

Ex-Varangian

ecoli
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501. Constantine I GLORIA EXERCITVS ArlesArles SCONST
15 views
Arles

Over 3000 years of history reside upon this rocky rise just north of the Mediterranean Sea on the Rhône River. Part of ancient Liguria, the site later became a city, Arlate, named by the Celts as the village amidst the marshes. After the Celts came the Greeks who made good use of this easily accessed inland port. The Greeks were displaced by the Romans and with Caesar's defeat of the Phoenicians at Massalia (current-day Marseille) with the help of nearly 20 battle ships built by the Arlesians, Arles became the Roman capitol of Provincia Romana, with the lands formerly under the dominion of Massalia, Glanum and other former Phoenician supporters now hers.

Constantine I AE3. 333-334 AD. CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG, rosette-diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right / GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS laurel wreath with dot, SCONST in ex. RIC Vii 375
ecoli
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5589 EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian Tetradrachm 125-26 AD NikeReference.
RPC III 5589; Emmett 870.10; Dattari 1407; Geissen 910; Milne 1138

Issue L ΔΕΚΑΤΟΥ = year 10

Obv. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ - ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ϹƐΒ
Laureate draped and cuirassed bust of Hadrian, r., seen from rear

Rev. L ΔΕΚΑΤΟΥ
Winged bust of Nike, right

12.85 gr
25 mm
12h

Note Forvm.

During the mummification process, large organs, such as the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were extracted and placed in four jars. In the Ptolemaic period, the Greeks called these jars `canopic jars,` relating them to the deity of the old city Canop (now a village in Abu Kyr). The heart was left in the body because it held the spirit, understanding and senses and would be needed on the Day of Judgment in the underworld.
okidoki
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81-96 AD - DOMITIAN AE19 Byzantion - struck 81-96 ADobv: DOMITIANOY KAICAPOC (laureate head left)
rev: [BYZ]ANTIWN (crescent moon and star)
ref: Moushmov3274
mint: Byzantion (Thrace)
3.16gms, 19mm
Very rare

The crescent and star is one of the oldest symbol, it appears on petroglyphs and steles of the first civilization in Sumer. This symbol was adopted by the Greeks and was associated with many of their gods. Nevertheless, Byzantium was the first governing state to use the crescent moon as its national symbol. According to some reports, they chose it in honor of the goddess Diana.
berserker
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A. Plautius denarius 55 BCEA. Plautius.

AED • CVR • S • C downwards to left, A • PLAVTIVS downward to right
Turreted head of Cybele right, wearing cruciform earring, hair in knot, locks falling down neck;

IVDAEVS upward to right, BACCHIVS in exergue.
Bearded male figure (Aristobulus II) kneels right with palm branch in left hand, alongside camel

Rome, 55 BCE.

3.75g

Hendin 6470

Ex-Taters

The very first Judaea Capta type commemorating the defeat of Aristobulus II in trying to usurp the High Priesthood and Kingship from his brother Hyrcanus II.

From Hendin's Guide to Biblical Coins volume 6:

"Bacchus the Jew has been an enigma in numismatics. The most popular opinion is that the figure on the coin represents Aristobulus II, ally of Aretas III, and commemorates Aristobulus' unsuccessful insurrection against both his brother Hyrcanus II and Pompey the Great.


"I suggest that BACCHIVS IVDAEVS is not only half-playful, but tauntingly mean and mischievous as well. There are numerous suggestions that many Romans and Greeks believed the ancient Jewish religion to be a cult of Dionysus, the popular god of grapes and winemaking, feasting, drunken behavior, and ecstasy. Josephus does not discuss any aspects of Bacchus and the Jews, but he mentions that Herod I presented a golden vine to the Temple. It was used to hang donatives of golden grapes and vine leaves and the vine was said to be part of the booty taken to Rome by Titus. Among the important prayers in Judaism, both ancient and modern, are those prayers that call upon the monotheistic God to bless "the fruit of the vine."
Grapes were also one of the seven species listed in Deuteronomy 8:8 as special products of the ancient Land of Israel. The relationship the Greeks and Romans fantasized to exist between the Jews and Dionysus may also be related to the traditional mythology that Dionysus was the son of Semele, "who was the daughter of Cadmus, who, being a Phoenician, was a Semite who spoke a language closely akin to Hebrew." (GBC p. 367)"
10 commentsJay GT4
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Alexander III The Great, Macedonian Kingdom, 336 - 323 B.C.Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon (356-323 BC), better known as Alexander the Great, single-handedly changed the entire nature of the ancient world in little more than ten years.

"Born in the northern Greek kingdom of Macedonia in 356 BC, to Philip II and his formidable wife Olympias, Alexander was educated by the philosopher Aristotle. Following his father's assassination in 336 BC, he inherited a powerful yet volatile kingdom, which he had to secure - along with the rest of the Greek city states - before he could set out to conquer the massive Persian Empire, in revenge for Persia's earlier attempts to conquer Greece.
Against overwhelming odds, he led his army to victories across the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt without incurring a single defeat. With his greatest victory at the Battle of Gaugamela, in what is now northern Iraq, in 331 BC, the young king of Macedonia, leader of the Greeks, Overlord of Asia Minor and Pharaoh of Egypt also became Great King of Persia at the age of 25.

Over the next eight years, in his capacity as king, commander, politician, scholar and explorer, Alexander led his army a further 11,000 miles, founding over 70 cities and creating an empire that stretched across three continents and covered some two million square miles.

The entire area from Greece in the west, north to the Danube, south into Egypt and as far east as the Indian Punjab, was linked together in a vast international network of trade and commerce. This was united by a common Greek language and culture, whilst the king himself adopted foreign customs in order to rule his millions of ethnically diverse subjects.

Primarily a soldier, Alexander was an acknowledged military genius who always led by example, although his belief in his own indestructibility meant he was often reckless with his own life and that of those he expected to follow him. The fact that his army only refused to do so once, in the13 years of a reign during which there was constant fighting, indicates the loyalty he inspired.

Following his death in 323 BC at the age of only 32, his empire was torn apart in the power struggles of his successors. Yet Alexander's mythical status rapidly reached epic proportions and inspired individuals as diverse as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Louis XIV and Napoleon.

He continues to be portrayed according to the bias of those interpreting his achievements. He is either Alexander the Great or Iskander the Accursed, chivalrous knight or bloody monster, benign multi-culturalist or racist imperialist - but above all he is fully deserving of his description as 'the most significant secular individual in history'."

By Dr Joann Fletcher (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml)
Cleisthenes
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Alexander III The Great, Macedonian Kingdom, 336 - 323 B.C. Lifetime IssueSilver drachm, Price 2553, VF, 4.297g, 16.4mm, 0o, Lydia, Sardes mint, c. 334 - 323 B.C. Lifetime Issue; Obverse: Herakles' head right, clad in Nemean lion scalp headdress tied at neck; Reverse: BASILEWS ALEXANDROU, Zeus enthroned left, eagle in right, scepter in left, EYE monogram left, rose under throne. Ex FORVM.

Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon (356-323 BC)

"Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, single-handedly changed the entire nature of the ancient world in little more than ten years.

Born in the northern Greek kingdom of Macedonia in 356 BC, to Philip II and his formidable wife Olympias, Alexander was educated by the philosopher Aristotle. Following his father's assassination in 336 BC, he inherited a powerful yet volatile kingdom, which he had to secure - along with the rest of the Greek city states - before he could set out to conquer the massive Persian Empire, in revenge for Persia's earlier attempts to conquer Greece.

Against overwhelming odds, he led his army to victories across the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt without incurring a single defeat. With his greatest victory at the Battle of Gaugamela, in what is now northern Iraq, in 331 BC, the young king of Macedonia, leader of the Greeks, Overlord of Asia Minor and Pharaoh of Egypt also became Great King of Persia at the age of 25.

Over the next eight years, in his capacity as king, commander, politician, scholar and explorer, Alexander led his army a further 11,000 miles, founding over 70 cities and creating an empire that stretched across three continents and covered some two million square miles.

The entire area from Greece in the west, north to the Danube, south into Egypt and as far east as the Indian Punjab, was linked together in a vast international network of trade and commerce. This was united by a common Greek language and culture, whilst the king himself adopted foreign customs in order to rule his millions of ethnically diverse subjects.

Primarily a soldier, Alexander was an acknowledged military genius who always led by example, although his belief in his own indestructibility meant he was often reckless with his own life and that of those he expected to follow him. The fact that his army only refused to do so once, in the 13 years of a reign during which there was constant fighting, indicates the loyalty he inspired.

Following his death in 323 BC at the age of only 32, his empire was torn apart in the power struggles of his successors. Yet Alexander's mythical status rapidly reached epic proportions and inspired individuals as diverse as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Louis XIV and Napoleon.

He continues to be portrayed according to the bias of those interpreting his achievements. He is either Alexander the Great or Iskander the Accursed, chivalrous knight or bloody monster, benign multi-culturalist or racist imperialist - but above all he is fully deserving of his description as 'the most significant secular individual in history'."

By Dr. Joann Fletcher
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml

"When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer."--attributed to Plutarch, The Moralia.
http://www.pothos.org/alexander.asp?paraID=96

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.
Cleisthenes
AlexTheGreatMemphisTet.jpg
Alexander III The Great, Macedonian Kingdom, 336 - 323 B.C., Possible Lifetime IssueThis is the same coin in my collection, different picture, as the Alexander tetradrachm listed as [300mem].

Silver tetradrachm, Price 3971, VF, 16.081g, 26.1mm, 0o, Egypt, Memphis mint, c. 332 - 323 or 323 - 305 B.C.; obverse Herakles' head right, clad in Nemean lion scalp headdress tied at neck; reverse ALEXANDROU, Zeus enthroned left, legs crossed, eagle in right, scepter in left, rose left, DI-O under throne. Ex Pavlos S. Pavlou. Ex FORVM, "The Memphis issues are among the finest style Alexander coins. Experts disagree on the date of this issue. Some identify it as a lifetime issue and others as a posthumous issue (Joseph Sermarini).

Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon (356-323 BC)

"Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, single-handedly changed the entire nature of the ancient world in little more than ten years.

Born in the northern Greek kingdom of Macedonia in 356 BC, to Philip II and his formidable wife Olympias, Alexander was educated by the philosopher Aristotle. Following his father's assassination in 336 BC, he inherited a powerful yet volatile kingdom, which he had to secure - along with the rest of the Greek city states - before he could set out to conquer the massive Persian Empire, in revenge for Persia's earlier attempts to conquer Greece.

Against overwhelming odds, he led his army to victories across the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt without incurring a single defeat. With his greatest victory at the Battle of Gaugamela, in what is now northern Iraq, in 331 BC, the young king of Macedonia, leader of the Greeks, Overlord of Asia Minor and Pharaoh of Egypt also became Great King of Persia at the age of 25.

Over the next eight years, in his capacity as king, commander, politician, scholar and explorer, Alexander led his army a further 11,000 miles, founding over 70 cities and creating an empire that stretched across three continents and covered some two million square miles.

The entire area from Greece in the west, north to the Danube, south into Egypt and as far east as the Indian Punjab, was linked together in a vast international network of trade and commerce. This was united by a common Greek language and culture, whilst the king himself adopted foreign customs in order to rule his millions of ethnically diverse subjects.

Primarily a soldier, Alexander was an acknowledged military genius who always led by example, although his belief in his own indestructibility meant he was often reckless with his own life and that of those he expected to follow him. The fact that his army only refused to do so once, in the13 years of a reign during which there was constant fighting, indicates the loyalty he inspired.

Following his death in 323 BC at the age of only 32, his empire was torn apart in the power struggles of his successors. Yet Alexander's mythical status rapidly reached epic proportions and inspired individuals as diverse as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Louis XIV and Napoleon.

He continues to be portrayed according to the bias of those interpreting his achievements. He is either Alexander the Great or Iskander the Accursed, chivalrous knight or bloody monster, benign multi-culturalist or racist imperialist - but above all he is fully deserving of his description as 'the most significant secular individual in history'."

By Dr. Joann Fletcher
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml

"When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer."--attributed to Plutarch, The Moralia.
http://www.pothos.org/alexander.asp?paraID=96

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.
1 commentsCleisthenes
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Alexander the Great AR Tetradrachm 325-320 BCOBVERSE: Head of Herakles clad in the skin of the Nemean lion
REVERSE: Zeus Aeotophoros enthroned left, ALEXANDROY in right field, Cornucopia in left field.

This classic type was probably minted at Amphipolis in Macedon at or near the end of Alexander's brief reign (333-323BC). The lion was the symbol of Persia and the obverse likely represents his conquest of that Empire. The Figure of Zeus enthroned is almost the same as that of Baal on the silver shekels of the Persian satraps. The significance of the conquest of the East by Greeks was not lost on Alexander or his contemporaries
Price 104 (ref.Wildwinds) Weight 17.1 gm
1 commentsdaverino
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Ancient Greek Coin Collection From Sixth to First Centuries B.C.Here are the coins I started collecting from 2012 to present. As Aristotle wrote two millennia ago that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, there is no better way to present a collection of Greeks than to put them all together in a single shot. (Please click on picture for bigger resolution and to show greater details on coins).

Top row from left to right: AEOLIS, MYRINA. AR "Stephanophoric" Tetradrachm. Circa 150 BC**ILLYRIA, DYRRHACHION. AR Stater. Circa 340-280 BC**IONIA, SMYRNA. AR “Stephanophoric” Tetradrachm. Circa 150-145 BC** PELOPONNESOS, SIKYON. AR Stater. Circa 335-330 BC**ATTICA, ATHENS. “New style” Tetradrachm. Circa 169 BC.

Fifth row: BACTRIA, Antialkidas. AR Drachm. Circa 145-135 BC**CAPPADOCIA. Ariobarzanes I AR Drachm. Circa 96-63 BC**THRACE, ABDERA. AR Tetrobol. Circa 360-350 BC**THRACE, CHERSONESSOS. AR Hemidrachm. Circa 386-338 BC.

Fourth row: LUCANIA, METAPONTION. AR Stater. Circa 510-480 BC**THESSALIAN LEAGUE. AR Stater. Circa 196-146 BC**MACEDONIA. Kassander AR Tetradrachm. Circa 317-315 BC**AKARNANIA, LEUKAS. AR Stater. Circa 320-280 BC**PAMPHYLIA, ASPENDOS. AR Stater. Circa 330-300 BC.

Third row: SELEUKID SYRIA. Antiochos VI AR Drachm. Circa 144-143 BC**LUCANIA, METAPONTION. AR Stater. Circa 340-330 BC**LUCANIA, VELIA. AR Stater. Circa 280 BC**PARTHIA. Mithradates II AR Drachm. Circa 121-91 BC.

Second row: MYSIA, PERGAMMON. Eumenes I AR Tetradrachm. Circa 263-241 BC**CILICIA, TARSOS. Mazaios AR Stater. Circa 361-334 BC**THRACE. Lysimachos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 297-281 BC**CILICIA, TARSOS. Pharnabazos AR Stater. Circa 380-374 BC**THRACE, MARONEIA. AR Tetradrachm. Mid 2nd cent. BC.

Bottom row: SELEUKID SYRIA. Antiochos Euergetes VII AR Tetradrachm. Circa 138-129 BC**MACEDON. Alexander III AR Tetradrachm. Circa 325-315 BC**CILICIA, AIGEAI. AR Tetradrachm. Circa 30 BC**PAIONIA. Patraos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 335-315 BC**PAMPHYLIA, SIDE. AR Tetradrachm. Circa 155-36 BC.
10 commentsJason T
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ANTONINUS PIUS / SERAPIS , Alexandria BILLION TETRADRACHMMINTED IN ALEXANDRIA , EGYPT FROM 138 - 161 AD
OBVERSE : ANTwNINO C CEBEUC CEB Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
REVERSE : Draped bust of Serapis right,modius on head. L K
References : SNG Cop 426 ( No, L K ?)

22.2 MM AND 13.15 GRAMS.

Alexandria ( of Egypt ) issued billon tetradrachms in large numbers between the reign of Augustus and the closing of the Alexandrian mint during the reign of Diocletian. These coins were no doubt mainly intended to pay the salaries of government officials, of the permanent garrison, and of the temporary troops stationed in Alexandria for purposes of war. They were probably also the form in which taxes in money were received, and were used for trade among the people within the city of Alexandria and other Graeco-Roman cities in Egypt. They also served the purpose of providing a subsidiary coinage with Greek legends which formed the vehicle for Roman imperial propaganda throughout Egypt. On the reverse of these coins were placed the Egyptian Hellenized deities, as an indication of the goodwill of the Roman emperors towards Egypt.
The greater part of the agricultural population of Egypt had scarcely any need for coins except to pay their taxes. The real currency and measure of value in the agricultural settlements was grain, wine or oil. The chief export of Egypt was grain, and this did not bring much money to the cultivators, for most of the grain was collected as tribute, not in trade, and they got nothing in return. Consequently, there is reason to suppose that considerably fewer coins circulated in Egypt generally than the region of Alexandria.
From the reign of Nero onwards, Egypt enjoyed an era of prosperity which lasted a century. Much trouble was caused by religious conflicts between the Greeks and the Jews, particularly in Alexandria, which after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD become the world centre of Jewish religion and culture. Under Trajan a Jewish revolt occurred, resulting in the suppression of the Jews of Alexandria and the loss of all their privileges, although they soon returned. Hadrian, who twice visited Egypt, founded Antinoöpolis in memory of his drowned lover Antinous. From his reign onwards buildings in the Greco-Roman style were erected throughout the country. Under Marcus Aurelius, however, oppressive taxation led to a revolt (139 AD) of the native Egyptians, which was suppressed only after several years of fighting.

From The Sam Mansourati Collection.
2 commentsSam
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Antoninus Pius, RIC 615a, Sestertius of AD 140-144 (Aeneas) Æ Sestertius (26.15g, Ø33mm, 11h). Rome mint. Struck AD 140-44.
Obv/ ANTONINVS · AVGVSTVS PIVS, laureate head of Antoninus Pius facing right, aegis on left shoulder.
Rev/ P P TR P COS III (in field) [S C (in ex.)], Aeneas wearing a short tunic and cloak, advancing right, looking back, carrying Anchises on his shoulder and holding Ascanius by the hand. Anchises (veiled and draped) carries a box in left hand, Ascanius wears a short tunic and Phrygian cap and caries a pedum (shepherd's crook) in left hand.
RIC 615a (R2), BMCRE 1264, Cohen 655 (80 Fr.), Strack 904 (3 specimens found); Banti (I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali II-3) 309 (same obv. and rev. dies, 3 specimens found).
ex Numphil (Paris, june 2014 auction)

This type is part of a series figuring scenes from ancient Roman legends. The scene depicts Aeneas leaving Troy with his son Ascanius and his father Anchises. According to the legend, Aeneas, son of Venus and the Trojan Anchises, fled by boat with some inhabitants of Troy as it fell to the Greeks, taking the Palladium - the ancient sacred statue of Athena - and eventually made their way west to resettle in Italy. They intermarried with the local inhabitants and founded the town of Lavinium, and became the nucleus of the future Roman people. One of the descendants of Aeneas'son Ascianus was Rhea Silvia, the mother of the twins Romulus and Remus.

Numismatic note: This issue has been struck from a single obverse die with the unique obverse legend "ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS PIVS" found nowhere else in the coinage of Antoninus Pius. This obverse die was used exclusively with two reverse dies with slightly different legends: the one in the photo above, and a similar one with the legend "P P TR POT COS III". The use of the aegis on the bust is not exclusive for this issue, but very rare for Antoninus Pius.
2 commentsCharles S
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AR Drachm of Thasos 510-490 BCOBVERSE: Satyr running right carrying off a protesting nymph
REVERSE: An incuse square with bar pattern

Thasos was blessed with silver mines and some of the finest wineries in the Mediterranean. They also knew how to have fun as this popular series of coins demonstrates. Actually it is not entirely certain that these coins were minted in Thasos since there is no inscription but it seems a very good guess. It is impossible to imagine anyone producing a coin like this today. The Greeks had an earthy sense of humor. The design of the coin is like a pinwheel of arms and legs which is based on the triskeles motif but here is used to create a whole picture. This coin has a very deep strike and the expressions on the faces of the nymph and satyr suggest she isn't protesting too much and the whole thing isn't to be taken too seriously.

Sear 1358, wt 3.82 gm, diam 17 mm
daverino
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AR Nomos of Kroton, Bruttium 500-480 BCOBVERSE: KPO upwards on left, Tripod with legs terminating in lion's feet, heron standing left on right.
REVERSE: Incuse tripod.

A slightly chipped example. Bruttium was in the toe of Italy (Calabria). It is believed to have been settled by Greek colonists from Crotona, hence the KPO legend. The followers of the cult of Pythagoras resided here and the tripod/inverse tripod design may have been inspired by their ideas or, more likely, it depicts a trophy in Olympic events. The Greeks were mainly farmers then (and now) and were more attracted to homely themes like scenes from nature and sporting competition than philosophy as subjects on their coins.

SNG ANS 269 (5.99 gm) ex-Forvm Coins
daverino
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AR Nomos of Neapolis, Campania c340-241 BCOBV: Head of nymph facing right, bunch of grapes(?) to left
REV: Man-faced Bull walking right, Victory overhead crowning with wreath.

Sambon 436, SNG ANS 366, weight 7.3 gms; 18 mm

A coin which has all the things that I like about the ancient Greeks - beautiful sense of natural form, balanced design, and whimsical imagination. The small flan cuts off some elements of the overall design and put it in range of my budget.
4 commentsdaverino
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AR Tetradrachm of Messana, Sicily 461-445 BCOBVERSE: seated charioteer holding reins of slow biga of mules to right. Nike flying above crowning mules with wreath. Olive leaf in Exergue
REVERSE: Hare springing right with legend MESSAN I ON with 'C' above the hare.
The charioteer theme on the obverse was introduced by the Tyrant Anaxilas in 480 BC to celebrate his victory in the races at the Olymics of either 480 or 484 BC. Anaxilas died in 475 BC but his sons succeeded him until they were expelled in 461, at which time the winged Nike was added to the obverse. The earliest of the Nike/charioteer types had A, B, C or D above the hare and the old style Greek S in the legends (not visible on this coin)
A bit rough but within my price range! The coin has an elegant design and illustrates the homely subjects that caught the eye of the Greeks and which they rendered so beautifully on their coins

Weight 17.5 gms, Diameter 25-27 mm
daverino
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Arsinoë II Philadelphos - 1st daughter of Pharaoh Ptolemy I SoterPTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT, ALEXANDRIA, 253 - 252 BC, Struck under Ptolemy II.
AV Octodrachm (Mnaïeion) - 27mm, 27.69 g, 12h

O - Arsinoë II head right, veiled and wearing stephane; lotus-tipped scepter in background, Θ to left
R - APΣINOHΣ ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOY, double cornucopia bound with fillet.

Svoronos 460; Troxell, Arsinoe, Transitional to Group 3, p. 43 and pl. 6, 2-3 (same obv. die); SNG Copenhagen 134.

Arsinoe II married Lysimachus at the age of 15. After Lysimachus' death in battle in 281 BC, she fled to Cassandreia and married her paternal half-brother Ptolemy Keraunos. As he became more powerful, she conspired against him leading to the killing of her sons, Lysimachus and Philip. After their deaths, she fled to Alexandria, Egypt to seek protection from her brother, Ptolemy II Philadelphus; whom she later married. As a result, both were given the epithet "Philadelphoi" ("Sibling-loving (plural)") by the presumably scandalized Greeks.

Arsinoe II Philadelphos, died 270-268 BC.
4 commentsrobertpe
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Artaxerxes II - Darius IIIPersian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Artaxerxes II - Darius III, c. 375 - 340 B.C., Silver siglos, 5.490 g, maximum diameter 15.1 mm, die axis 0, Carradice Type IV (late) C, 46 ff.; BMC Arabia 172 ff.; SNG Kayhan 1031; SGCV II 4683; Rosen 674; Klein 763; Carradice Price p. 77 and pl. 20, 387 ff.

Following Darius II came Artaxerxes II (called Mnemon), during whose reign Egypt revolted and relations with Greece deteriorated. His reign (dated as from 404 to 359 B.C.E.) was followed by that of his son Artaxerxes III (also called Ochus), who is credited with some 21 years of rule (358-338 B.C.E.) and is said to have been the most bloodthirsty of all the Persian rulers. His major feat was the reconquest of Egypt.
This was followed by a two-year rule for Arses and a five-year rule for Darius III (Codomannus), during whose reign Philip of Macedonia was murdered (336 B.C.E.) and was succeeded by his son Alexander. In 334 B.C.E. Alexander began his attack on the Persian Empire.

Siglos was the Greek transliteration of the Semitic denomination ""shekel"" which became a standard weight unit for silver in the Achaemenid Persian Empire after the conquest of Babylonia by Cyrus the Great in 539 B.C. Ironically, silver sigloi seem to have been struck primarily in the western part of the empire and the standard went on to influence several Greek civic and royal coinages in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. There is endless debate about whether the figure on the obverse represents the Persian Great King or an anonymous royal hero, but since the Greeks regularly referred to the parallel gold denomination as the ""daric"" it seems clear that at least some contemporaries considered it a depiction of the king. Of course, whether this is what the Persian authorities intended or an example of interpretatio Graeca must remain an open question.
4 commentsNemonater
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Attica, Athens, Athena and OwlAttica, Athens, 449-413 BC, silver tetradrachm, 21 mm, 16.88 g.
O: Head of Athena to right, the eye seen in facing, archaic style, banker's mark on cheek.
R: Owl standing to right, head facing; to right A-theta-E; to left, olive twig and crescent, all within incuse square, two test cuts and crescent banker's mark in field.

This was the first true "silver dollar" of the ancient world, the coins manufactured in Athens circulated wherever the Greeks travelled. Furthermore, similar coins were struck at a number of Eastern mints, and this may be one of them.

Dark toning with beautiful dark blue highlights.
Nemonater
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Bactria; Antialkidas Drachm; Zeus Nikephoros seated, elephant forepartAntialkidas, ca.130-120 B.C. Indo-Greeks of Bactria. AR Drachm. 17mm,2.00g. BASILEWS NIKHFOROU ATIALKIDOU, Diademed and draped bust right, wearing kausia / Kharoshti inscription: Maharajasa jayadharasa Amtialkidasaeus, Zeus Nikephoros seated facing slightly left; to left, forepart of elephant left; monogram below throne. Bopearachchi Série 13B; SNG ANS 1098-103.Podiceps
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Baktria, Indo-Greeks, Antialkidas. Square AE19. Pushkalavati mint, 145-135 BC. BASILEWS NIKHFOROU ANTIALKIDOU, draped bust of Zeus right, thunderbolt on shoulder / Karosthi legend: Maharajasa jayadhrasa Antialkidasa, Palms and pilei of the Dioscuri; Pushkalavati monogram below. ancientone
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BithyniaAs a Roman province, the boundaries of Bithynia frequently varied, and it was commonly united for administrative purposes with the province of Pontus. This was the state of things in the time of Trajan, when Pliny the Younger was appointed governor of the combined provinces, a circumstance to which we are indebted for valuable information concerning the Roman provincial administration. Under the Byzantine Empire Bithynia was again divided into two provinces, separated by the Sangarius, to the west of which the name of Bithynia was restricted.

The most important cities were Nicomedia and Nicaea. The two had a long rivalry with one another over which city held the rank of capital. Both of these were founded after Alexander the Great; but at a much earlier period the Greeks had established on the coast the colonies of Cius (modern Gemlik); Chalcedon (modern Kadıköy), at the entrance of the Bosporus, nearly opposite Byzantium (modern Istanbul; and Heraclea Pontica (modern Karadeniz EreÄŸli), on the Euxine, about 120 miles (190 km) east of the Bosporus.
ancientone
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Bithynia, Prusa ad Mare, BMC 328-330Bithynia, Prusia ad Mare, c. 2nd - 1st century BC
AE 26, 11.26g, 90°
Obv.: Bearded head of Herakles, wearing diadem, r.
Rev.: Legend in 3 letters:
ΠΡOYCIEΩN / TΩΝ ΠΡOC / ΘΑΛΑCCHI
in between club and quiver
Ref.: BMC 132, 328-330; not in SNG Cpenhagen; not in SNG von Aulock
rare, VF+
Pedigree:
ex Obolos auction 3, 15.11.15

In contrast to the famous exclamation in Xenophon's Anabasis Θάλαττα! Θάλαττα! - "The Sea! The Sea!" when the Ten Thousands Greeks saw the Black Sea, the Θάλασσα on the coin is not Attic Greek, but Doric Greek.
1 commentsJochen
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BOEOTIA, ThebesIn the late 6th century BC the Thebans were brought for the first time into hostile contact with the Athenians, who helped the small village of Plataea to maintain its independence against them, and in 506 repelled an inroad into Attica. The aversion to Athens best serves to explain the unpatriotic attitude which Thebes displayed during the Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC). Though a contingent of 700 was sent to Thermopylae and remained there with Leonidas until just before the last stand when they surrendered to the Persians[1], the governing aristocracy soon after joined King Xerxes I of Persia with great readiness and fought zealously on his behalf at the battle of Plataea in 479 BC. The victorious Greeks subsequently punished Thebes by depriving it of the presidency of the Boeotian League, and an attempt by the Spartans to expel it from the Delphic amphictyony was only frustrated by the intercession of Athens.

In 457 Sparta, needing a counterpoise against Athens in central Greece, reversed her policy and reinstated Thebes as the dominant power in Boeotia. The great citadel of Cadmea served this purpose well by holding out as a base of resistance when the Athenians overran and occupied the rest of the country (457–447). In the Peloponnesian War the Thebans, embittered by the support which Athens gave to the smaller Boeotian towns, and especially to Plataea, which they vainly attempted to reduce in 431, were firm allies of Sparta, which in turn helped them to besiege Plataea and allowed them to destroy the town after its capture in 427 BC. In 424 at the head of the Boeotian levy they inflicted a severe defeat upon an invading force of Athenians at the Battle of Delium, and for the first time displayed the effects of that firm military organization which eventually raised them to predominant power in Greece.

After the downfall of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War the Thebans, finding that Sparta intended to protect the states which they desired to annex, broke off the alliance. In 404 they had urged the complete destruction of Athens, yet in 403 they secretly supported the restoration of its democracy in order to find in it a counterpoise against Sparta. A few years later, influenced perhaps in part by Persian gold, they formed the nucleus of the league against Sparta. At the battles of Haliartus (395) and Coronea (394) they again proved their rising military capacity by standing their ground against the Spartans. The result of the war was especially disastrous to Thebes, as the general settlement of 387 stipulated the complete autonomy of all Greek towns and so withdrew the other Boeotians from its political control. Its power was further curtailed in 382, when a Spartan force occupied the citadel by a treacherous coup-de-main. Three years later the Spartan garrison was expelled, and a democratic constitution definitely set up in place of the traditional oligarchy. In the consequent wars with Sparta the Theban army, trained and led by Epaminondas and Pelopidas, proved itself the best in Greece. Some years of desultory fighting, in which Thebes established its control over all Boeotia, culminated in 371 in a remarkable victory over the pick of the Spartans at Leuctra. The winners were hailed throughout Greece as champions of the oppressed. They carried their arms into Peloponnesus and at the head of a large coalition permanently crippled the power of Sparta. Similar expeditions were sent to Thessaly and Macedon to regulate the affairs of those regions.

However the predominance of Thebes was short-lived; the states which she protected refused to subject themselves permanently to her control, and the renewed rivalry of Athens, which had joined with Thebes in 395 in a common fear of Sparta, but since 387 had endeavoured to maintain the balance of power against her ally, prevented the formation of a Theban empire. With the death of Epaminondas at Mantinea in 362 the city sank again to the position of a secondary power. In a war with the neighbouring state of Phocis (356–346) it could not even maintain its predominance in central Greece, and by inviting Philip II of Macedon to crush the Phocians it extended that monarch's power within dangerous proximity to its frontiers. A revulsion of feeling was completed in 338 by the orator Demosthenes, who persuaded Thebes to join Athens in a final attempt to bar Philip's advance upon Attica. The Theban contingent lost the decisive battle of Chaeronea and along with it every hope of reassuming control over Greece. Philip was content to deprive Thebes of her dominion over Boeotia; but an unsuccessful revolt in 335 against his son Alexander was punished by Macedon and other Greek states by the severe sacking of the city, except, according to tradition, the house of the poet Pindar.

BOEOTIA, Thebes. Circa 395-338 BC. AR Stater (21mm, 11.98 gm). Boeotian shield / Amphora; magistrate AM-FI. Hepworth, "The 4th Century BC Magistrate Coinage of the Boiotian Confederacy," in Nomismatika Xronika (1998), 2; BMC Central Greece -. Fine.

Ex-Cng eAuction 105, Lot: 34 225/200

2 commentsecoli
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Bosporus Satyr LionCimmerian Bosporus Kingdom, 325 - 310 BC, 19mm, 6.42g, SNG Stancomb 553, SNG BM Black Sea 883-5, Macdonald 70, HGC 7, 114
OBV: Ivy wreathed head of young satyr left
REV: Π-Α-[N] around head of lion left

Panticapaeum (Ancient Greek: Παντικάπαιον, romanized: Padikápeon)
was an ancient Greek city on the eastern shore of Crimea,
which the Greeks called Taurica. The city was built on Mount Mithridat,
a hill on the western side of the Cimmerian Bosporus.
It was founded by Milesians in the late 7th or early 6th century BC.
SRukke
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BYZANTINE, Manuel I, 1143 - 1180, AV Hyperpyron, Sear 1556A brave general but even more skillful diplomat and statesman. Impregnated with the idea of a universal Empire with passion for theological debate he was also perhaps the only chivalrous Emperor-Knight of Byzantine. He is a representitive of a new kind of Byzantine rulers that were influenced by the contact with the western crusaders. The customs kept in his court were not inspired by the traditional Byzantine opulence. He loved western customs and arranged jousting matches, even participating in them, an unusual and discomforting sight for the Byzantines.

Having distinguished himself in his father's war against the Seljuk Turks, he was nominated emperor in preference to his elder surviving brother. Endowed with a fine physique and great personal courage, he devoted himself whole-heartedly to a military career. He endeavoured to restore by force of arms the predominance of the Byzantine Empire in the Mediterranean countries, and so was involved in conflict with his neighbours on all sides.

Second Crusade
In 1144 he brought back Raymond of Antioch to his allegiance, and in the following year drove the Seljuk Turks out of Isauria. In 1147 he granted a passage through his dominions to two armies of the Second Crusade under Conrad III of Germany and Louis VII of France; but the numerous outbreaks of overt or secret hostility between the Franks and the Greeks on their line of march, for which both sides were to blame, nearly precipitated a conflict between Manuel and his guests.

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CALABRIA, Taras. Circa 500-490 BC. AR Nomos8.03 g, 9h
Taras riding dolphin right, holding cuttlefish, left hand extended / Hippocamp left; cockle shell below. Fischer-Bossert 27 (V12/R21); Vlasto 115 (same obv. die); HN Italy 827; McClean 533. VF, minor roughness.

In the time this coinage was produced Tarentum was a monarchy, as it had been since its foundation. Though we have little information concerning the early governance of Tarentum, the monarchy was probably modelled on the one ruling over Sparta. According to Herodotus (iii, 136) a certain king Aristophilides ruled over the city in this period.
Since the arrival of the Greeks in the region in the late 8th century BC, a long-running series of skirmishes appears to have taken place between the Tarentines and the indigenous Iapygian tribes (Messapians, Daunians and the Peucetii) who controlled the interior of the Apulian peninsula. Tarentine expansion was therefore limited to the coast because of the resistance of these populations, a situation reflected in their coinage types which are predominantly marine in character.
In c.490 BC the Messapians moved against the Tarentines with a composite force of around 8,000 men including shield infantry, skirmishers, and their skilled cavalry. The Tarentines meanwhile fielded 4,000 citizen hoplites and 1,000 light infantry in support, as well as a combination of light and sword-wielding cavalry. Outside the walls of their city the Tarentines withstood the initial skirmishing and the Messapian charge; despite the superiority of the Messapian cavalry and being greatly outnumbered on foot, the Tarentines appear to have represented their Spartan heritage well in this battle, and were able to claim victory and a temporary respite from the Iapygian attacks. After this defeat the Iapygians would not challenge Taras again for nearly twenty years, but in 473 when they would again come against the Tarentines, they would come in overwhelming numbers.
Leo
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CALABRIA, TarentumTaranto was founded in 706 BC by Dorian immigrants as the only Spartan colony, and its origin is peculiar: the founders were Partheniae, sons of unmarried Spartan women and perioeci (free men, but not citizens of Sparta); these unions were decreed by the Spartans to increase the number of soldiers (only the citizens of Sparta could become soldiers) during the bloody Messenian Wars, but later they were nullified, and the sons were forced to leave. According to the legend Phalanthus, the Parthenian leader, went to Delphi to consult the oracle and received the puzzling answer that he should found a city where rain fell from a clear sky. After all attempts to capture a suitable place to found a colony failed, he became despondent, convinced that the oracle had told him something that was impossible, and was consoled by his wife. She laid his head in her lap and herself became disconsolate. When Phalanthus felt her tears splash onto his forehead he at last grasped the meaning of the oracle, for his wife's name meant clear sky. The harbour of Taranto in Apulia was nearby and he decided this must be the new home for the exiles. The Partheniae arrived and founded the city, naming it Taras after the son of the Greek sea god, Poseidon, and the local nymph Satyrion. A variation says Taras was founded in 707 BC by some Spartans, who, the sons of free women and enslaved fathers, were born during the Messenian War. According to other sources, Heracles founded the city. Another tradition indicates Taras himself as the founder of the city; the symbol of the Greek city (as well as of the modern city) is Taras riding a dolphin. Taranto increased its power, becoming a commercial power and a sovereign city of Magna Graecia, ruling over the Greek colonies in southern Italy.

In its beginning, Taranto was a monarchy, probably modelled on the one ruling over Sparta; according to Herodotus (iii 136), around 492 BC king Aristophilides ruled over the city. The expansion of Taranto was limited to the coast because of the resistance of the populations of inner Apulia. In 472 BC, Taranto signed an alliance with Rhegion, to counter the Messapii, Peuceti, and Lucanians (see Iapygian-Tarentine Wars), but the joint armies of the Tarentines and Rhegines were defeated near Kailìa (modern Ceglie), in what Herodotus claims to be the greatest slaughter of Greeks in his knowledge, with 3,000 Reggians and uncountable Tarentines killed. In 466 BC, Taranto was again defeated by the Iapyges; according to Aristotle, who praises its government, there were so many aristocrats killed that the democratic party was able to get the power, to remove the monarchy, inaugurate a democracy, and expel the Pythagoreans. Like Sparta, Tarentum was an aristocratic republic, but became democratic when the ancient nobility dwindled.

However, the rise of the democratic party did not weaken the bonds of Taranto and her mother-city Sparta. In fact, Taranto supported the Peloponnesian side against Athens in the Peloponnesian War, refused anchorage and water to Athens in 415 BC, and even sent ships to help the Peloponnesians, after the Athenian disaster in Sicily. On the other side, Athens supported the Messapians, in order to counter Taranto's power.

In 432 BC, after several years of war, Taranto signed a peace treaty with the Greek colony of Thurii; both cities contributed to the foundation of the colony of Heraclea, which rapidly fell under Taranto's control. In 367 BC Carthage and the Etruscans signed a pact to counter Taranto's power in southern Italy.

Under the rule of its greatest statesman, strategist and army commander-in-chief, the philosopher and mathematician Archytas, Taranto reached its peak power and wealth; it was the most important city of the Magna Graecia, the main commercial port of southern Italy, it produced and exported goods to and from motherland Greece and it had the biggest army and the largest fleet in southern Italy. However, with the death of Archytas in 347 BC, the city started a slow, but ineluctable decline; the first sign of the city's decreased power was its inability to field an army, since the Tarentines preferred to use their large wealth to hire mercenaries, rather than leave their lucrative trades.

In 343 BC Taranto appealed for aid against the barbarians to its mother city Sparta, in the face of aggression by the Brutian League. In 342 BC, Archidamus III, king of Sparta, arrived in Italy with an army and a fleet to fight the Lucanians and their allies. In 338 BC, during the Battle of Manduria, the Spartan and Tarentine armies were defeated in front of the walls of Manduria (nowadays in province of Taranto), and Archidamus was killed.

In 333 BC, still troubled by their Italic neighbours, the Tarentines called the Epirotic king Alexander Molossus to fight the Bruttii, Samnites, and Lucanians, but he was later (331 BC) defeated and killed in the battle of Pandosia (near Cosenza). In 320 BC, a peace treaty was signed between Taranto and the Samnites. In 304 BC, Taranto was attacked by the Lucanians and asked for the help of Agathocles tyrant of Syracuse, king of Sicily. Agathocles arrived in southern Italy and took control of Bruttium (present-day Calabria), but was later called back to Syracuse. In 303 BC-302 BC Cleonymus of Sparta established an alliance with Taranto against the Lucanians, and fought against them.

Arnold J. Toynbee, a classical scholar who taught at Oxford and other prestigious English universities and who did original and definitive work on Sparta (e.g. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, vol. xxxiii 1913 p. 246-275) seemed to have some doubts about Tarentum (Taranto) being of Spartan origin.

In his book The Study of History vol. iii p. 52 he wrote: "...Tarentum, which claimed a Spartan origin; but, even if this claim was in accordance with historical fact..." The tentative phrasing seems to imply that the evidence is neither conclusive or even establishes a high degree of probability of the truth that Tarentum (Taranto) was a Spartan colony.

CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 302-281 BC. AR Drachm (17mm, 2.91 gm). Helmeted head of Athena right, helmet decorated with Skylla hurling a stone / Owl standing right head facing, on olive branch; Vlasto 1058; SNG ANS 1312; HN Italy 1015. VF.

Ex-Cng eAuction 103 Lot 2 190/150
2 commentsecoli
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CILICIA, Kelenderis. AR StaterCirca 430-420 B.C. 10.63 grams. Obverse: nude youth (ephebus) dismounting from horse rearing left. Reverse: goat kneeling left, head turned right, ivy branch above. Casabonne Type 2, Celenderis 14 (same dies). SNG BN 48 (same dies, but letter removed on obverse). SNG von Aulock 5624 (same dies). Near EF, lightly toned. Well struck.

Ex CNG

One of the most underrated Ancient Greek coin because of its static iconography and (seemingly) insignificance of the place where it came from (only few ancient sources mentioned the city of Kelenderis located in Cilicia in Asia Minor-aside from few facts we know that it was the easternmost member of the Delian League and founded by the Greeks from Samos in the 8th century B.C. on an earlier Phoenician settlement). One need to take another glance to discover and marvel at the remarkable level of artistry put into the design on these series of coins of Kelenderis that might otherwise get overlooked.
4 commentsJason T
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Cilicia, UnknownUnknown Mint, Cilicia (c. 330-380 BC.)
AR Obol; .53g

Triptolemos with corn wreath, facing left; dotted circular border.
Eagle, facing left, standing upon lion's back; dotted square border.

SNG Levante 231

arizonarobin
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Cilicia. Nagidos AR StaterCirca 400-385/4 BC. (24mm, 10.76 g, 11h). Casabonne Type 6; Lederer 23; SNG France 25 (same dies); SNG Levante –. Obverse: Aphrodite seated left, holding phiale, left arm around the shoulders of Eros, who stands left behind her, with his arms extended. Reverse: Dionysos standing left, holding grape bunches on vine and thyrsos; Π in exergue. Superb EF, lightly toned, a touch of die wear on obverse.

Ex CNG Inventory 93935 (c. Jan 1990-Jan 1993)
Ex CNG Electronic Auction 347, Lot 252

The prominence of Aphrodite on coins of Nagidos indicates that an important sanctuary must have existed in that ancient colony of Samos. It must be noted that there were two forms of Aphrodite in the ancient Greek pantheon (or at least in literature). The first was Aphrodite Ourania signifying the “heavenly” or “spiritual” as opposed to the more “earthly” aspect of her, better known as Aphrodite Pandemos “for all the people.” On the coins of Nagidos, she is paired with her son Eros, the god of earthly passion. The representation of the two deities together on the coins of Nagidos denotes that, even in ancient times, the Greeks already categorized the earthly, physical and carnal type of love (represented by Eros) to that of the celestial love of body and soul (Aphrodite Ourania). The subordination of Eros in the iconography of the coin, represented as a juvenile winged figure, under the guidance and protection of the goddess, tells us the superiority of the spiritual aspect of love over the physical representations of it.
1 commentsJason T
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Cimmerian Bosporos. Panticapaeum. (Circa 325-310 BC)AE17 (4.07 gm)

Obverse: Head of bearded satyr left

Reverse: Π-A-N, head of bull left.

MacDonald 67. Anokhin 132.

Panticapaeum (Ancient Greek: Παντικάπαιον, translit. Pantikápaion, Russian: Пантикапей, translit. Pantikapei) was an ancient Greek city on the eastern shore of Crimea, which the Greeks called Taurica. The city was built on Mount Mithridat, a hill on the western side of the Cimmerian Bosporus. It was founded by Milesians in the late 7th or early 6th century BC.

This area eventually came to be ruled by the Spartocids, a Hellenized Thracian dynasty that ruled the Hellenistic Kingdom of Bosporus between the years 438–108 BC. They had usurped the former dynasty, the Archaeanactids, a Greek dynasty of the Bosporan Kingdom who were tyrants of Panticapaeum from 480 - 438 BC that were usurped from the Bosporan throne by Spartokos I in 438 BC, whom the dynasty is named after.

Spartokos I is often thought to have been a Thracian mercenary who was hired by the Archaeanactids, and that he usurped the Archaeanactids becoming "king" of the Bosporan Kingdom, then only a few cities, such as Panticapaeum. Spartokos was succeeded by his son, Satyros I, who would go on to conquer many cities around Panticapaeum such as Nymphaeum and Kimmerikon. Satyros's son, Leukon I, would go to conquer and expand the kingdom beyond boundaries his father ever thought of.

Ultimately, the Bosporan Kingdom entered into a decline due to numerous attacks from nomadic Scythian tribes in the subsequent centuries leading up to its fall.
Nathan P
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Claudius II Gothicus, September 268 - August or September 270 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt.Billon tetradrachm, Dattari 5392; Geissen 3038; BMC Alexandria p. 303, 2327; Milne 4240; Curtis 1701; SNG Cop 847; Kampmann-Ganschow 104.25; Emmett 3883, VF, well centered on a tight flan, attractive style, dark patina with coppery high points, 10.116g, 20.3mm, 0o, Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 269 - 28 Aug 270 A.D.; obverse AVT K KLAVDIOC CEB, laureate and cuirassed bust right; reverse bust of Hermanubis right, wearing modius with lotus-petal in front, himation over shoulder, date LB (year 2) in left field, winged caduceus over palm in right.
Anubis, represented as a jackal or as a man with the head of a jackal, was the Egyptian god of the dead. He presided over the embalming of the dead and conducted souls into the underworld. The Greeks and Romans often scorned Egypt's animal-headed gods as bizarre and primitive (they mockingly called Anubis the Barker) but they also identified Anubis with Hermes, morphing them into Hermanubis.
EX; FORVM Ancient Coins / The Sam Mansourati Collection.

**My comment; A Superb reverse . This is what I like to call, a forbidden to touch reverse for married gentelmen.
2 commentsSam
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Claudius II year 2 Tet. BMC Alexandria 2327AE 20 mm 10.9 grams (LB=Year 2 = 268/269 AD.)
OBV :: AVT K KLA-VDIOC CEB, laureate cuirassed bust right.
REV :: bust of Hermanubis right, wearing modius with lotus-petal in front, himation over shoulder, LB in left field, winged caduceus under palm in right
EX :: none
Dattari 5392; Geissen 3038; BMC Alexandria p. 303, 2327; Milne 4240; Curtis 1701,
Purchased 10/2008

* references and attribution copied from forvm ancient coins catalog * Description of Hermanubis from Numiswiki

Anubis, represented as a jackal or as a man with the head of a jackal, was the Egyptian god of the dead. He presided over the embalming of the dead and conducted souls into the underworld. In the earlier periods he was preeminent as lord of the dead, but was later overshadowed by Osiris and came to be seen as a son of Osiris. The Greeks and Romans often scorned Egypt's animal-headed gods as bizarre and primitive (they mockingly called Anubis the "Barker") but they also identified Anubis with Hermes, morphing them into Hermanubis.
Johnny
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Cleoniceras AmmoniteCleoniceras Ammonite: Ammolite
140 million years old
found in Mahajanga, Madagascar.

Ammonites are extinct cephalopods that lived in the oceans millions of years ago and are ancestors to the modern-day squid, octopus, and chambered nautilus. Ammonites were wide spread around the globe and flourished for 100’s of millions of years. These ammonites date to about 140mya and come from the area around Mahajanga, Madagascar. Ammonites were first called Ammon’s Stones for their resemblance to the ram’s horns of Ammon, ancient Egyptian God of life and procreation.



The photo between is of a living relative, the Nautilus.



"A countermarked coin described here provides evidence that ancient Greeks created artistic portrayals of ammonite fossils, although they probably valued them more for their religious significance rather than for their significance for the study of natural history."
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3284/is_314_81/ai_n29405665/
4 commentsRandygeki(h2)
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Cleoniceras AmmoniteCleoniceras Ammonite: Ammolite

140 million years old
found in Mahajanga, Madagascar.

Ammonites take their name from the Egyptian god Amun, known to the Greeks as Zeus Ammon. This god is depicted on Cyrean coins and in sculpture by a head with curling ram's horns. Many genera of ammonites have names ending in -ceras from the Greek word 'keras' meaning horn.



Ammonitesare an extinct group of marine invertebrate animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e. octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish) than they are to shelled nautiloids such as the living Nautilus species.
5 commentsRandygeki(h2)
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Crawford 312/1, Roman Republic, C. Sulpicius Galba, Denarius serratusRoman Republic (Rome mint 106 BC.), C. Sulpicius Galba.
AR Denarius serratus (3.90 g, 18-19 mm).
Obv.: D.P.P (abbreviation of Dei Penates Publici) , before jugate, laureate heads of Dei Penates l. .
Rev.: C. SVLPICI. C. F. Two male figures (the Dei Penates) standing facing each other, each holding spear in l. hand and with r. hand pointing at sow which lies between them; above, control mark C.
Crawford 312/1 . Syd. 572 . Bab. Sulpicia 1 .

Crawford interprets this type as Aeneas landing in Lanuvium (home of Sulpicia gens) with the Penates and the subsequent miracle of the white sow that foretold the founding of Alba Longa. (David Sear, RCV 2000).

The reverse of this coin shows the sow that led Aeneas to the place, where he founded Lavinium, the mother city of Alba Longa. The cult of the Penates was closely connected with Lavinium as the Romans believed that these godheads were brought first to Lavinium by Aeneas before they came to Rome. The Penates belonged to the original gods of Rome and were not imported from the Etruscans or Greeks. The original Roman religion personified all events connected with growing, harvesting and processing the products of the field. The Penates were responsible for protecting the larder in the house of every family. There also existed Penates for the whole of Rome. They were kept at the temple of Vesta together with the palladium, the statue of Athena coming from Troy, and the holy fire. Only once a year, on June 9, the married women in Rome were allowed to see them. They came barefoot on that day to sacrifice fruits and cake.

my ancient coin database
2 commentsArminius
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Crawford 342/2, ROMAN REPUBLIC, C. Vibius Pansa DenariusRome, The Republic.
C. Vibius Pansa, 90 BCE.
AR Denarius (3.87g).

Obv: PANSA; mask of Pan, facing right.

Rev: C. VIBIV[S C F]; mask of Silenus, facing right.

Reference: Crawford 342/2; Sydenham 688 (R6); BMCRR Rome 2309; E. Clain-Stefanelli, Life in Republican Rome (1999), pg. 68 (this coin illustrated)

Provenance: ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli (d. 2001) Collection [NAC 92 (23 May 2016), Lot 308]; ex Munzen und Medaillen 61 (7-8 Oct 1982), Lot 266; ex Auctiones 7 (1977), Lot 554.

Naming puns on ancient coins became popular early with the Greeks (i.e. celery plant on coins of Selinos) and continued with the Romans. C. Vibius Pansa liked to joke about his name by depicting Pan on his coins. This denarius is a rare variety with the names beneath the portraits, rather than behind. Silenus’ portrait has a characteristic die break in the eye socket that nearly all coins struck from this die share - see Crawford's plate coin and RBW's coin for other examples of this die break. Either the die failed early, or most extant specimens were struck late.
3 commentsCarausius
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Crawford 410/1, ROMAN REPUBLIC - Musa - AR DenariusRome, The Republic.
Q. Pomponius Musa, 56-52 BCE
AR Denarius (3.76g; 20mm).
Rome Mint.

Obv: Q•POMPONI – MVSA; Head of Apollo facing right, hair tied with band.

Rev: HERCVLES – MVSARVM; Hercules facing right, wearing lion skin and playing lyre.

References: Crawford 410/1; Sydenham 810; Pomponia 8.

Provenance: Ex Collection of an English Amateur Scholar [NAC 92 (May 2016) Lot 1669]; Munzen und Medaillen XIX (Jun 1959) Lot 98; L. Hamburger 95 (1932} Lot 238; Manuel Vidal Quadras y Ramon (d. 1894) Collection [E. Bourgey (Nov 1913) Lot 526].

Q. Pomponius Musa punned his name by depicting the Muses on a series of coins. Musa’s coins have long been favorites of Roman Republican collectors both for their high-style and because they form a mini-series within the larger series of Republican moneyer coins. Basically, they're fun-to-collect tray candy.

Musa is unknown except for his coins, which, combined with scant hoard evidence, makes precise dating of the series difficult. For many years, scholars (including Crawford) dated the series to 66 BCE. However, the absence of any examples of the series in the large Mesagne hoard caused Hersh and Walker to bring down the date of the series to 56 BCE. In "Roman Moneyers and Their Coins" (2nd ed), Michael Harlan suggested a later date of 52 BCE due to the large number of moneyers attributed from 57-54.

This example of Musa's series does not depict a Muse at all, but Hercules Musarum – Hercules as patron of the Muses. In 187 BCE, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, celebrating victories in Greece, dedicated a Temple of Hercules Musarum in Rome, near the Circus Flaminius. This round temple contained statues of Hercules and the nine Muses. It is possible that the reverses of Musa’s coins depict the actual statues contained within this temple, which were likely brought back to Rome as spoils from Greece. Over 100 years after this temple was consecrated, Cicero praised Nobilior for honoring poetry and the arts in his victory over the Greeks.

Apollo is often depicted androgynously on ancient coins. The standard references consistently attribute the obverse heads on all varieties of Musa’s coins as Apollo; but the depictions are notably different between the Hercules Musarum variety and the nine Muse varieties. On the above coin, the deity’s hair is down and tied, and generally consistent with many depictions of Apollo on other Roman Republican coins (see, e.g., denarii of L. Calpurnius Piso and C. Calpurnius Piso). Comparatively, the head on the Muse varieties of this series are considerably more feminine in appearance and laureate, though lacking earrings, necklaces or other feminine accents. Admittedly, this more feminine type head has also been attributed by scholars as Apollo on other coin types (see, e.g., denarii of P. Clodius and C. Considius). However, within the same series the different styled heads appear to depict different deities. Given the Muse emblems behind each head on the nine Muse types, it’s possible that the feminine heads are not Apollo, but the Muses themselves. Michael Harlan agrees with this interpretation in both editions of "Roman Republican Moneyers and their Coins." More research on this issue is needed.
3 commentsCarausius
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Crawford 542/2, ROMAN IMPERATORIAL, Marc AntonyRome, The Imperators.
Marcus Antonius, 32 BCE.
AR Denarius (3.72g; 18mm).
Athens Mint.

Obv: ANTON AVG IMP III COS DES III III V R P C. Bare head of Antony facing right.

Rev: ANTONIVS AVG IMP III, in two lines.

References: Crawford 542/2; HCRI 347; Sydenham 1209.

Provenance: Ex Andrew McCabe Collection [CNG eSale 385 (26 Oct 2016) Lot 470]; CNG 49 (17 Mar 1999), Lot 1316; Reinhold Faelten Collection [Stack's (20 Jan 1938) Lot 1495].

On the obverse, behind Antony’s ear, a small letter P, likely an engraver’s signature, is hidden within the hair line. This coin was struck in Athens in 32 BCE, while Antony and Cleopatra lived extravagantly among the Greeks. The coin’s inscription refers to a designated third consulship that Antony was supposed to share with Octavian in 31 BCE. Around the time this coin was minted, Antony notified his wife, Octavia (Octavian’s sister), in Rome that he was divorcing her. Octavian was outraged. Cleopatra’s growing influence over Antony was soon used by Octavian as progaganda to unite Italy and the West against Antony. Thus, the designated third consulship referenced on this coin never occurred, as the designated consuls went to war instead, ending with Antony’s naval defeat at Actium in September 31 BCE.
5 commentsCarausius
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Crimea, Kerch, Prytaneion of PanticapaeumThe prytaneion of Panticapaeum, second century BC. Kerch's Obelisk of Glory is visible in the background. Panticapaeum was an ancient Greek city on the eastern shore of Crimea, which the Greeks called Taurica. The city was built on Mount Mithridat, a hill on the western side of the Cimmerian Bosporus. It was founded by Milesians in the late 7th or early 6th century BC. The ruins of the site are now located in the modern city Kerch.

Joe Sermarini
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Diocletian, 20 November 284 - 1 May 305 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt.Billon tetradrachm, Geissen 3243; Dattari 5624; Milne 4915; Curtis 1956; SNG Cop 994; BMC Alexandria p. 326, 2530; Kampmann -, VF, crowded flan cuts off right side of obverse legend, Alexandria mint, 7.290 grams, 19.1 mm, die axis 0o, 29 Aug 288 - 28 Aug 289 A.D.; obverse and#913; and#922; and#915; and#927;and#933;and#913;and#923; and#8710;and#921;and#927;and#922;and#923;and#919;and#932;and#921;and#913;and#925;and#927;C Cand#917;and#914;, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right; reverse Alexandria standing left, turreted, head of Serapis in right, long scepter vertical in left, L - E (year 5) flanking across field, star right.

Ptolemy Soter integrated Egyptian religion with that of the Hellenic rulers by creating Serapis, a deity that would win the reverence of both groups. This was despite the curses of the Egyptian priests against the gods of previous foreign rulers (i.e Set who was lauded by the Hyksos). Alexander the Great had attempted to use Amun for this purpose, but Amum was more prominent in Upper Egypt, and not as popular in Lower Egypt, where the Greeks had stronger influence. The Greeks had little respect for animal-headed figures, and so an anthropomorphic statue was chosen as the idol, and proclaimed as the equivalent of the highly popular Apis. It was named Aser-hapi (i.e. Osiris-Apis), which became Serapis, and was said to be Osiris in full, rather than just his Ka (life force). Ptolemy`s efforts were successful - in time Serapis was held by the Egyptians in the highest reverence above all other deities, and he was adored in Athens and other Greek cities.


EX; FORVM Ancient Coins.

*With my sincere thank and appreciation , Photo and Description courtesy of FORVM Ancient Coins Staff.
Sam
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Eastern Europe. Imitation of Philip II of Macedon (Circa 200-0 BC)Tetradrachm (Kugelwange or "ball cheek" type)

20 mm, 11.46 g

Obverse: Stylized laureate head of Zeus right

Reverse: Stylized horse prancing left, pellet-in-annulet above, pelleted cross below.

Lanz 468-9; OTA 193/9.

Around the end of the 3rd century B.C., the Celtic Scordisci tribe started issuing their own local coinages imitating the types of Philip II of Macedon. These coinages had a limited volume of production and a restricted area of circulation, so their finds are not numerous and occur mostly in their own territory and in the neighboring territories of other Celtic or Celticized tribes. The Scordisci were originally formed after the Celtic invasion of Macedonia and Northern Greece (280-279 BC) which culminated in a great victory against the Greeks at Thermopylae and the sacking of Delphi, the center of the Greek world. The Celts then retreated back to the north of the Balkans (suffering many casualties along the way) and settled on the mouth of the Sava River calling themselves the Scordisci after the nearby Scordus (now Sar) mountains. The Scordisci, since they dominated the important Sava valley, the only route to Italy, in the second half of the 3rd century BC, gradually became the most powerful tribe in the central Balkans.

From 141 BC, the Scordisci were constantly involved in battles against Roman held Macedonia. They were defeated in 135 BC by Cosconius in Thrace. In 118 BC, according to a memorial stone discovered near Thessalonica, Sextus Pompeius, probably the grandfather of the triumvir, was slain fighting against them near Stobi. In 114 BC, they surprised and destroyed the army of Gaius Porcius Cato in the western mountains of Serbia, but were defeated by Minucius Rufus in 107 BC.

From time to time they still gave trouble to the Roman governors of Macedonia, whose territory they invaded, even advancing as far as Delphi for a second time and once again plundering the temple; but Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus finally overcame them in 88 BC and drove them back across the Danube. After this, the power of the Scordisci declined rapidly. This decline was more a result of the political situation in their surrounding territories rather than the effects of Roman campaigns, as their client tribes, especially the Pannonians, became more powerful and politically independent. Between 56 and 50 BC, the Scordisci were defeated by Burebista's Dacians (a Thracian king of the Getae and Dacian tribes), and became subject to him.
5 commentsNathan P
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Egypt. Alexandria. Antoninus Pius AD 138-161
Antoninus Pius ,Alexandria , Drachm 24,5 g ; [Α]VΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤⲰΝƐ[ΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ ƐVϹ], laureate head right / [L Η], zodiac: bust of Sarapis within inner circle of planet-gods (clockwise: Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury) and outer circle of signs of zodiac anticlockwise with Aries at top.


Exceedingly rare. Extremely fine and finest known example.

"The meaning of the coin is in general that Sarapis is the master of the celestial spheres, the seven movable spheres and the sphere of fixed stars enclosing them"

The Great Sothic Cycle was a calendrical cycle based on the heliacal rising in July of the star Sirius (known to the Greeks as Sothis) and lasting approximately 1460 years. According to ancient Egyptian mythology, in a Golden Age, the beginning of the flooding of the Nile coincided exactly with the rising of Sirius, which was reckoned as the New Year. Only once every 1460 years did Sirius rise at exactly the same time. Thus, the coincidence of this along with the concurrent beginning of the flooding of the Nile gave the event major cosmological significance by heralding not just the beginning of a new year, but the beginning of a new eon. This event also was thought to herald the appearance of the phoenix, a mythological bird which was reborn every 500 to 1000 years out of its own ashes. According to one version of the myth, each new phoenix embalmed its old ashes in an egg of myrrh, which it then deposited in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis. So important was the advent of the new Great Sothic Cycle, both to the realignment of the heavens and its signaling of the annual flooding of the Nile, that the Egyptians celebrated it in a five-day festival, which emphasized the important cosmological significance.

In the third year of the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 139/40), a new Great Sothic Cycle began. To mark this event, the mint of Alexandria struck an extensive series of coinage, especially in large bronze drachms, each related in some astrological way to the reordering of the heavens during the advent of the new Great Sothic Cycle. This celebration would continue throughout Pius’ reign, with an immense output of coinage during the eighth year of his reign in Egypt, which included this coin type, part of the Zodiac series.
Private collection of Mr. B. Mazeh
Brahim M
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Egyptian Faience Dwarf with Large PhallusA Large Faience Egyptian Amulet of a Dwarf. A large faience amulet of a dwarf with large phallus, Late Period, c. 664 - 30 BC, seated with his knees drawn up before him, tufts of hair on each side of his head. He holds his enormous engorged phallus against his chest with both hands, resting his chin on the end. Suspension loop at the back of his head. H: 46 mm. Intact, glaze fade though traces of black still on the hair. Ex Negus collection, UK, late 19th Century.
Ex Agora Auctions #1 - Nov 2013

Great info from FORVM member Russ (thanks!):
These items represent the ancient Egyptian god Min, and date from the XXVIth Dynasty to Roman times. See:
1. Andrews, Carol. Amulets of Ancient Egypt. Avon/Austin, 1994: pages 11, 16, 17, 88; Figs 5a and 11b.
2. Blanchard, R.H. Handbook of Egyptian Gods and Mummy Amulets. Cairo, 1909 (reprinted by Attic Books, no date): page 19, Figs. 193 & 194, Plate XXXVII. Blanchard notes " Min, Minu or Khem, the ithyphalic god of procreation and harvest. He was allied to Amen and wears the two feathers. He hoolds aloft the flail with his right arm. He was the son of Isis, father of Ra, and husband of his mother. Min was the original of the Greek god Pan, and was worshipped at Akhmim, or the Panopolis of the Greeks."
3. Petrie, W.M.F. Amulets, London, 1914, reprinted 1974: page 37, Section 161, Plate XXX.
4 commentsSosius
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Egyptian late dynastic faience amuletEgyptian late dynastic faience amulet of Thoth in the form of a seated baboon.

Thoth's roles in Egyptian mythology were many. He served as a mediating power, especially between good and evil, making sure neither had a decisive victory over the other. He also served as scribe of the gods, credited with the invention of writing and alphabets (i.e. hieroglyphs) themselves. In the underworld, Duat, he appeared as an ape, A'an, the god of equilibrium, who reported when the scales weighing the deceased's heart against the feather, representing the principle of Ma'at, was exactly even.

The ancient Egyptians regarded Thoth as One, self-begotten, and self-produced. He was the master of both physical and moral (i.e. Divine) law, making proper use of Ma'at. He is credited with making the calculations for the establishment of the heavens, stars, Earth, and everything in them. Compare this to how his feminine counterpart, Ma'at was the force which maintained the Universe. He is said to direct the motions of the heavenly bodies. Without his words, the Egyptians believed, the gods would not exist. His power was unlimited in the Underworld and rivaled that of Ra and Osiris.

The Egyptians credited him as the author of all works of science, religion, philosophy, and magic. The Greeks further declared him the inventor of astronomy, astrology, the science of numbers, mathematics, geometry, land surveying, medicine, botany, theology, civilized government, the alphabet, reading, writing, and oratory. They further claimed he was the true author of every work of every branch of knowledge, human and divine.

Reputedly ex Florence Rossetti collection (c.1948-50)
mauseus
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Faustina Junior, Augusta 146 - Winter 175/176 A.D., Wife of emperor Marcus AureliusSilver Denarius, BMCRE II p. 404, 148; RSC II 195; SRCV II 5262; RIC III MA689 var. (no stephane); Hunter II 8 var. (same), Choice Very Fine , excellent centering, unusual artistic portrait for empress Faustina,toned, Rome mint, weight 2.655g, maximum diameter 17.8mm, die axis 0o, struck under Marcus Aurelius, 161 - 175 A.D.; obverse FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, wearing stephane and earring, bun in the back; reverse SALVS, Salus seated left, feeding snake rising up from altar, from patera in right hand, resting left elbow on throne, feet on footstool.
Rare with this grade.

Salus was the Roman goddess of health. She was Hygieia to the Greeks, who believed her to be the daughter of Aesculapius, the god of medicine and healing, and Epione, the goddess of soothing of pain. Her father Asclepius learned the secrets of keeping death at bay after observing one serpent bringing another healing herbs. Woman seeking fertility, the sick, and the injured slept in his temples in chambers where non-poisonous snakes were left to crawl on the floor and provide healing.

*The logo of Pharmacology was taken from Salus 's Patera and snake .

From The Sam Mansourati Collection. / Item number RI 75220 (F)/ 20469 (S).

Given as a souvenir to a dear friend and a great Pharmacist on 9/8/2017.
Sam
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GALLIENUS AR antoninianus - 267 AD (sole reign)obv: GALLIENVS AVG (radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right)
rev: AETERNITAS AVG (Saturn standing right holding scythe), PXV in ex.
ref: RIC Vi 606, RSC.44 (PXV = short for TR P XV)
mint: Antioch
1.92gms, 20mm, billon

Saturn, under the form of a man with a beard, veiled, and wearing the toga, who standing holds the harpa in his left hand, appears on coins of Valerianus and of Gallienus, as a symbol of Eternity. HARPA (scythe) is one of the symbols of Saturn who, according to a horrid myth, used it to mutilate (castrate) his father, Uranus. (See the famous paint of Giorgio Vasari: The Mutiliation of Uranus by Saturn).
While Cronus was considered a cruel and tempestuous deity to the Greeks, his nature under Roman influence became more innocuous, with his association with the Golden Age eventually causing him to become the god of "human time", and celebrated him in Saturnalias.
berserker
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Gotarzes II TetradrachmBust left, long pointed beard, no ear visible, O behind head

ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ
King enthroned right, receiving diadem from Tyche holding cornucopia, date above diadem

Seleukeia on the Tigris mint
Dated Seleukid Era 361 (49/50 AD)

Sellwood 65.25-27; Shore 362.

ex-Calgary Coin

"King of Kings Arsaces, bringer of plenty, the just, friend of the Greeks"

SOLD February 2015
2 commentsJay GT4
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Greek Silver TrayPlan to individually photograph my Greeks soon...6 commentsSosius
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GREEK, Alexander III the Great - Celtic imitation Alexander III the Great - King of Macedonia 336-323 B.C.Celtic Gaul or Britain Barbarous AR Drachm
Dimensions: 18 mm Weight: 4 grams

Struck - 336-250 B.C. Obv./ Head of Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress.Rev./ AΛEΞANΔΡOY, Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter, monogram in left field and under chair.
Struck during the lifetime of Alexander the Great and beyond circa 336-250 B.C. by the Celts of Gaul or Britain for trade with the Greeks.
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GREEK, Italia, Velia Lucania, AR Didrachm Struck 293 - 280 B.C.
The obverse with the head of Athena facing left, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with griffin. Monogram behind neckpiece, Φ on neck.
The reverse with lion stalking right caduceus above. The legend reading: YEΛHTΩN = "Of Elea"
Williams 515

Elea was the ancient name of the town of Velia. According to Herodotus, in 545 B.C. a group of Ionian Greeks fled Phokaia in modern Turkey, after it was besieged by the Persians. They settled in Corsica until they were attacked by a force of Etruscans and Carthaginians. The surviving 6000 took to the sea once more before finally settling on the coast of Italy and founding the town of Hyele, later to be renamed Ele, and then, eventually, Elea.
Diameter: 22 mm. Weight: 7.20 g.
4 comments
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GREEK, Lycaonia, LarandaLykaonia, Laranda. 323-322 BC. AR Hemiobol 0.45g, head of Baal (Hercules) , right. Rev. Forepart of wolf right, above L Ref.: Gokturk 70

literature. The coin was found in a hoard, in 2009, not far from his native city. Most likely the treasure was laid during the invasion of the region diadoch Perdiccas, who undertook to conquer Eumenes this region. This coin, which was probably minted for the city's defense, is very similar to the referenced coins. City Laranda was destroyed in 322 BC The obverse of the coin depicts the Baal or Melkart - deity who later the Romans identified with Heracles. Wolf on the reverse is likely to relate to the cult of Apollo Likeys (gr. likos = wolf) - one of the most ancient of worship among the Greeks. This cult was especially popular in southern Asia Minor - in Lycia, Cilicia, etc. Very names of these regions contain the root of "wolf" and speak for themselves. A curious technology that was used for coinage coins: blanks are rectangular in shape and have sharp edges. It is very likely that their cut from sheet metal. Maybe that's why all the coins of this type are surprisingly accurate weight - 0.45 grams.
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GREEK. Ephesos AR Tetradrachm. Hecatomnus Hoard (1977).Circa 405-390 BC (21mm, 14.95 g, 12h). Aristainetos, magistrate. Hecatomnus 53b (O11/R48 – this coin); SNG Kayhan –; Winterthur 2904 (same obverse die). Obverse: bee with curved wings. Reverse: forepart of stag right, head left; palm tree to left (off flan), APIΣTAINETO[Σ] to right. Toned, VF. Struck on a tight flan.

Ex Hecatomnus Hoard (CH V, 17; CH VIII, 96; and CH IX, 387). Ex CNG Electronic Auction 338, lot 85.

The bee, palm tree and the stag are emblems of Ephesos. This city was an important center of worship of the Greek goddess Artemis, and the images on Ephesian coinage represent her. Ephesos also used the bee on its coins since it was a producer of honey, so the bee advertised their most famous product. The bee was also mythologically connected to Ephesos because, according to Philostratos, the colonizing Athenians were led to Ephesos in Ionia by the Muses who took the form of bees. Ephesos occupied the alluvial plain of the lower Cayster, but it owed its chief wealth and renown less to the produce of its soil than to the illustrious sanctuary of the old Anatolian nature-goddess, whom the Ionian Greeks identified with Artemis, the Goddess of Hunt. It is noteworthy that the high-priest of the temple of Artemis was called Ηεσσην, ‘the king bee,’ while the virgin priestesses bore the name of “melissai” or Honey-Bees. The stag was regarded as sacred to her and stag figures were said to have flanked the cult statue of Artemis in her temple at Ephesos. The palm tree alludes to Artemis’ birthplace, the island of Delos, where the goddess Leto gave birth to Artemis and her twin brother Apollo underneath a palm tree. Therefore, the coin might represent the city’s origin as well.

The earlier type tetradrachmae of Ephesos could be identified by the curved pair of wings of the bee on the obverse side of these coins. It is roughly estimated that a total of about less than a hundred of these tetradrachmae exist as compared to the straight wing bee variant of later emissions, which are believed to be seven to eight times more common than the former. These estimates are based on the findings and studies made after the discoveryof the Hecatomnus and Pixodarus hoards in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Prior to their discovery, there were only about 35 of these curved wing tetradrachmae recorded in existence.
1 commentsJason T
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Greeks, Baktrian: Archebios Dikaios Nikephoros (75-65 BC) Æ Quadruple Unit (Bopearachchi 13C; SNG ANS 1315–6)Obv: Diademed and draped bust of Zeus right, with scepter over shoulder
Rev: Palms and piloi of the Dioskouroi; monogram in exergue
Quant.Geek
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Hadrian Tet with Canopus JarHADRIAN
BI tetradrachm, Alexandria mint
11.1g, 25.1mm
29 Aug 125 - 28 Aug 126 A.D.

ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑΙ Α∆ΡΙΑ CΕΒ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, wearing aegis, from behind / L ∆Ε KATOV (year 10), Canopus jar of Osiris, ornamented with figures, wearing crown of horns, uraei disk, and plumes

Kampmann-Ganschow 32.351; Geissen 903; Dattari 1326; Milne 1154; BMC Alexandria p. 75, 630; Emmett 827
Choice gVF
Purchased from FORVM

Note that at some point in this coin's history, it seems to have been used a host for very poor quality fakes. After discussion on the FORVM board, I am comfortable that this coin is indeed the original. Shame on the former owner that used is for copies!

During the mummification process, large organs, such as the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were extracted and placed in four jars. In the Ptolemaic period, the Greeks called these jars "canopic jars," relating them to the deity of the old city Canop (now a village in Abu Kyr). The heart was left in the body because it held the spirit, understanding and senses and would be needed on the Day of Judgment in the underworld. -- FORVM
2 commentsSosius
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Histiaia, EuboiaThe history of the island of Euboea is largely that of its two principal cities, Chalcis and Eretria, both mentioned in the Catalogue of Ships. Both cities were settled by Ionian Greeks from Attica, and would eventually settle numerous colonies in Magna Graecia and Sicily, such as Cumae and Rhegium, and on the coast of Macedonia. This opened new trade routes to the Greeks, and extended the reach of western civilization. The commercial influence of these city-states is evident in the fact that the Euboic scale of weights and measures was used among the Ionic cities generally, and in Athens until the end of the 7th century BC, during the time of Solon.[citation needed] The classicist Barry B. Powell has proposed that Euboea may have been where the Greek alphabet was first employed, c. 775-750 BC, and that Homer may have spent part of his life on the island.

Chalcis and Eretria were rival cities, and appear to have been equally powerful for a while. One of the earliest major military conflicts in Greek history took place between them, known as the Lelantine War, in which many other Greek city-states also took part. In 490 BC, Eretria was utterly ruined and its inhabitants were transported to Persia[clarification needed]. Though it was restored nearby its original site after the Battle of Marathon, the city never regained its former eminence.

Both cities gradually lost influence to Athens, which saw Euboea as a strategic territory. Euboea was an important source of grain and cattle, and controlling the island meant Athens could prevent invasion and better protect its trade routes from piracy.

Athens invaded Chalcis in 506 BC and settled 4,000 Attic Greeks on their lands. After this conflict, the whole of the island was gradually reduced to an Athenian dependency. Another struggle between Euboea and Athens broke out in 446. Led by Pericles, the Athenians subdued the revolt, and captured Histiaea in the north of the island for their own settlement.

By 410 BC, the island succeeded in regaining its independence. Euboea participated in Greek affairs until falling under the control of Philip II of Macedon after the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC, and eventually being incorporated into the Roman Republic in the second century BC. Aristotle died on the island in 322 BC soon after fleeing Athens for his mother's family estate in Chalcis.

Tetrobol, 275-225 BC, Sear (GC) 2496
Obv: Anepigraphic. Head of the nymph, Histiaia, right, wearing wreath of vine and hair rolled.
Rev: ΙΣΤΙΑΙΕΩΝ
The nymph Histiaia seated right on stern of galley and holding naval standard.

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ecoli
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IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG / MARS VLTOR antoninianus (268-270 A.D.) Obv.: [IM]P C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate cuirassed bust of Claudius right, both ribbons behind.

Rev.: MARS [VLTO]R, Mars, walking right, naked except for helmet and some flowing drapery left and right, holding spear transverse in right hand and trophy in left hand.

d oval 16-19+mm, 2.41g, die axis 1h (medal alignment), material: bronze/copper-based alloy supposedly with some silver.

Authority and portrait: Claudius II Gothicus (reign 268-270). Mint: Rome.

IMP = Imperator (Commander-in-Chief), C = Caesar, AVG = Augustus. MARS VLTOR = Mars the Avenger or the Punisher. An important aspect of some Roman deities was their ability to avenge for injuries received by Roman people, this applies especially to their main warlike gods, Jupiter and Mars. So in times of troubles, like the crisis of the 3d century, we often see references to Jupiter or Mars Ultor. High-crested Corinthian helmet and a spear are common attributes of Mars. In this case he also carries a trophy (tropaeum). Trophies, equally by the Romans and the Greeks, were esteemed as the rewards and insignia of victories. In the earlier ages they consisted simply of a trunk of a tree or long pole, to which a little below the top another piece of wood was fastened crosswise, and set up on the field of battle immediately after a victory; this was adorned with spoils, or the armor of the vanquished, customarily a cuirass, a helmet, and a buckler.

RIC V-1 Rome 66; Cohen 160; Sear 11350.

ID straightforward. The bust in all examples is cuirassed with both ribbons behind, but catalogues mention usual bust variations. There may be a mintmark in right or, rarely, left field, H/"N"/"II", all probably designating Greek letter eta, i.e. officina 8. The size in many examples is 20mm or more.

A close type, RIC 67 has IMP CL... in the obverse legend instead of IMP C CL..., but here we clearly see IMP C CL...
Yurii P
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Indo-Greeks, Baktrian: Antialkidas (115-95 BCE) Hemiobol (Bopearachchi-17C; Hoover-263)Obv: Bust of Zeus right, thunderbolt over left shoulder, Greek legend on three sides - BAΣIΛEΩΣ / NIKHΦOPOY / ANTIAΛKIΔOY
Rev: Caps and palms of the Dioscuri, monogram at left, Kharoshthi legend on three sides: maharajasa / jayadharasa / amtialikidasa
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Indo-Greeks, Baktrian: Eukratides I (ca. 170-145 BCE) AR Obol (Bopearachchi-9C; SNG ANS 496)Obv: Diademed, helmeted and draped bust right
Rev: Piloi of the Dioskouri, each surmounted by star and accompanied by palm; monogram below. Greek legend: BAΣIΛEΩΣ EYKPATIΔOY (of King Eucratides)
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Indo-Greeks, Baktrian: Lysias Aniketos (130-125 BC) Hemi-obol (BOP-8A; SNG-ANS 1041; MACW-1838)Obv: Bust of Herakles right, with club over shoulder
Rev: Elephant right; monogram and Σ below
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Indo-Greeks, Baktrian: Philoxenos (125-110 BCE) AE (Bopearachchi-10F, SNG-ANS 1207)Obv: City goddess standing left, holding cornucopiae in left hand, making gesture with outstreched right hand; monogram at left of feet; Greek legend around - BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANIKHTOY / ΦIΛOΞENOY
Rev: Humped Zebu bull standing right; Σ below; Kharosthi legend around - maharajasa apadihatasa / philasinasa
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Indo-Greeks. AZES II. AR tetradrachm. 58-20 B.C.. Extremely FineObverse: King on horseback right.

Reverse: Athena Pallas standing right.

Weight:9.51 grams.

Diameter: 23.62 mm.
Mark R1
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IONIA, Ephesos AR Tetradrachm.Circa 405-390 BC. AR Tetradrachm (21mm, 14.95 g, 12h). Aristainetos, magistrate. Hecatomnus 53b (O11/R48 – this coin); SNG Kayhan –; Winterthur 2904 (same obverse die). Obverse: bee with curved wings. Reverse: forepart of stag right, head left; palm tree to left (off flan), APIΣTAINETO[Σ] to right. Toned, VF. Struck on a tight flan.

Ex Hecatomnus Hoard (CH V, 17; CH VIII, 96; and CH IX, 387)
Ex CNG Electronic Auction 338, lot 85

The bee, palm tree and the stag are emblems of Ephesos. This city was an important center of worship of the Greek goddess Artemis, and the images on Ephesian coinage represent her. Ephesos also used the bee on its coins since it was a producer of honey, so the bee advertised their most famous product. The bee was also mythologically connected to Ephesos because, according to Philostratos, the colonizing Athenians were led to Ephesos in Ionia by the Muses who took the form of bees. Ephesos occupied the alluvial plain of the lower Cayster, but it owed its chief wealth and renown less to the produce of its soil than to the illustrious sanctuary of the old Anatolian nature-goddess, whom the Ionian Greeks identified with Artemis, the Goddess of Hunt. It is noteworthy that the high-priest of the temple of Artemis was called Ηεσσην, ‘the king bee,’ while the virgin priestesses bore the name of “melissai” or Honey-Bees. The stag was regarded as sacred to her and stag figures were said to have flanked the cult statue of Artemis in her temple at Ephesos. The palm tree alludes to Artemis’ birthplace, the island of Delos, where the goddess Leto gave birth to Artemis and her twin brother Apollo underneath a palm tree. Therefore, the coin might represent the city’s origin as well.

The earlier type tetradrachmai of Ephesos could be identified by the curved pair of wings of the bee on the obverse side of these coins. It is roughly estimated that a total of about less than a hundred of these tetradrachmai exist as compared to the straight wing bee variant of later emissions, which are believed to be seven to eight times more common than the former. These estimates are based on the findings and studies made after the discovery of the Hecatomnus and Pixodarus hoards in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Prior to their discovery, there were only about 35 of these curved wing tetradrachmai recorded in existence.
4 commentsJason T
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IONIA, Phokaia.The ancient Greek geographer Pausanias says that Phocaea was founded by Phocians under Athenian leadership, on land given to them by the Aeolian Cymaeans, and that they were admitted into the Ionian League after accepting as kings the line of Codrus. Pottery remains indicate Aeolian presence as late as the 9th century BC, and Ionian presence as early as the end of the 9th century BC. From this an approximate date of settlement for Phocaea can be inferred.

According to Herodotus the Phocaeans were the first Greeks to make long sea-voyages, having discovered the coasts of the Adriatic, Tyrrhenia and Spain. Herodotus relates that they so impressed Arganthonios, king of Tartessus in Spain, that he invited them to settle there, and, when they declined, gave them a great sum of money to build a wall around their city.

Their sea travel was extensive. To the south they probably conducted trade with the Greek colony of Naucratis in Egypt, which was the colony of their fellow Ionian city Miletus. To the north, they probably helped settle Amisos (Samsun) on the Black Sea, and Lampsacus at the north end of the Hellespont (now the Dardanelles). However Phocaea's major colonies were to the west. These included Alalia in Corsica, Emporiae and Rhoda in Spain, and especially Massalia (Marseille) in France.

Phocaea remained independent until the reign of the Lydian king Croesus (circa 560–545 BC), when they, along with the rest of mainland Ionia, first, fell under Lydian control[8] and then, along with Lydia (who had allied itself with Sparta) were conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 546 BC, in one of the opening skirmishes of the great Greco-Persian conflict.

Rather than submit to Persian rule, the Phocaeans abandoned their city. Some may have fled to Chios, others to their colonies on Corsica and elsewhere in the Mediterranean, with some eventually returning to Phocaea. Many however became the founders of Elea, around 540 BC.

In 500 BC, Phocaea joined the Ionian Revolt against Persia. Indicative of its naval prowess, Dionysius, a Phocaean was chosen to command the Ionian fleet at the decisive Battle of Lade, in 494 BC. However, indicative of its declining fortunes, Phocaea was only able to contribute three ships, out of a total of "three hundred and fifty three". The Ionian fleet was defeated and the revolt ended shortly thereafter.

After the defeat of Xerxes I by the Greeks in 480 BC and the subsequent rise of Athenian power, Phocaea joined the Delian League, paying tribute to Athens of two talents. In 412 BC, during the Peloponnesian War, with the help of Sparta, Phocaea rebelled along with the rest of Ionia. The Peace of Antalcidas, which ended the Corinthian War, returned nominal control to Persia in 387 BC.

In 343 BC, the Phocaeans unsuccessfully laid siege to Kydonia on the island of Crete.

During the Hellenistic period it fell under Seleucid, then Attalid rule. In the Roman period, the town was a manufacturing center for ceramic vessels, including the late Roman Phocaean red slip.

It was later under the control of Benedetto Zaccaria, the Genoan ambassador to Byzantium, who received the town as a hereditary lordship; Zaccaria and his descendants amassed a considerable fortune from his properties there, especially the rich alum mines. It remained a Genoese colony until it was taken by the Turks in 1455. It is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.

IONIA, Phokaia. Circa 521-478 BC. AR Hemidrachm (9mm, 1.54 g). Head of griffin left / Quadripartite incuse square. SNG Copenhagen –; SNG von Aulock 2116; SNG Kayhan 512-6. VF, dark toning.
ecoli
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Ionia, uncertainPeríod of the Artemisión found.
Late 7th century BC.
Electrum 1/24 Stater - 0.49g
Obv.: Convex globular surface.
Rev.: Rectangular incuse punch.

Other than the literary tradition ascribing the origin of coinage to the kings of Lydia, there is little evidence for a more exact chronology of early Greek coinage. The tradition, buttressed by limited archaeological studies, does confirm Asia Minor as the place of origin, most likely Lydia or Ionia, and a date somewhere around 650 BC. The alloy used, a mixture of gold and silver known to the Greeks as elektron was based on the natural ore found in nugget form in many river-beds in the region. The earliest coins were of a globular shape and without design in imitation of this natural form; later, simple striated and punched patterns of squares, rectangles and swastikas were included.
EX.NVMMIS
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Islands off Troas, Tenedos, Early 4th century BC, AR Drachm Janiform heads of a diademed female (Hera ?) left and laureate male (Zeus ?) right.
TE NE ΔΙ ON Labrys, grape bunch and thymiaterion flanking handle, all within incuse shallow incuse circle.

SNG Ashmolean 1237; HGC 6, 386.

(16mm, 3.67 g, 12h).
ex-CNG

Tenedos was an island town a few kilometres off the coast of the Troas, south of Ilion (the legendary Troy). It was the place where the Greeks hid their fleet near the end of the Trojan War, so as to trick the Trojans into believing that they had left, emboldening the latter to take the Trojan horse inside the city walls of Troy. It was an island city of strategic significance due to its proximity to the southern entrance of the Dardanelles. The best of the female/male janiform heads of this coin type are a masterpiece of late Classical Greek numismatic art.
3 commentsn.igma
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Italy- Rome- Circus Maximo seen from outside 1Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus is an ancient arena and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy.

Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills the location was first utilised for public games and entertainment by the Etruscan kings of Rome. Certainly, the first games of the Ludi Romani (Roman Games) were staged on the location by Tarquinius Priscus, the first Etruscan ruler of Rome. Somewhat later, the Circus was the site of public games and festivals influenced by the Greeks in the 2nd century BC. Meeting the demands of the Roman citizenry for mass public entertainment on a lavish scale, Julius Caesar expanded the Circus around 50 BC, after which the track measured approximately 600 metres in length, 225 metres in breadth and could accommodate an estimated 150,000 seated spectators (many more, perhaps an equal number again, could view the games by standing, crowding and lining the adjoining hills). Later, Titus Flavius built the Arch of Titus above the closed end, on the Forum Romanum, while the emperor Domitian connected his new palace on the Palatine to the Circus in order that he could more easily view the races. The emperor Trajan later added another 5000 seats and expanded the emperor's seating in order to increase his public visibility during the games.

The most important event at the Circus was chariot racing. The track could hold 12 chariots, and the two sides of the track were separated by a raised median termed the spina. Statues of various gods were set up on the spina, and Augustus erected an Egyptian obelisk on it as well. At either end of the spina was a turning post, the meta, around which chariots made dangerous turns at speed. One end of the track extended further back than the other, to allow the chariots to line up to begin the race. Here there were starting gates, or carceres, which staggered the chariots so that each travelled the same distance to the first turn.

Very little now remains of the Circus, except for the now grass-covered racing track and the spina. Some of the starting gates remain, but most of the seating has disappeared, the materials no doubt employed for building other structures in medieval Rome. This obelisk was removed in the 16th century by Pope Sixtus V and placed in the Piazza del Popolo. Excavation of the site began in the 19th century, followed by a partial restoration, but there are yet to be any truly comprehensive excavations conducted within its grounds.

The Circus Maximus retained the honour of being the first and largest circus in Rome, but it was not the only example: other Roman circuses included the Circus Flaminius (in which the Ludi Plebeii were held) and the Circus of Maxentius.

Peter Wissing
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Judaea, Bar Kochba Revolt. Æ Small Bronze ShM`WN
Simon in Paleo-Hebrew, seven-branched palm tree with two bunches of dates.

L-HRWT YRWShLM
For the freedom of Jerusalem (Paleo-Hebrew), bunch of grapes with branch and small leaf.



Undated, attributed to year 3 (134/5 CE).

19mm; 4.46g

Hendin 6467 (6th); Hendin 1440 (5th)

All Bar Kokhba coins are over struck on contemporary coins circulating in Judaea at the time. A mint has not been found, but Herodium has been suggested (by Barag) as the location for the "regular" mint and Jerusalem for the "irregular" issues.

From David Hendin's "Guide to Biblical Coins 5th Edition":

"From the Roman point of view, both were irregular rebel mints. For the Bar Kokhba administration the "irregular" mint was a second, subsidiary, mint operating not at the central mint but at a different location, and there is no reason to assume that it was considered to be irregular. The occasional reference to these coins as "irregular" does not carry much weight. In the eyes of the Greeks and Romans all Jewish coinage was no doubt considered "irregular coinage"


Ex-Pavlos S. Pavlou
2 commentsJay GT4
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Judaea; Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem), HardianAelia Capitolina (Jerusalem) in Judaea.

In 130, Hadrian visited the ruins of Jerusalem, in Judaea, left after the First Roman-Jewish War of 66–73. He rebuilt the city, renaming it Aelia Capitolina after himself and Jupiter Capitolinus, the chief Roman deity. A new temple dedicated to the worship of Jupiter was built on the ruins of the old Jewish Second Temple, which had been destroyed in 70. In addition, Hadrian abolished circumcision, which was considered by Romans and Greeks as a form of bodily mutilation and hence "barbaric". These anti-Jewish policies of Hadrian triggered in Judaea a massive Jewish uprising, led by Simon bar Kokhba and Akiba ben Joseph. Following the outbreak of the revolt, Hadrian called his general Sextus Julius Severus from Britain, and troops were brought from as far as the Danube. Roman losses were very heavy, and it is believed that an entire legion, the XXII Deiotariana was destroyed. Indeed, Roman losses were so heavy that Hadrian's report to the Roman Senate omitted the customary salutation "I and the legions are well". However, Hadrian's army eventually put down the rebellion in 135, after three years of fighting. According to Cassius Dio, during the war 580,000 Jews were killed, 50 fortified towns and 985 villages razed. The final battle took place in Beitar, a fortified city 10 km. southwest of Jerusalem. The city only fell after a lengthy siege, and Hadrian did not allow the Jews to bury their dead. According to the Babylonian Talmud, after the war Hadrian continued the persecution of Jews. He attempted to root out Judaism, which he saw as the cause of continuous rebellions, prohibited the Torah law, the Hebrew calendar and executed Judaic scholars (see Ten Martyrs). The sacred scroll was ceremonially burned on the Temple Mount. In an attempt to erase the memory of Judaea, he renamed the province Syria Palaestina (after the Philistines), and Jews were forbidden from entering its rededicated capital. When Jewish sources mention Hadrian it is always with the epitaph "may his bones be crushed" (שחיק עצמות), an expression never used even with respect to Vespasian or Titus who destroyed the Second Temple.

JUDAEA, Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem). Hadrian. 117-138 CE. Æ 22mm (11.03 gm, 11h). Struck 136 CE. IMP CAES TRAIANO HADRIANO AVG P P, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust / COL AEL KAPIT, COND in exergue, Hadrian, as priest-founder, plowing with team of oxen right; vexillum behind. Meshorer, Aelia 2; Hendin 810; SNG ANS -.
ecoli
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Kyme, AeolisCumae (Cuma, in Italian) is an ancient Greek settlement lying to the northwest of Naples in the Italian region of Campania. The settlement is believed to have been founded in the 8th century BC by Greeks from the city of Cuma and Chalkis in Euboea upon the earlier dwellings of indigenous, Iron-Age peoples whom they supplanted. Eusebius placed Cumae's Greek foundation at 1050 BC. Its name comes from the Greek word kyma (κύμα), meaning wave - perhaps in reference to the big waves that the peninsula of Κyme in Euboea has.

There is also a small, modern Greek Euboean city called Kύμη (Kyme or Cuma or Cyme) as well as the nearby recently excavated ancient Greek city of Cuma [1], the source point for the Cumae alphabet. According to a myth mentioned by Aristotle and Pollux, princess Demodike (or Hermodike) of Kyme, is the inventor of money. (Aristot. fr. 611, 37; Pollux 9, 83,[2])

Cumae was the first Greek colony on the mainland of Italy (Magna Graecia), there having been earlier starts on the islands of Ischia and Sicily by colonists from the Euboean cities of Chalcis (Χαλκίς) and possibly Eretria (Ερέτρια) or Cuma (Kύμη).

Cumae is perhaps most famous as the seat of the Cumaean Sibyl. Her sanctuary is now open to the public. The colony was also the entry point onto the Italian peninsula for the Cumean alphabet, a variant of which was adapted by the Romans.

The colony spread throughout the area over the 6th and centuries BC, gaining sway over Puteoli and Misenum and, thereafter, the founding of Neapolis in 470 BC.

The growing power of the Cumaean Greeks, led many indigenous tribes of the region, notably the Dauni and Aurunci with the leadership of the Capuan Etruscans. This coalition was defeated by the Cumaeans in 524 BC under the direction of Aristodemus. The combined fleets of Cumae and Syracuse defeated the Etruscans at the Battle of Cumae in 474 BC.

Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last mythical King of Rome, lived his life in exile at Cumae after the establishment of the Roman Republic.

Cumae was also a place where a widely influential early Christian work The Shepherd of Hermas was said to have been inspired by way of visions.

The colony was built on a large rise, the seaward side of which was used as a bunker and gun emplacement by the Germans during World War II.

In Roman mythology, there is an entrance to the underworld located at Avernus, a crater near Cumae, and was the route Aeneas used to descend to the Underworld


Kyme in Aeolis, c.350-250 BC, Ae 9-16 mm, cf. Sear 4186-7

Obv: Eagle
Rev: One handled vase (or cup, it is upside down in photo)
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ecoli
VA13374LG.jpg
L. Censorinus. 82 BC. In the contest between Apollo and Marsyas, the terms stated that the winner could treat the defeated party any way he wanted. Since the contest was judged by the Muses, Marsyas naturally lost and was flayed alive in a cave near Celaenae for his hubris to challenge a god. Apollo then nailed Marsyas' skin to a pine tree, near Lake Aulocrene (the Turkish Karakuyu Gölü), which Strabo noted was full of the reeds from which the pipes were fashioned. Diodorus Siculus felt that Apollo must have repented this "excessive" deed, and said that he had laid aside his lyre for a while, but Karl Kerenyi observes of the flaying of Marsyas' "shaggy hide: a penalty which will not seem especially cruel if one assumes that Marsyas' animal guise was merely a masquerade." Classical Greeks were unaware of such shamanistic overtones, and the Flaying of Marsyas became a theme for painting and sculpture. His brothers, nymphs, gods and goddesses mourned his death, and their tears, according to Ovid's Metamorphoses, were the source of the river Marsyas in Phrygia, which joins the Meander near Celaenae, where Herodotus reported that the flayed skin of Marsyas was still to be seen, and Ptolemy Hephaestion recorded a "festival of Apollo, where the skins of all those victims one has flayed are offered to the god." Plato was of the opinion that it had been made into a wineskin.

There are alternative sources of this story which state that it wasn't actually Marsyas who challenged Apollo but Apollo who challenged Marsyas because of his jealousy of the satyr's ability to play the flute. Therefore, hubris would not necessarily be a theme in this tale; rather the capricious weakness of the gods and their equally weak nature in comparison to humans.

There are several versions of the contest; according to Hyginus, Marsyas was departing as victor after the first round, when Apollo, turning his lyre upside down, played the same tune. This was something that Marsyas could not do with his flute. According to another version Marsyas was defeated when Apollo added his voice to the sound of the lyre. Marsyas protested, arguing that the skill with the instrument was to be compared, not the voice. However, Apollo replied that when Marsyas blew into the pipes, he was doing almost the same thing himself. The Muses supported Apollo's claim, leading to his victory.

Ovid touches upon the theme of Marsyas twice, very briefly telling the tale in Metamorphoses vi.383–400, where he concentrates on the tears shed into the river Marsyas, and making an allusion in Fasti, vi.649–710, where Ovid's primary focus is on the aulos and the roles of flute-players rather than Marsyas, whose name is not actually mentioned.

AR Denarius (17mm - 3.97 g)

Laureate head of Apollo right / Satyr Marsyas standing left, holding wine skin over shoulder; column surmounted by statue to right.
1 commentsecoli
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Licinus Bronze Follis68338. Bronze follis, RIC VII 8, aVF, 2.742g, 20.2mm, 180o, Siscia (Sisak, Croatia) mint, 313 - 315 A.D.;

obverse IMP LIC LICINIVS P F AVG, laureate head right;

reverse IOVI CON-SERVATORI, Jupiter standing left holding Victory on globe and scepter, eagle with wreath in beak left, "G" right, SIS in ex

Jupiter or Jove, Zeus to the Greeks, was the king of the gods and the god of sky and thunder, and of laws and social order. As the patron deity of ancient Rome, he was the chief god of the Capitoline Triad, with his sister and wife Juno. The father of Mars, he is therefore the grandfather of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
Colby S
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Lokris Opuntii (Circa 369-338 BC)AR Triobol

16 mm, 2.61 g

Obverse: Wreathed head of Persephone right

Reverse: [O]ΠONTIΩN; Ajax, nude but for crested Corinthian helmet, advancing right, holding sword in right hand, shield decorated with serpent on left arm; kantharos below.

BCD Lokris 99; SNG Copenhagen 50

Opuntian Lokris consisted of a narrow slip upon the eastern coast of central Greece, from the pass of Thermopylae to the mouth of the river Cephissus. In the Persian War the Opuntian Lokrians fought with Leonidas at the Battle of Thermopylae, and also sent seven ships to the Greek fleet. The Lokrians fought on the side of Sparta in the Peloponnesian War.

Ajax of Lokris (or Ajax 'the Lesser'), depicted on this coin’s reverse, supposedly led a fleet of forty ships from Lokris Opuntii against Troy in the Greeks' great war on that city. At Troy's fall, he was alleged by Odysseus to have violated a sanctuary of Athena by ravishing Cassandra, who had sought refuge there. He thus brought down the wrath of Athena upon himself and his countrymen: Ajax himself was wrecked and killed in a storm as he made his way home from the war, and the rest of the Opuntians reached home only with great difficulty. Nevertheless, they annually honoured their former leader by launching a ship fitted with black sails and laden with gifts, which they then set alight, and whenever the Lokrian army drew up for battle, one place was always left open for Ajax, whose spirit they believed would stand and fight with them.
3 commentsNathan P
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