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Image search results - "Turkey"

Philip I the Arab, February 244 - Late September249 A.D., Seleucia ad Calycadnum, Cilicia. Orichalcum medallion, cf. RPC VIII U2169; SNG Levante 778; SNG BnF 1040; SNG Righetti 1630; SNG Pfalz 1078; BMC Cilicia p. 140, 50 (various legend arrangements), VF, broad flan, portrait, dark brown patina, light encrustation, a few small pits, marks, Seleukeia ad Calycadnum (Silifke, Turkey) mint, weight 34.823g, maximum diameter 40.0mm, die axis 180o, obverse AYT K M IOYΛIOC ΦIΛIΠΠOC CEB, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse CEΛEYKEΩN TΩN ΠPOCT, confronted busts of Tyche, right, draped, kalathos on head, cornucopia behind, and Apollo, left, laureate and draped, laurel branch before, KAΛYK/A∆N/Ω in three lines above, EΛEYΘEP/AC in two lines below; 40 millimeters1 commentspaul1888

Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Xerxes I - Darius II, c. 485 - 420 B.C. Silver siglos, Carradice Type IIIa variety without pellets, Carradice NC 1998, pl. 8, 5 - 16; or underweight Carradice IIIb, Choice gVF, attractive surfaces, flow lines, bankers mark on edge, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, weight 5.403g, maximum diameter 14.8mm, c. 485 - 420 B.C.; obverse kneeling-running figure of the Great King right, transverse spear downward in right hand, bow in extended left hand, bearded, crowned; reverse irregular rectangular punch; from the CEB Collection; ex Numismatic Fine Arts winter sale (Dec 1987), lot 371
Ex: Forum Ancient Coins.
Persian Lydia, Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Xerxes I - Darius II, c. 485 - 420 B.C., Carradice Type III was initially issued with the same weight standard as earlier sigloi, Type IIIa, c. 5.30 - 5.39 g. Carradice NC 1998 lists 12 examples of sigloi in the Type IIIa style but without pellets behind the beard. There may have been two mints, one issuing with the two pellets and one without. Or possibly all light weight examples without pellets are simply underweight examples of the Type IIIb, issued after c. 485 B.C. on a heavier standard, c. 5.55 - 5.60 g.1 commentspaul1888

JUSTINIAN I, AE Follis (40 Nummi), struck 529 - 533 at Antioch (Theoupolis)Obverse: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AVG. Justinian enthroned facing, holding long sceptre in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left.
Reverse: Large M, cross above and officina letter (Δ = 4th Officina) below, asterisk in field to left of M and outward facing crescent in field to right; in exergue, +THEUP
Diameter: 34mm | Weight: 18.69gms | Die Axis: 5
SBCV: 214 | DOC: 206d.1

Much of Antioch was destroyed by a great earthquake on 29th November 528 and, following this disaster, the city was renamed Theoupolis.

530: In the spring of this year Belisarius and Hermogenes (magister officiorum) defeated a combined Persian-Arab army of 50,000 men at the Battle of Dara in modern Turkey, and in the summer a Byzantine cavalry force under the command of Sittas defeated a major Persian invasion into Roman Armenia at the Battle of Satala.
531: On April 19th, at the Battle of Callinicum, a Byzantine army commanded by Belisarius, was defeated by the Persians at Raqqa in northern Syria. Nevertheless, Justinian negotiated an end to the hostilities and Belisarius was hailed as a hero.
532: On January 11th this year anger among the supporters of the most important chariot teams in Constantinople, the Blues and the Greens, escalated into violence towards the emperor. For the next five days the city was in chaos and the fires that started during the rioting resulted in the destruction of much of the city. This insurrection, known as the Nika riots, was put down a week later by Belisarius and Mundus resulting in 30,000 people being killed in the Hippodrome.
On February 23rd Justinian ordered the building of a new Christian basilica in Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia. More than 10,000 people were employed in the construction using material brought from all over the empire.
2 comments*Alex

JUSTINIAN I, AE Half-Follis (20 Nummi), struck 529 – 533 at Antioch (Theoupolis)Obverse: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AVG. Justinian I enthroned facing, holding long sceptre in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left.
Reverse: Large K, Large latin cross to left dividing letters T–H/Є–U/O/P; officina letter to right of K (Δ = fourth officina).
Diameter: 28mm | Weight: 8.4gms | Die Axis: 11
SBCV: 225 | DOC: 208.6
Rare

Much of Antioch was destroyed by a great earthquake on 29th November 528 and, following this disaster, the city was renamed Theoupolis.

530: In the spring of this year Belisarius and Hermogenes (magister officiorum) defeated a combined Persian-Arab army of 50,000 men at the Battle of Dara in modern Turkey, and in the summer a Byzantine cavalry force under the command of Sittas defeated a major Persian invasion into Roman Armenia at the Battle of Satala.
531: On April 19th, at the Battle of Callinicum, a Byzantine army commanded by Belisarius, was defeated by the Persians at Raqqa in northern Syria. Nevertheless, Justinian negotiated an end to the hostilities and Belisarius was hailed as a hero.
532: On January 11th this year anger among the supporters of the most important chariot teams in Constantinople, the Blues and the Greens, escalated into violence towards the emperor. For the next five days the city was in chaos and the fires that started during the rioting resulted in the destruction of much of the city. This insurrection, known as the Nika riots, was put down a week later by Belisarius and Mundus resulting in 30,000 people being killed in the Hippodrome.
On February 23rd Justinian ordered the building of a new Christian basilica in Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia. More than 10,000 people were employed in the construction using material brought from all over the empire.
1 comments*Alex

Leo VI the Wise (870 - 912 A.D.)Æ Follis
O: + LEOn bASILVS ROm, bust facing, with short beard, wearing crown with cross and chlamys, holding akakia in left hand.
R: + LEOn/En Î˜EO bA/SILEVS R/OMEOn, inscription in four lines.
Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint
8.58g
26mm
SBCV 17291 commentsMat

(0283) CARINUS283 - 285 AD
AE Antoninianus 20 mm 3.89 g
O: IMP C M AVR CARINVS P F AVG. radiate and cuirassed bust of Carinus right
R: Carinus standing right, receiving crowning Victory from Carus standing left, each holding scepter, Z in field below, * above, XXI in exergue
Antioch mint, (Antakya, Turkey), 6th officina RIC 325
laney

(06) NERO54 - 68 AD
struck 67-68 AD
AR Tetradrachm 24.5 mm X 28 mm; 13.65 g
O: NEPΩN KAICAP CEBACTOC, laureate bust right wearing aegis;
R: ETOYC [...], eagle standing left holding wreath in beak, palm left
Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint; Prieur 92, RPC I 4192, Wruck 48
d.s.laney

*IMITATION OTTOMAN Cedid MahmudiyeThis piece came in a bag of modern Foreign coins - 21 pounds! May be gold inside!!!
The dating did not seem right to me! From the experts at Zeno, I found a similar issue..... This attribution from Zeno:
Imitation of gold cedid mahmudiye (KM, Turkey #645) with distorted inscriptions and fantasy regnal year 78. Made for jewelry purposes throughout the 19th and early 20th century, very likely outside Turkey: similar imitations are met in abundance in South Russia and Ukraine, along the shores of Black and Azov seas, where they were widely used for adorning Gypsy and native Greek women's garments.

So, as you see, it is not exactly a FAKE or a COUNTERFEIT - it is an IMITATION, so the makers could not get into trouble. The regnal years alone would show that the coin was not "real" -

An interesting piece that may turn up from time to time!
dpaul7

001x2. Tarcondimotus Bronze AE 22, Cilicia, Hierapolis-Castabala (Kirmitli, Turkey) mint. 8.591g, 21.5mm, die axis 90o,. as king in Eastern Cilicia, c. 39 - 31 B.C.; obverse diademed head right; reverse Zeus Nikephoros enthroned left, himation around hips and legs with end over shoulder, Nike offering wreath extended in right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, BAΣIΛEΩΣ downward on right, TAPKON∆IMO/TOY in two downward lines on left, ΦIΛANTΩNIOY in exergue. RPC I 3871; SNG BnF 1913; SNG Levante 1258; BMC Lycaonia p. 237, 1 ff. A FORUM coin.

Tarcondimotus I (or Tarkondimotos) was a Roman client king of Cilicia. He supported Pompey in the civil war against Caesar, but when Pompey lost, he was pardoned by Caesar and remained in power. He might also have received Roman citizenship. After Caesar was assassinated, Tarcondimotus allied first with Cassius and then Mark Antony. He adopted the royal epithet Philantonios (Antony-lover) as an expression of his devotion to Antony. He was killed at the battle of Actium in 31 BC.
lawrence c

001x3. Ariobarzanes III of Cappadocia
Silver drachm, Simonetta 3a; BMC Galatia p. 42, 4; SNGvA 6326; SGCV II 7304; HGC 7 853 (R2); Simonetta Collection 4 var. (monogram, noted); SNG Cop -; SNG Fitz -r, Mazaka-Eusebeia (Kayseri, Turkey) mint, weight 3.795g, maximum diameter 15.0mm, die axis 0o, 42 - 41 B.C.; obverse diademed head right, with short hair and beard; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ APIOBAPZANOY EYΣEBOYΣ KAI ΦIΛOPΩM, Athena Nikephoros standing left, Nike offering wreath in right hand, spear and grounded shield behind in left hand, star in crescent with horns up lower inner left, monogram inner right, IA (year 11) in exergue; ex Leu Numismatik web auction 20 (16 Jul 2022), lot 3755 (part of); ex European collection (formed before 2005). A FORUM coin.

Ariobarzanes was an ally of Pompey, but after their defeat Julius Caesar received him well and kept his position. He later refused to aid Cassius. Caesar's assassins declared him a traitor, invaded Cappadocia and executed him.
lawrence c

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

005c01. Agrippinna Junior Hierapolis, Phrygia. Bronze assarion, RPC I 2983 (4 spec.); SNGvA 3649; BMC Phrygia p. 249, 127, Hierapolis (near Pamukkale, Turkey) mint, weight 3.731g, maximum diameter 16.2mm, die axis 0o, magistrate Magytes Neoteros, c. 55 A.D.; obverse AΓPIΠΠINA ΣEBAΣTH, draped bust right; reverse MAΓYTHΣ NEΩTEPOΣ IEPAΠOΛEITΩN, Demeter seated left on throne, stalk of grain and two poppies in right hand. A FORUM coin.lawrence c

015d02. MarcianaBronze trihemiassaria, Ziegler 107.3 (Vs1/Rs2, same dies & c/m), RPC Online III 3371.2 (same), c/m: Howgego 23, Anazarbus (Anavarza, Turkey) mint, 1.319g, 25.4mm, axis 0o, 113 -114 A.D.; obverse AYTO KAI NEP TPAIANOC CE ΓEP ΔA (Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus), laureate head of Trajan right, oval countermark of head of Zeus right; reverse KAICAPE ΠP ANAZAPBΩ MAPKIANHN ΘE (ΠP ligate), draped bust of Diva Marciana right, seen from front, wearing large stephane, hair plaited and coiled on top at back of head, ET - BΛP (year 132) divided across field. A FORUM coin.lawrence c

016b01. SabinaBronze AE 19, CN Online Perinthos CN_4718, Schonert Perinthos 381, Varbanov III 100 (R6), BMC Thrace -, SNG Cop -, 3.514g, 18.6mm. Heraclea Perinthos (Marmara Ereglisi, Turkey) mint, 128 - c. 136 A.D.; obverse CABINA CEBACTH, draped bust right, wearing stephane; reverse PERINQIWN, Demeter standing left, two stalks of grain in right hand, long torch vertical behind in left hand. A FORUM coin.lawrence c

020a, CARIA, Knidos. Circa 465-449 BC. AR Drachm.CARIA, Knidos. Circa 465-449 BC. AR Drachm - 16mm (6.06 g). Obverse: forepart of roaring lion right; Reverse: archaic head of Aphrodite right, hair bound with taenia. Cahn 80 (V38/R53); SNG Helsinki 132 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 232 (same dies). Toned, near VF, good metal. Ex Barry P. Murphy.

While this coin falls within the time frame that numismatists call "Classical" Greek coinage, I have chosen to place it in both the "Archaic" (coin 020a) and "Classical" Greek sections of my collection. This specimen is one of those wonderful examples of transition--it incorporates many elements of the "Archaic" era, although it is struck during the "Classical" Greek period and anticipates characteristics of the later period.

As noted art historian Patricia Lawrence has pointed out, "[this specimen portrays] A noble-headed lion, a lovely Late Archaic Aphrodite, and [is made from]. . . beautiful metal." The Archaic Aphrodite is reminiscent of certain portraits of Arethusa found on tetradrachms produced in Syracuse in the first decade of the 5th century BC.

Knidos was a city of high antiquity and as a Hellenic city probably of Lacedaemonian colonization. Along with Halicarnassus (present day Bodrum, Turkey) and Kos, and the Rhodian cities of Lindos, Kamiros and Ialyssos it formed the Dorian Hexapolis, which held its confederate assemblies on the Triopian headland, and there celebrated games in honour of Apollo, Poseidon and the nymphs.

The city was at first governed by an oligarchic senate, composed of sixty members, and presided over by a magistrate; but, though it is proved by inscriptions that the old names continued to a very late period, the constitution underwent a popular transformation. The situation of the city was favourable for commerce, and the Knidians acquired considerable wealth, and were able to colonize the island of Lipara, and founded a city on Corcyra Nigra in the Adriatic. They ultimately submitted to Cyrus, and from the battle of Eurymedon to the latter part of the Peloponnesian War they were subject to Athens.

In their expansion into the region, the Romans easily obtained the allegiance of Knidians, and rewarded them for help given against Antiochus by leaving them the freedom of their city.

During the Byzantine period there must still have been a considerable population: for the ruins contain a large number of buildings belonging to the Byzantine style, and Christian sepulchres are common in the neighbourhood.

Eudoxus, the astronomer, Ctesias, the writer on Persian history, and Sostratus, the builder of the celebrated Pharos at Alexandria, are the most remarkable of the Knidians mentioned in history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnidus

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.1 commentsCleisthenes

030f02. Annia FaustinaAE 23mm, 7.08 g. Hierapolis, Phrygia. (near Pamukkale, Turkey). Obv: IEPA•CY-NKLHTO-C, draped bust right. Rev: IEPAPOLEITWN NEWKOPWN, A/KTI/A in three lines within a demos crown (laurel wreath). Johnston Hierapolis 74; BMC Phrygia p. 242, 89; SNG Cop 444; Waddington 6128. RPC 5459 (temporary)

NOTE: Great-granddaughter of Marcus Aurelius and third wife of Elagabalus who had executed her first husband in order to marry her in July 221. He divorced her at the end of that year and returned to Aquilia Severa.

A FORUM coin.lawrence c

031b04. Julia MamaeaSynnada, Phrygia. Bronze diassarion, RPC Online VI T5767 (4 spec.), Synnada (Suhut, Turkey) mint, 4.451g, 23.7mm, c. 222 - 235 A.D.; obverse IOYΛIA MAMEA C, draped bust right; reverse CYNNAΔEΩN, Athena standing facing, head right, wearing crested helmet, spear in right hand, left hand on hip, shield at feet on right. A FORUM coin.
lawrence c

035a02. PupienusTarsos (Tarsus, Mersin, Turkey). Bronze hexassarion. 28.145g, 35.7mm. 180o. Obverse AYT KEC M ΛO∆ ΠOΠΛHNIOC CE, Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Pupienus to right, seen from behind, Π − Π divided across field; reverse TAPCOY MHTPOΠOΛ A / M K Γ B (the last four letters in the fields), Athena advancing right, head turned back left, Nike in right hand, spear in left hand, oval shield on left arm. SNG BnF 1636 (same dies); SNG Levante 1116; SNG Pfalz 1390; SNG Righetti 1678; BMC Cilicia p. 210, 244; RPC 2970. A FORUM coin.lawrence c

036b03. TranquillinaBronze AE 24. Cappadocia, Caesarea (Kayseri, Turkey). 7.322g, 23.9mm. 243 - 244 A.D. Obv: CAB TPANKVΛΛINA AV (Sabinia Tranquillina Augusta), draped bust to right, wearing stephane. Rev: MHTP KAI B NE (Metropolis Caesarea, 2 neokoroi), six grain ears bound together, ET-Z (year 7 [of Gordian III]) across fields. RPC VII.2 3401. A FORUM coin.lawrence c

050p Julia Domna (170-217 A.D.), Lydia, Sardes, Asia (conventus of Sardis), AE-22, EΠI ΡOYΦOY CAΡΔIANΩN B NEΩKOΡΩN, Demeter standing left, #1050p Julia Domna (170-217 A.D.), Lydia, Sardes, Asia (conventus of Sardis), AE-22, EΠI ΡOYΦOY CAΡΔIANΩN B NEΩKOΡΩN, Demeter standing left, #1
avers: IOYΛIA CEBAC, Draped bust of Julia Domna right.
reverse: EΠI ΡOYΦOY CAΡΔIANΩN B NEΩKOΡΩN, Demeter standing left, holding upright corn-ears and torch, the serpent at foot left.
exergue: -/-//--, diameter: 21,8-22,0mm, weight: 4,62g, axis: 6h,
mint: Lydia, Sardes, date: A.D.,
ref: Leypold I, 1221; BMC 154; SNG Turkey 5, 476; Aiello 1020; GRPC Lydia 483.
Q-001quadrans

084a02. Licinius I AE3. 19.4 mm, 2.427 g. 2nd officina, Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint, 321 - 324 A.D. Obv: IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI (to Jupiter the protector), Jupiter standing slightly left, nude but for chlamys over shoulders, Victory on globe presenting wreath in right hand, long eagle-topped scepter vertical in left hand, eagle standing left with wreath in beak at feet on left, in right field: X/IIΓ over bound bearded captive seated right and looking left, SMNB in exergue. Hunter V 143 (also 2nd officina), RIC VII Nicomedia 44 (R2), SRCV IV 15223, Cohen VII 74. A FORUM coin.
lawrence c

107a01. ArcadiusAE2. Heraclea (Marmara Ereglisi, Turkey) mint. 5.173g. 22.0mm. Obverse D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, spear in right hand, shield on left arm, hand of God above offering diadem; reverse GLORIA ROMANORVM (glory of the Romans), emperor standing facing, head left, labarum in right hand, resting left hand on grounded shield at side, captive kneeling right on left, SMHA in exergue. RIC IX Heraclea 12, LRBC II 1955. From the Errett Bishop Collection. A FORUM coin.lawrence c

107a02. ArcadiusAE2. 22.6mm, 4.68 g. 3rd officina, Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey) 25 Aug 383 - 28 Aug 388 A.D. Obv: D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: VIRTVS EXERCITI (courage of the army), emperor standing right, left foot on captive, vexillum behind in right, globe in left hand, SMNΓ in exergue. RIC IX Nicomedia 44(c)2. A FORUM coin.lawrence c

1885 AEOLIS, Elaea. Hadrian, Basket with PoppiesReference.
RPC III, 1885; Sear 1161v; BMC 42 (pag. 129); SNGvA 1611; SNG Munchen 424, SNG Cop -

Obv. ΑΥΤΟ ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙ
Laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right.

Rev. ΕΛΑΙΤΩΝ
Basket containing ears of corn & poppy-heads.

3.20 gr
16 mm
12h

Note.
FORVM, from the Butte College Foundation, ex Lindgren

laea was the ancient port of Pergamum, located near the modern town of Zeytindag, Izmir Province, Turkey. The name of Elaea occurs in the history of the kings of Pergamum. According to Strabo, from Livy (xxxv. 13), travelers who would reach Pergamum from the sea, would land at Elaea. One of the passages of Livy shows that there was a small hill near Elaea, and that the town was in a plain and walled. Elaea was damaged by an earthquake in the reign of Trajan, at the same time that Pitane suffered. The ruins of the silted port's breakwater can be seen on satellite photos.1 commentsokidoki

1ao3 Julia DrusillaAE 20 of Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey)
Laureate head of Caligula, right, Î“AION KAICAPA EÎ I AOYIOÎ›A
Drusilla as Persephone seated left, poppies between two stalks of grain in right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, âˆ†POYCIÎ›Î›AN ZMYPNAIÎ©N MHNOÎ¦ANHC

Caligula’s sister

Klose XXVIII, 27 (Vs4/Rs10); RPC I 2472; SNG Cop 1343; SNGvA 2202; BMC Ionia p. 269, 272

According to Suetonius’ salacious account: Germanicus had married Agrippina the Elder, daughter of Marcus Agrippa and Julia the Elder, and she had borne him nine children. Two died in infancy, another in early childhood. . . .

The other children survived their father: three girls, Agrippina the Younger, Drusilla and Livilla, born in successive years; and three boys, Nero, Drusus, and Gaius Caesar (Caligula). . . . [Caligula] habitually committed incest with each of his three sisters, seating them in turn below him at large banquets while his wife reclined above. It is believed that he violated Drusilla’s virginity while a minor, and been caught in bed with her by his grandmother Antonia, in whose household they were jointly raised. Later, when Drusilla was married to Lucius Cassius Longinus, an ex-consul, he took her from him and openly treated her as his lawful married wife. When he fell ill he made her heir to his estate and the throne.

When Drusilla died (in 38AD) he declared a period of public mourning during which it was a capital offense to laugh, or bathe, or to dine with parents, spouse or children. Caligula himself was so overcome with grief that he fled the City in the middle of the night, and travelled through Campania, and on to Syracuse, returning again with the same degree of haste, and without cutting his hair or shaving. From that time forwards whenever he took an important oath, even in public or in front of the army, he always swore by Drusilla’s divinity.Blindado

2.Darius I to Xerxes I - 505-480 BCAR 1/3 Siglos
Obv. Bearded king or hero, kneeling right with drawn bow and a quiver on his back.
Rev. Incuse Oblong punch.
Size:10mm;1.76gms
Ref.-Carridice II; BMC Arabia vol.28,pg.173,No.184
Sear 3429,SNG Turkey I 1027Brian L

22233 Gallienus/ She-Wolf22233 Gallienus/ She-Wolf 264 - 265 A.D.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG
radiate and draped bust right, seen from behind
Rev: AETERNITAS AVG
she-wolf standing right, head left, suckling the infant twins Romulus and Remus
Mint: Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 3.590g, 21.3mm, 180 degrees
Göbl MIR 1628c, RSC IV 46b, RIC V-1 S628, Hunter IV S194, SRCV III 10171 var. (cuirassed bust left)
Purchase from Forum Ancient coins, ex Colosseum Coin Exchange

Blayne W

316. Aurelian316. Aurelian

In 275, Aurelian marched towards Asia Minor, preparing another campaign against the Sassanids: the close deaths of Kings Shapur I (272) and Hormizd I (273), and the rise to power of a weakened ruler (Bahram I), set the possibility to attack the Sassanid Empire.

On on his way, the emperor suppressed a revolt in Gaul — possibly against Faustinus, an officer or usurper of Tetricus — and defeated barbarian marauders at Vindelicia (Germany).

However, Aurelian never reached Persia, since he was killed on his way. As an administrator, Aurelian had been very strict and handed out severe punishments to corrupt officials or soldiers. A secretary of Aurelian (called Eros by Zosimus) had told a lie on a minor issue. Scared of what the emperor might do, he told high ranking officials that the emperor wanted their life, showing a forged document. The notarius Mucapor and other high-ranking officiers of the Praetorian Guard, fearing punishment from the Emperor, murdered him in September of 275, in Caenophrurium, Thracia (modern Turkey).

Aurelian's enemies in the Senate briefly succeeded in passing damnatio memoriae on the emperor, but this was reversed before the end of the year and Aurelian, like his predecessor Claudius, was deified as Divus Aurelianus.

Ulpia Severina, wife of Aurelian and Augusta since 274, is said to have held the imperial role during the short interregnum before the election of Marcus Claudius Tacitus to the purple.

Siscia mint. IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate & cuirassed bust right / ORIENS AVG, Sol advancing left between two seated captives, holding up raised hand & whip, XXIT in ex. Cohen 158. RIC 255
ecoli

322. NumerianMarcus Aurelius Numerius Numerianus was the younger son of the later emperor Carus, born in about AD 253.
Numerian and his elder brother Carinus were raised to the rank of Caesar in AD 282, soon after their father became emperor.

In AD 282 Numerian accompanied his father to the Danube to defeat the Sarmatians and the Quadi.
Then in December AD 282 or January AD 283 Carus took Numerian with him on his expedition against the Persians to re-conquer Mesopotamia. Meanwhile Carinus stayed in Rome to rule the west.

When Carus died, Numerian succeeded him, thereby becoming joint emperor with his brother Carinus who had been granted the rank of Augustus shortly before Carus' death.

At first, immediately after his father's death, Numerian sought to continue the Persian campaign.
Apparently this was much favoured by Arrius Aper, the prefect of the praetorians and suspect in Carus' death. Conditions for war were favourable. The Persian side was still thought to be weak. But Numerian's initial efforts were not followed by success.
Numerian was to all effect appeared more of an intellectual than a man of war. He wrote poetry, some of which won him critical acclaim in his day.
This lack of ruthless military talent might well have been the reason why Carinus alone had been promoted Augustus, while Numerian remained Caeasar (junior emperor).
And so, after these initial setbacks, Numerian decided it unwise to continue the war.
He sought instead to return back to Rome and the army was not displeased to pull back into Syria were it spent the winter of AD 283.
Thereafter the army set out on its march back west through Asia Minor (Turkey).
Numerian fell ill near Nicomedia, suffering from an eye disease, which he might have caught while still on campaign in Mesopotamia with his father. The illness was explained with severe exhaustion (Today it is believed this was a serious eye infection. This left him partly blind and he had to be carried in a litter.

Somewhere at this time it is believed Arrius Aper, Numerian's own father in-law, had him killed. It;s widely believed that Aper hoped that it would be assumed that Numerian had simply succumbed to his illness and that he, the praetorian prefect, would succeed to the throne in his place.
But why he should have kept up the charade that Numerian was still alive remains a mystery. Perhaps he was waiting for he right moment.
For several days the death went unnoticed, the litter being carried along as usual. Soldiers inquired about their emperor's health and were reassured by Aper, that all was well and that Numerian simply was too ill to appear in public.

Eventually though the stench of the corpse became too much. Numerian's death was revealed and the soldiers realized that Rome had lost yet another emperor (AD 284).

Had it been Aper who hoped to fill the vacancy, then it was Diocletian (still known as Diocles at the time), commander of the imperial bodyguard, who emerged the victor. It was Diocletian who was made emperor by the troops after Numerian's death. It was he who sentenced Aper to death and even executed the sentence himself. Therefore it was he who, benefited most from the deaths of Carus and Numerian. And in his role as body guard he held a key position, enabling him to prevent or enable any action against the emperor. Hence it is unlikely that Diocletian did not have anything to do with the murder of Numerian.

Numerian Antoninianus / Numerian with globe and spear

Attribution: RIC 361
Date: 282-283 AD
Obverse: M AVR NVMERIANVS NOB C, radiate bust r.
Reverse: PRINCIPI IVVENTVT, Numerian l. holding globe and spear
Size: 22.39 mm
Weight: 3.5 grams
Description: A nice ant of a scarcer emperor while serving as Caesarecoli

518-527 Justin I - follis from NicomediaMinted in Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey), in 518-527.
Ginolerhino

610 Heraclius as Consul - follis from Alexandretta (Iskenderun, Turkey)Minted in Alexandretta (Iskenderun, Turkey) in 610.
Ginolerhino

703b, Tiberius, 19 August 14 - 16 March 37 A.D., Hierapolis, PhrygiaBronze AE 16, RPC I 2966 (1 specimen), F, Phrygia, Hierapolis, 3.300g, 15.6mm, 0o; Obverse: TIBEPIOC KAISAR, laureate head right; Reverse: IERAPOLEITWN ZOSIMOS [...], Apollo Archegetes (Lairbenos) standing left, playing lyre; reverse countermarked with star of six rays, in oval punch, 2.5 x 3.5 mm, Howgego 445 (3 pcs, 1 of which from this magistrate); dark patina; very rare. Ex FORVM.

De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and their Families

TIBERIUS (A.D. 14-37)

Garrett G. Fagan
Pennsylvania State University

The reign of Tiberius Claudius Nero (b. 42 B.C., d. A.D. 37, emperor A.D. 14-37) is a particularly important one for the Principate, since it was the first occasion when the powers designed for Augustus alone were exercised by somebody else. In contrast to the approachable and tactful Augustus, Tiberius emerges from the sources as an enigmatic and darkly complex figure, intelligent and cunning, but given to bouts of severe depression and dark moods that had a great impact on his political career as well as his personal relationships. His reign abounds in contradictions. Despite his keen intelligence, he allowed himself to come under the influence of unscrupulous men who, as much as any actions of his own, ensured that Tiberius's posthumous reputation would be unfavorable; despite his vast military experience, he oversaw the conquest of no new region for the empire; and despite his administrative abilities he showed such reluctance in running the state as to retire entirely from Rome and live out his last years in isolation on the island of Capri. His reign represents, as it were, the adolescence of the Principate as an institution. Like any adolescence, it proved a difficult time.

. . . .

It is all but inevitable that any historical assessment of Tiberius will quickly devolve into a historiographical assessment of Tacitus. So masterful is Tacitus's portrayal of his subject, and so influential has it been ever since, that in all modern treatments of Tiberius, in attempting to get at the man, must address the issue of Tacitus's historiographical methods, his sources, and his rhetoric. The subject is too vast to address here, but some points are salient. Tacitus's methods, especially his use of innuendo and inference to convey notions that are essentially editorial glosses, makes taking his portrayal of Tiberius at face value inadvisable. Further, his belief in the immutable character of people -- that one's character is innate at birth and cannot be changed, although it can be disguised -- prevents him from investigating the possibility that Tiberius evolved and developed over his lifetime and during his reign. Instead, Tacitus's portrayal is one of peeling back layers of dissimulation to reach the "real" Tiberius lurking underneath.

Overall, Tiberius's reign can be said to show the boons and banes of rule by one man, especially a man as dark, awkward, and isolated as Tiberius. For the people of the provinces, it was a peaceful and well-ordered time. Governors behaved themselves, and there were no destructive or expensive wars. In the domestic sphere, however, the concentration of power in one person made all the greater the threat of misbehavior by ambitious satellites like Sejanus or foolish friends like Piso. Furthermore, if the emperor wished to remain aloof from the mechanics of power, he could do so. Administrators, who depended on him for their directions, could operate without his immediate supervision, but their dealings with a man like Sejanus could lead to disaster if that man fell from grace. As a result, although he was not a tyrant himself, Tiberius's reign sporadically descended into tyranny of the worst sort. In the right climate of paranoia and suspicion, widespread denunciation led to the deaths of dozens of Senators and equestrians, as well as numerous members of the imperial house. In this sense, the reign of Tiberius decisively ended the Augustan illusion of "the Republic Restored" and shone some light into the future of the Principate, revealing that which was both promising and terrifying.

[For the complete article please refer to http://www.roman-emperors.org/tiberius.htm]

By Garrett G. Fagan, Pennsylvania State University.
Published: De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and their Families http://www.roman-emperors.org/startup.htm. Used by permission.

Hierapolis in History

Usually said to be founded by Eumenes II, king of Pergamum (197-159 BC), Hierapolis may actually have been established closer to the 4th century BC by the Seleucid kings.

The name of the city may derive from Hiera, the wife of Telephus (son of Hercules and grandson of Zeus), the mythical founder of Pergamum. Or it may have been called the "sacred city" because of the temples located at the site. (The name Pamukkale is sometimes used just to refer to the white terraces, but the modern name of the whole area is also Pamukkale.)

With Colossae and Laodicea, Hierapolis became part of the tri-city area of the Lycus River valley. Hierapolis was located across the river from the other two cities and was noted for its textiles, especially wool. The city was also famous for its purple dye, made from the juice of the madder root.

The hot springs at Hierapolis (which still attract visitors today) were believed to have healing properties, and people came to the city to bathe in the rich mineral waters in order to cure various ailments.

Hierapolis was dedicated to Apollo Lairbenos, who was said to have founded the city. The Temple of Apollo that survives in ruins today dates from the 3rd century AD, but its foundations date from the Hellenistic period.

Also worshipped at Hierapolis was Pluto, god of the underworld, probably in relation to the hot gases released by the earth (see the Plutonium, below). The chief religious festival of ancient Hierapolis was the Letoia, in honor of the the goddess Leto, a Greek form of the Mother Goddess. The goddess was honoured with orgiastic rites.

Hierapolis was ceded to Rome in 133 BC along with the rest of the Pergamene kingdom, and became part of the Roman province of Asia. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD but rebuilt, and it reached its peak in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

Famous natives of Hierapolis include the Stoic philosopher Epictetus (c.55-c.135 AD) and the philosopher and rhetorician Antipater. Emperor Septimus hired Antipater to tutor his sons Caracalla and Geta, who became emperors themselves.

Hierapolis had a significant Jewish population in ancient times, as evidence by numerous inscriptions on tombs and elsewhere in the city. Some of the Jews are named as members of the various craft guilds of the city. This was probably the basis for the Christian conversion of some residents of Hierapolis, recorded in Colossians 4:13.

In the 5th century, several churches as well as a large martyrium dedicated to St. Philip (see "In the Bible," below) were built in Hierapolis. The city fell into decline in the 6th century, and the site became partially submerged under water and deposits of travertine. It was finally abandoned in 1334 after an earthquake. Excavations began to uncover Hierapolis in the 19th century.

Hierapolis in the Bible

Hierapolis is mentioned only once in the Bible, when St. Paul praises Epaphras, a Christian from Colossae, in his letter to the Colossians. Paul writes that Epaphras "has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis" (Colossians 4:12-13). Epaphras was probably the founder of the Christian community at Hierapolis.

Ancient tradition also associates Hierapolis with a biblical figure, reporting that Philip died in Hierapolis around 80 AD. However, it is not clear which Philip is menat. It could be Philip the Apostle, one of the original 12 disciples, who is said to have been martyred by upside-down crucifixion (Acts of Philip) or by being hung upside down by his ankles from a tree.

Or Philip could be Philip the Evangelist, a later disciple who helped with administrative matters and had four virgin-prophetess daughters (Acts 6:1-7; 21:8-9). Early traditions say this Philip was buried in Hierapolis along with his virgin daughters, but confusingly call him "Philip the Apostle"! In any case, it seems a prominent person mentioned in Acts did die in Hierapolis.
Sacred Destinations - Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.Cleisthenes

704a, Caligula, 16 March 37 - 24 January 41 A.D.Caligula, 37 - 41 AD, Ionia, Smyrna. AE 17mm. Klose, Smyrna 27a. RPC 2473. 2.89 gm. Fine. Menophanes, Aviola, Procos, 37-38 AD. Obverse: AION, laureate head right; Reverse: Nike holding wreath right. Ex Tom Vossen.

De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and their Families

GAIUS (CALIGULA) (A.D. 37-41)

Garrett G. Fagan
Pennsylvania State University

Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Caligula) was born on 31 August, A.D. 12, probably at the Julio-Claudian resort of Antium (modern Anzio), the third of six children born to Augustus's adopted grandson, Germanicus, and Augustus's granddaughter, Agrippina. Caligula was the Roman Emperor between A.D. 37-41). Unfortunately, his is the most poorly documented reign of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The literary sources for these four years are meager, frequently anecdotal, and universally hostile.[[1]] As a result, not only are many of the events of the reign unclear, but Gaius himself appears more as a caricature than a real person, a crazed megalomaniac given to capricious cruelty. Although some headway can be made in disentangling truth from embellishment, the true character of the youthful emperor will forever elude us.

As a baby he accompanied his parents on military campaigns in the north and was shown to the troops wearing a miniature soldier's outfit, including the hob-nailed sandal called caliga, whence the nickname by which posterity remembers him. His childhood was not a happy one, spent amid an atmosphere of paranoia, suspicion, and murder. Instability within the Julio-Claudian house, generated by uncertainty over the succession, led to a series of personal tragedies.

When Tiberius died on 16 March A.D. 37, Gaius was in a perfect position to assume power, despite the obstacle of Tiberius's will, which named him and his cousin Tiberius Gemellus joint heirs. (Gemellus's life was shortened considerably by this bequest, since Gaius ordered him killed within a matter of months.) Backed by the Praetorian Prefect Q. Sutorius Macro, Gaius asserted his dominance. He had Tiberius's will declared null and void on grounds of insanity, accepted the powers of the Principate as conferred by the Senate, and entered Rome on 28 March amid scenes of wild rejoicing. His first acts were generous in spirit: he paid Tiberius's bequests and gave a cash bonus to the Praetorian Guard, the first recorded donativum to troops in imperial history.

The ancient sources are practically unanimous as to the cause of Gaius's downfall: he was insane. The writers differ as to how this condition came about, but all agree that after his good start Gaius began to behave in an openly autocratic manner, even a crazed one. The sources describe his incestuous relations with his sisters, laughable military campaigns in the north, the building of a pontoon bridge across the Bay at Baiae, and the plan to make his horse a consul. Their unanimous hostility renders their testimony suspect, especially since Gaius's reported behavior fits remarkably well with that of the ancient tyrant, a literary type enshrined in Greco-Roman tradition centuries before his reign. Further, the only eye-witness account of Gaius's behavior, Philo's Embassy to Gaius, offers little evidence of outright insanity, despite the antagonism of the author, whom Gaius treated with the utmost disrespect.

The conspiracy that ended Gaius's life was hatched among the officers of the Praetorian Guard, apparently for purely personal reasons. It appears also to have had the support of some senators and an imperial freedman. As with conspiracies in general, there are suspicions that the plot was more broad-based than the sources intimate, and it may even have enjoyed the support of the next emperor Claudius, but these propositions are not provable on available evidence. On 24 January A.D. 41 the praetorian tribune Cassius Chaerea and other guardsmen caught Gaius alone in a secluded palace corridor and cut him down. He was 28 years old and had ruled three years and ten months.

Whatever damage Tiberius's later years had done to the carefully crafted political edifice created by Augustus, Gaius multiplied it a hundredfold. When he came to power in A.D. 37 Gaius had no administrative experience beyond his honorary quaestorship, and had spent an unhappy early life far from the public eye. He appears, once in power, to have realized the boundless scope of his authority and acted accordingly. For the elite, this situation proved intolerable and ensured the blackening of Caligula's name in the historical record they would dictate. The sensational and hostile nature of that record, however, should in no way trivialize Gaius's importance. His reign highlighted an inherent weakness in the Augustan Principate, now openly revealed for what it was -- a raw monarchy in which only the self-discipline of the incumbent acted as a restraint on his behavior. That the only means of retiring the wayward princes was murder marked another important revelation: Roman emperors could not relinquish their powers without simultaneously relinquishing their lives.

Copyright © 1997, Garrett G. Fagan.
Published: De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and their Families http://www.roman-emperors.org/startup.htm. Used by permission.

Ancient Smyrna

The 5,000 year-old city of Izmir is one of the oldest cities of the Mediterranean basin. The original city was established in the third millennium BC (at present day BayraklÄ±), at which time it shared with Troy the most advanced culture in Anatolia.

Greek settlement is attested by the presence of pottery dating from about 1000 BC. In the first millennium BC Izmir, then known as Smyrna, ranked as one of the most important cities of the Ionian Federation. During this period, it is believed that the epic poet Homer resided here.

Lydian conquest of the city around 600 BC brought this golden age to an end. Smyrna was little more than a village throughout the Lydian and subsequent sixth century BC Persian rule. In the fourth century BC a new city was built on the slopes of Mt. Pagos (Kadifekale) during the reign of Alexander the Great. Smyrna's Roman period, beginning in the first century BC, was its second great era.

In the first century AD, Smyrna became one of the earliest centers of Christianity and it was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Both Revelation and the Martyrdom of Polycarp indicate the existence of a Jewish community in Smyrna as early as the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The letter to the church at Smyrna in Revelation indicates that the Christians were spiritually "rich" and apparently in conflict with the Jews (2:9).

The origins of the Christian community there, which was established in the 1st century, are unknown. Ignatius of Antioch stopped at Smyrna on his way to martyrdom in Rome in 107 AD, and he sent a letter back to the Christians there from later in his journey. Smyrna's bishop, Polycarp, was burned at the stake in Smyrna's stadium around 156 AD.

Byzantine rule came in the fourth century and lasted until the Seljuk conquest in 11th century. In 1415, under Sultan Mehmed Çelebi, Smyrna became part of the Ottoman Empire.

The city earned its fame as one of the most important port cities of the world during the 17th to 19th centuries. The majority of its population were Greek but merchants of various origins (especially Greek, French, Italian, Dutch, Armenian, Sephardi and Jewish) transformed the city into a cosmopolitan portal of trade. During this period, the city was famous for its own brand of music (Smyrneika) as well as its wide range of products it exported to Europe (Smyrna/Sultana raisins, dried figs, carpets, etc.).

Today, Izmir is Turkey's third largest city and is nicknamed "the pearl of Aegean." It is widely regarded as the most Westernized city of Turkey in terms of values, ideology, gender roles, and lifestyle.
© 2005-08 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/izmir-history.htm

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.Cleisthenes

Adramyteion, MysiaAdramyteion in Mysia, 200-150 BC.,

Obv.: head of Zeus left.
Rev.: AΔP-A-M-VTHN-ΩN , horseman riding right, hand raised.
ANS 1944.100.42406 ; cf. Sear GC 3805

Adramyteion, is located on the western coast of Turkey. Today Burhaniye, it was previously named Kemer, ("aquaduct"), after a nearby aquaduct which has since been demolished. ecoli

AE 18 Pergamum, Mysia, bronze Bronze AE 18, RPC I 2374; SNG BnF 1964; BMC Mysia p. 134, 205; SGICV 4910; SNG Cop -, F, dark green patina, reverse off center, Pergamon (Bergama, Turkey) mint, weight 4.116g, maximum diameter 18.3mm, die axis 0o, c. 40 - 60 A.D.; obverse Θ EON CYN-KΛHTON, draped bust of the Senate right; reverse ΘEAN PWMHN, turreted and draped bust of Roma rightNORMAN K

AE provincial, Saitta, Lydia (Sidas Kaleh, Turkey), Senate/River-God (mid-2nd to early 3d century AD) IÐ„Î¡A - [CYNKÎ›HTOC], bare-headed youthful draped bust of Senate right / CAIT[THNÎ©N] + [Ð„PMOC] in exergue, River-God Hermos reclining left, holding reed and cornucopiae, resting arm on urn (hydria) from which waters flow.

Ó” (base metal yellow, orichalcum?), 22 mm, 5.68 g, die axis 6.5h (coin alignment)

It is difficult to read the name of the river. I think that Ð„PMOC is more likely, but VÎ›Î›ÎŸÐ¡ is also possible, representing the other important local river, Hyllos.

Possible catalog references are BMC Lydia 25 (or 26-27?), SNG Copenhagen 398, SNG München 439.
For the Hyllos reverse, Leypold 1153.

To emphasize the autonomy of certain Hellenistic polises, even under the Roman rule they sometimes used allegorical figures of Senate or Demos on obverses of their coins instead of imperial portraits. Saitta was issuing similar-looking coins with busts of emperors and their family as well, but in this issue the town Senate is honoured as the ruler. IÐ„Î¡A CYNKÎ›HTOC = Holy Senate. CAITTHNÎ©N = Saitta, Ð„PMOC = Hermos, the name of the river and its god.

River-Gods or Potamoi (Î Î¿Ï„Î±Î¼Î¿Î¯) were the gods of the rivers and streams of the earth, all sons of the great earth-encirling river Okeanos (Oceanus) and his wife Tethys. Their sisters were the Okeanides (Oceanids), goddesses of small streams, clouds and rain, and their daughters were the Naiades, nymphs of springs and fountains. A River-God was depicted in one of three forms: as a man-headed bull; a bull-horned man with the tail of a serpentine-fish in place of legs; or as a reclining man with an arm resting upon a pitcher pouring water, which we see in this case. The addition of cornucopia symbolizes the blessings that a particular river bestows on those who live near it.

Saitta or Saittae (Î£Î±Î¯Ï„Ï„Î±Î¹, Ptolemy 5.2.21: Î£ÎÏ„Ï„Î±Î¹, Î£Î¬ÎµÏ„Ï„Î±Î¹) was a polis in eastern Lydia (aka Maeonia), in the rivers' triangle between the upper Hyllus (modern Demirci ÇayÄ±, c. 12 km to the west) and the Hermus or Hermos (modern Gediz Nehri, c. 20 km to the south). In Roman imperial times it belonged to the "conventus" of Sardis in the Roman province of Asia (conventus was a territorial unit of a Roman province, mostly for judicial purposes).

Now its ruins are known now as Sidas Kaleh or Sidaskale in Turkey, near the village of Ä°çikler (Ä°cikler Mahallesi, 45900 Demirci/Manisa). They were never excavated, so are little known or cared for. Ruins of a stadium and a theatre survive, together with remains of some temples and tombs.

Not much is known about it. It was a regional centre for the production of textiles. In 124 AD the town was probably visited by emperor Hadrianus. During the Roman period the cult of the moon god MÄ“n Axiottenus was very popular in the city. Because of its reference to "angels" (both literally as the Greek word and by their function as god's messengers) it was possibly close to the more general Asia Minor cult of Theos Hypsistos, Î˜ÎµÎ¿Ï‚ á½•ÏˆÎ¹ÏƒÏ„Î¿Ï‚, "the highest god" (200 BC – 400 AD), which in turn was perhaps related to the gentile following of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Known Roman provincial coins issued by this city feature portraits of emperors from Hadrian to Gallienus, thus covering the period from 117 to 268 AD, with the peak around the Severan dynasty. The semi-autonomous issues are usually dated from mid-2nd to mid-3d century AD.

Later Saittae was the seat of a Byzantine bishopric. Bishop Limenius signed the Chalcedon Creed, while Bishop Amachius spoke at the Council of Chalcedon. Although an Islamic area now, Saittae remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.Yurii P

Aiolis, ElaiaSear 4203 var. (size), SNG Kayhan 83; SNG Copenhagen 169; SNG von Aulock 1605.

AE unit, struck ca. ca 350-320 BC., 1.30 g., 11.18 mm. max., 90°

Obv.: Head of Athena left, wearing crested Corinthian helmet.

Rev.: E-[Î›], corn grain within olive wreath.

Elaia was the port of Pergamum; the site is not precisely determined but is near Zeytindag, Izmir Province, Turkey.Stkp

Aiolis, Kyme. (Circa 2nd century B.C.) AE 16, 3.74 g

Obverse: Artemis standing right, holding long torch, clasping hands with the Amazon Kyme, standing left, holding short transverse scepter

Reverse: Two figures, Apollo and Kyme, in crested helmets and military garb, Apollo holding lance or long spear, standing in slow quadriga right.

Grose:7908; SNG von Aulock 7698; SNG München 512; SNG Copenhagen 113.

Kyme was an Aeolian city in Aeolis (Asia Minor) close to the kingdom of Lydia. The Aeolians regarded Kyme as the largest and most important of their twelve cities, which were located on the coastline of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Little is known about the foundation of the city to supplement the traditional founding legend. According to legend, it was founded by the Amazon Kyme. Nathan P

alex004b2_2Elagabalus
Alexandria, Troas

Obv: ANTONINV-S PIVS AV, laureate cuirassed bust right, seen from rear.
Rev: COL ALEX →AVG, horse grazing right.
23 mm, 8.23 gms

RPC Online 3962variant (bust type); SNG Turkey Canakkale 293.

Purchased from Ares Numismatics Web Auction 7, lot 317.Charles M

Alexander III , The Great Drachm Miletos mint.Silver Drachm,
Miletos (near Balat, Turkey) mint, struck under Philoxenos, c. 325 - 323 B.C.
Obverse :head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck.
Reverse: Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on backless throne, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, right leg forward (lifetime style), eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, thunderbolt left, AΛEΞANΔPOY downward behind, ΔΗ monogram under throne.
Price 2088, Müller Alexander 11, SNG Alpha Bank 627.

The Sam Mansourati Collection./Given as a souvenir to a superb dear friend Dr. Joseph Diaz.2 commentsSam

Alexander III The Great Drachm Miletos mint Silver Drachm,
Miletos (near Balat, Turkey) mint, struck under Philoxenos, c. 325 - 323 B.C.
Obverse :head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck.
Reverse: Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on backless throne, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, right leg forward (lifetime style), eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, thunderbolt left, AΛEΞANΔPOY downward behind, ΔΗ monogram under throne.
Price 2088, Müller Alexander 11, SNG Alpha Bank 627.

The Sam Mansourati Collection./Given as a souvenir to a superb dear friend Dr. Joseph Diaz.Sam

ALEXIUS I AE Tetarteron SR- Unlisted DOC 41Monogram of Alexius. Rev Bust of Emperor wearing stemma divitision and jewelled loros of traditional type holds in r. hand jewlled sceptre and in l. gl. cr. 15/17mm

VERY RARE!- Only one known in a major collection located in Istanbul Turkey. DOC mentions and includes the type in the catalog but does not have one in inventory. A key piece for this collection.1 commentsSimon

Amastris, PaphlagoniaAncient Greek City Issue
Amastris, Paphlaognia
(Under Reign of Mithridates VI 'the Great' of Pontus)

Obverse: Aegis with facing head of gorgon in middle

Reverse: Nike advancing right, palm across shoulders, AMAΣ-TPEΩΣ in fields

Bronze Unit (20mm, 7.1g)
Minted in Amastris 85-65BC

Reference: SNG Copenhagen 246

Translations and explanations:

Amastris was founded circa 300BC by a Persian princess of the same name, niece of King Darius III and is now Amasra in modern day Turkey.

Mithridates VI was a thorn in Rome's side for 40 years until finally being defeated by Pompey the Great.

An aegis is the shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena.

Nike is the Greek god of victory.

AMAΣTPEΩΣ means 'of the Amastrians'.

Sphinx357

Amisos SNG 1161Obv head of Ares right in crested helmet
Rev: AMI−ΣOY, sword in sheath with strap, star in crescent upper left, monogram lower left, IB upper right
Mint: Amisos (Samsun, Turkey) mint, c. 120 - 63 B.C.
Size: 9.707 g, 18.7 mm, die axis 0o
Ids: BMC Pontus p. 17, 48; SNG BM 1161; SNG Stancomb 679 var. (2nd monogram right); SGCV II 3643; HGC 7 241
Notes: flan adjustment marksickster

Amisos SNG 1177Obv: aegis with facing head of Medusa (gorgoneion) in center
Rev: Nike advancing right, holding palm frond across shoulders behind, AMI−ΣOY divided across field, monogram (control) lower right
Mint: Amisos (Samsun, Turkey) mint, c. 105 - 85 B.C.
Size: 7.498 g, 21.0 mm, die axis 0o
Ids: SNG BM 1177 ff.; BMC Pontus p. 19, 69 ff.; HGC 7 242 (various controls)ickster

Amisos SNG BM 1200Obv: head of Dionysos right (with features of Mithradates VI), wearing ivy-wreath
Rev: AMIΣOY, cista mystica, on which rests panther skin and thyrsos, no monograms
Mint: Amisos (Samsun, Turkey) mint, c. 85 - 65 B.C.
Size: 8.097 g, 19.8 mm, die axis 0o
Ids: SNG BM 1200; BMC Pontus, p. 17, 52; Rec Gen p. 65, 24; SGCV II 3640; HGC 7 243ickster

Amisos SNG BM 1209Obv: head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath
Rev: reverse AMIΣOY, cista mystica, on which rests panther skin and thyrsos, monograms left and upper right
Mint: Amisos (Samsun, Turkey) mint, c. 100 - 80 B.C.
Size: 7.596 g, 20.7 mm, die axis 45o,
Ids: SNG BM 1209; SNG Stancomb 699; SNGvA 60; BMC Pontus, p. 18, 56; Rec Gen p. 65, 24; SGCV II 3640; HGC 7 243ickster

Amisos, Pontos, 120 - 63 B.C.Bronze AE 19, BMC Pontus p. 17, 48; SNG BM 1161; SNG Stancomb 679 var (2nd monogram right); SGCV II 3643, aVF, Amisos (Samsun, Turkey) mint, weight 7.612g, maximum diameter 19.1mm, die axis 0o, c. 120 - 63 B.C.; obverse head of Ares right in crested helmet; reverse AMI−ΣOY, sword in sheath with strap, star in crescent upper left, monogram lower left, IB upper right;Platon

Antioch AE3 310-311 A.D.Mint of Antioch (Antakya, Turkey), 5th officina
Obv: GENIO ANTIOCHENI. Tyche of Antioch seated facing, river-god swimming at feet.
Rev: APOLLONI SANCTO. Apollo standing left pouring from patera and holding lyre; in field right: E; in ex: SMA. Ginolerhino

Antiochos II TheosAR Tetradrachm (28mm, 16.90 g, 1h). Lysimacheia mint. Diademed head right / Apollo Delphios, testing arrow and placing hand on grounded bow, seated left on omphalos; monograms to outer left and in exergue. SC 483.7; Le Rider, Lysimachie, Group 2, dies D1/R4; HGC 9, 236a; CSE 660 (same dies).ThatParthianGuy

Ariobarzanes III Athena Cappadocian KingdomAriobarzanes III Eusebes Philoromaios, Cappadocian Kingdom, Silver Drachm, Mazaka-Eusebeia (Kayseri, Turkey) mint, 3.549g, 17.1mm, die axis 0o, 44 - 43 B.C., Simonetta p. 44, 1b; BMC Galatia p.
42, 1; Simonetta Collection p. 147, 2; SNGvA 6326 var. (monogram); HGC 7 852 (R2); SNG Cop -,

OBV: head right, with short hair and beard
REV: BAΣIΛEΩΣ APIOBAPZANOY EYΣEBOYΣ KAI ΦIΛOΠΩMIOY, Athena Nikephoros standing left, Nike offering wreath in right hand,
spear and grounded shield behind in left, star in crescent with horns up lower inner left,
monogram upper inner right, Θ (year 9) in exergue (off flan)

RARE

Ariobarzanes was an ally of Pompey, but after their defeat Julius Caesar received him well and kept his position.
He later refused to aid Cassius. Caesar's assassins declared him a traitor, invaded Cappadocia and executed him.

EX: Errett Bishop Collection
EX: Forvm Ancient Coins
SRukke

Aristotle, 384-322 B.C.Aristotle was born in Stagira in north Greece, the son of Nichomachus, the court physician to the Macedonian royal family. He was trained first in medicine, and then in 367 he was sent to Athens to study philosophy with Plato. He stayed at Plato's Academy until about 347. Though a brilliant pupil, Aristotle opposed some of Plato's teachings, and when Plato died, Aristotle was not appointed head of the Academy. After leaving Athens, Aristotle spent some time traveling, and possibly studying biology, in Asia Minor (now Turkey) and its islands. He returned to Macedonia in 338 to tutor Alexander the Great; after Alexander conquered Athens, Aristotle returned to Athens and set up a school of his own, known as the Lyceum. After Alexander's death, Athens rebelled against Macedonian rule, and Aristotle's political situation became precarious. To avoid being put to death, he fled to the island of Euboea, where he died in 322 B.C.

Aristotle is said to have written 150 philosophical treatises. The 30 that survive touch on an enormous range of philosophical problems, from biology and physics to morals to aesthetics to politics. Many, however, are thought to be "lecture notes" instead of complete, polished treatises, and a few may not be the work of Aristotle but of members of his school.

A full description of Aristotle's contributions to science and philosophy is beyond the scope of this gallgery. Suffice it to say that Aristotle became virtually lost to Western Civilization during the so-called "dark ages." In the later Middle Ages, Aristotle's work was rediscovered and enthusiastically adopted by medieval scholars. His followers called him Ille Philosophus (The Philosopher), or "the master of them that know," and many accepted every word of his writings -- or at least every word that did not contradict the Bible -- as eternal truth. Fused and reconciled with Christian doctrine into a philosophical system known as Scholasticism, Aristotelian philosophy became the official philosophy of the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, some scientific discoveries in the Middle Ages and Renaissance were criticized simply because they were not found in Aristotle. It is one of the ironies of the history of science that Aristotle's writings, which in many cases were based on first-hand observation, were used to impede observational science.

"Mine is the first step and therefore a small one, though worked out with much thought and hard labor. You, my readers or hearers of my lectures, if you think I have done as much as can fairly be expected of an initial start. . . will acknowledge what I have achieved and will pardon what I have left for others to accomplish," Aristotle.

See: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/aristotle.html hosted by the University of California, Berkeley Museum of Paleontology.
Cleisthenes

Aspendos, Pamphylia, 370 - 333 B.C.With the influence of the Olympics games.

Obverse : two wrestlers, the left one holds the wrist of his opponent with his right and right forearm with his left hand, KI between their legs.

Reverse : EÎ£TÎ¦Eâˆ†IIYÎ£ on left, slinger, wearing short chiton, discharging sling to right, triskeles on right with feet clockwise,

Extremely fine Silver Stater . Weight: 10.62 g. Max Diameter: 23 mm. Mint : Aspendos (in our days , Antalya province of Turkey)
SNG France 104. Struck from fresh , artistic and well executed dies.

Historical and Numismatic Note:

Pamphylia (/pæmËˆfÉªliÉ™/) was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (modern-day Antalya province, Turkey).

Aspendos or Aspendus (Greek: á¼ŒÏƒÏ€ÎµÎ½Î´Î¿Ï‚) was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. Aspendos is about 40 km east of Antalya, Turkey about 16 km inland on the Eurymedon River. In 546 B.C. it fell to Persia. After a Persian defeat in 467, the city joined the Attic-Delos Maritime League. Persia took it again in 411 B.C., Alexander in 333 B.C., and Rome in 190 B.C. Although often subject to powerful empires, the city usually retained substantial autonomy.

The Sam Mansourati Collection. NO. AGAP 3121.

2 commentsSam

Aspendos, Pamphylia.Circa 380/75-330/25 BC.
With the influence of the Olympics games , Silver Stater.
Obverse : Two wrestlers grappling; LÎ¦ between, below.
Reverse : Slinger in throwing stance right; EÎ£TFEÎ”IIYÎ£ to left, counterclockwise triskeles of legs to right , Small eagle's head banker mark.
Mint : Aspendos (in our days , Antalya province of Turkey).
Ref ; Tekin Series 4; Arslan & Lightfoot 61–72 (same dies); Izmir 413 (same dies); SNG von Aulock 4565; SNG France 105 (same obv. die); SNG Copenhagen 227.
Extremely fine . 10.86 Gr . Max Dia 23 mm . Struck from fresh , artistic and well executed dies.

The Sam Mansourati Collection.
3 commentsSam

Bronze age monumental bas-relief of Warpalawas, king of Tyana (on right), praying to the sky/storm god Tarhunta (on left).Teshub was the Hurrian god of sky, thunder, and storms. Taru was the name of a similar Hattic Storm God, whose mythology and worship as a primary deity continued and evolved through descendant Luwian and Hittite cultures. In these two, Taru was known as Tarhun / Tarhunt- / Tarhuwant- / Tarhunta, names derived from the Anatolian root *tarh "to defeat, conquer." Tarhunta was assimilated into and identified with the Hurrian Teshub by the religious reforms of Muwatalli II, ruler of the Hittite New Kingdom in the early 13th century BCE. Teshub reappears in the post-Hurrian cultural successor kingdom of Urartu as Tesheba, one of their chief gods; in Urartian art he is depicted standing on a bull. The depiction on this coin is from a monumental relief found at Tyana, an ancient city in the Anatolian region of Cappadocia, in modern Kemerhisar, Niğde Province, Central Anatolia, Turkey. It was the capital of a Luwian-speaking Neo-Hittite kingdom in the 1st millennium BC.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tarhunta_Warpalawas_IstArchMu.jpg
Photographer: QuartierLatin1968Joe Sermarini

Byzantine Anonymous Follis of Christ, Class A3, Basil II & Constantine VIII, c. 1023 - 11 November 1028 A.D.Bronze anonymous follis, Anonymous follis of Christ, class A3; SBCV 1818; Grierson ornaments 24a, gVF, well centered, excellent portrait detail but nose a bit flat, attractive toned bare metal, a few scratches, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, weight 9.833g, maximum diameter 27.5mm, die axis 180o, c. 1023 - 11 Nov 1028 A.D.; obverse + EMMANOVHL, facing nimbate bust of Christ, two pellets in each arm of the cross, pallium and colobium, holding gospels with both hands, to left IC, to right XC; reverse + IhSuS / XRISTuS / bASILEu / bASILE (Jesus Christ King of Kings), ornaments above and below legend;

The emperor's name and portrait are not part of the design on the Byzantine types referred to as anonymous folles. Instead of the earthly king, these coins depict Jesus Christ, King of Kings.

FORVM Ancient Coins.

*A spectacular artistic portrait of Christ.

*A fine masterpiece of one of the very early portraits of Christ according to Saint Veronica 's Veil, and to the Artist view of Christ from that Veil, with the limited given objects, the Artist smartly chosen the artistic dies, and that is why all Byzantine art is made with artistic faces and objects.
This type of coins, struck for big occasion like Christ birthday and crucifixion, and Imperial inauguration to remind the new Byzantine emperor that there is higher power than his, power of Christ word of LOVE. King of kings, written in Ancient Greek on the reverse of this memorial strike.
+ IhSuS / XRISTuS / bASILEu / bASILE (Jesus Christ King of Kings)
With + EMMANOVHL around Christ on the obverse.

The Sam Mansourati Collection.
Given as a souvenir to a great man, a dear friend and brother Rev. Robert E. Burnock , on 2/18/2020.2 commentsSam

Byzantine Empire, Constans II, September 641 - 15 July 668 A.D.Gold solidus, DOC II-2 Heraclonas 1c (not in the coll., refs. T.), Hahn MIB 3a, Tolstoi 13, Sommer 12.1, SBCV 936, Wroth BMC -, Morrison BnF -; Ratto -, VF, well centered, double strike, some legend weak, light scratches and bumps, 8th officina, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, weight 4.479g, maximum diameter 20.6mm, die axis 180o, Sep 641 - 642/644 A.D.; obverse d N CONSTANTINYS P P AVG, crowned and cuirassed beardless bust facing, small head, wearing chlamys, crown ornamented with cross on circlet, globus cruciger in right hand; reverse VICTORIA AVGY H, cross potent on three steps, CONOB in exergue.

FORVM / The Sam Mansourati Collection.

In 641, when Heraclius died, he was succeeded by his sons Constantine III and Heracleonas. When Constantine III died after only a few months, the Byzantine people suspected that Heracleonas had poisoned him. Heracleonas was deposed, mutilated and banished. Constans II, the son of Constantine III, became emperor. This type is attributed to Heraclonas in DOC II-2 and Morrison BnF but today it is accepted as the first issue of Constantine II.
5 commentsSam

Byzantine Empire, Justin IBronze follis, AE32, 16.61 grams, 180 degrees
518 - 527 AD

O: D N IVSTINVS P P AVG, diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right

R: large M (40 nummi) between two stars, cross above, a (1st officina) below, NIKM (Nicomedia) in exergue

Ref: DOC I 28a, Wroth BMC 51, Ratto 416, Tolstoi 42, Hahn MIB I 35, Sommer 2.26, Berk 65, SBCV 83, Morrisson BnF I 2/Ni/AE/01 var. (2nd officina)

Notes: minted 518-522 AD, aVF, centered, olive patina, earthen deposits, light marks, small edge splits, Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint

Ex-Forum Ancient Coins, ex- Ray Nouri CollectionVirgil H

Byzantine Empire, Justin II15 November 565 - 5 October 578 A.D.
Bronze pentanummium, 13.9mm, 1.529g, 0 degrees

O: IVΣTINOY KAI COΦIAC (Justin and Sophia) monogram

R: Large E (5 nummi), smaller N (Nikomedia) right

Ref: DOC I 116, Sommer 5.30, Morrisson BnF 5/Ni/AE/41, Wroth BMC 425 (Justinian), Tolstoi 479 (same), Ratto 748 (same), SBCV 371, Sommer 5.30

Notes: aVF, well centered, spots of corrosion, earthen deposits, tiny edge cracks, Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey) mint

Ex-Forum Ancient Coins, ex-Errett Bishop Collection;Virgil H

Byzantine, Romanus III Gold HistamenonRomanus III Argyrus (12 Nov 1028 - 11 Apr 1034 CE), Gold Histamenon Nomisma, DOC III-2 1d, Morrisson BnF 43/Cp/AV/01, Ratto 1972, Sommer 43.2.2, SBCV 1819, Wroth BMC 2, coronation issue, EF, plain edge, weight 4.45g (AGW 0.1401oz), composition 0.979 Au, diameter 25.0mm, thickness 1.0mm, die axis 180°, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 12 Nov 1028 - 11 Apr 1034 CE; obverse + IҺS XIS RЄX-RЄϚNANTIҺm (Jesus Christ, King of Kings), Christ Pantokrator, bearded, enthroned facing on square-backed throne (Type IIa), with nimbus cruciger, wearing pallium and colobium, raising right hand in benediction and holding Book of Gospels by upper edge on left knee with left, pelleted double border surrounding; reverse ΘCЄ bOHΘ'-RωmAҺω (God-Bearer, help Romanus), MΘ (Mother of God) with macrons above centre, Virgin, nimbate, standing facing on right, wearing pallium and maphorium, raising left hand in benediction and crowning with right Romanus III, bearded, standing facing on left, wearing crown with cross and pendilia, sakkos and modified square pattern loros with four pellets on fold, holding right hand on breast and globus cruciger in left, pelleted double border surrounding; from the Roger Belmar Collection; ex Sovereign Rarities (1 Jan 2022); ex Roma Numismatics e-sale 90 (18 Nov 2021), lot 1497, acquired from European Collection; scarce; £1,200.00.

The image of Christ Pantokrator was one of the first images of Christ developed in the Early Christian Church and remains a central icon of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the half-length image, Christ holds the New Testament in his left hand and makes the gesture of teaching or of blessing with his right.3 commentsSerendipity

Caracalla RIC IV#224Caracalla. AD 198-217. AR Denarius (3,48g). Rome mint. Struck AD 212-213.
Ob..ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, Laureate bearded head right.
Rev..MONETA AVG, Moneta draped standing left, holding scales and cornucopia.
RIC IV 224; RSC 165.

Obverse Legend..
ANTONINVS PIVS - The Roman name he used
AVG - Augustus (Emperor).
BRIT - Britannicus (Conqueror of the Britains).
Reverse legend..
MONETA AVG - Money of the Emperor.
Note...Born in Lugdunum (Lyon), Gaul (France) on the 4th April 188AD to his father, the future Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211) and his mother Julia Domna (193-211). His birth name was Lucius Septimius Bassianus and at the age of 7 was renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, but is better known by his nickname of 'Caracalla' which derived from a Gallic hooded tunic he wore probably during the Rhine and Danube campaigns. He reigned from 198 - 217, Co-ruled with his father from 198-211 and with his younger brother Geta from 209-211. His father died in early February 211 leaving Caracalla and his brother Geta to co-rule. This didn't work out well and in late December of the same year Caracalla had his brother Geta murdered...Caracalla continued to rule for another 6 years until in April 217 whilst travelling to Carrhae in modern Turkey, he was stabbed to death by an irrate soldier named Justin Martialis. This was probably incited by Macrinus who held the position of Praetorian Prefect and would become the next Emperor.

Paul R3

Caria - HalikarnassosAR obol
5th cent BC
O - Forepart of goat leaping left, A before
R - Forepart of winged horse left
SNG Cop 336v, SNG Turkey I 768, SNG Keckman I 39

mauseus

Caria - MylassaAR tetartemorion
450-400 BC
O - Forepart of lion left
R - Bird left with two pellets in incuse square
SNG Turkey I 940-8v
mauseus

Caria - MylassaAR tetartemorion
c. 420-390 BC
O - Forepart of lion left with head turned back right
R - Bird left with two pellets in incuse square
SNG Turkey I 947-81 commentsmauseus

Caria - MylassaAR tetartemorion
c. 420-390 BC
O - Forepart of lion left with head turned back right
R - Bird right with two pellets in incuse square
SNG Turkey I 944-6mauseus

Caria Mylasa AR HemiobolCaria Mylasa 420-390 BC
AR Hemiobol 0.50 gm. Milesian standard
Head of roaring lion l
Forepart of lion facing, SNG Turkey I 8331 commentsb70

Caria or Ionia, c. 420 - 390 B.C., Silver tetartemorionCaria or Ionia, c. 420 - 390 B.C.
Silver tetartemorion, uncertain mint
0.231g, 6.4mm, 90°
Obv.: forepart of roaring lion left
Rev.: bird standing right within incuse square, pellet lower left and upper right
SNG Turkey I 940

ex FORVMareich

Caria, uncertainCirca 5th Century BC
AR Obol
8mm;.70g

Caria, uncertain
Forepart of roaring lion left / Bird in flight left, within incuse square.

SNG Turkey 980
Ex CNG2 commentsarizonarobin

Carrhae (Harran, Turkey) - Severus Alexander[... AΛEΞ]ANΔP[OC...] , laureate and draped bust of Severus Alexander left, holding shield
MHT. KO. KAPPHNωN ? Tyche of Carrhae seated left on rock, altar to the left, small river-god swimming at her feet.
Bronze, 23 mm

I am not sure this coin is from Carrhae : all Mesopotamian cities had the same veiled and seated Tyche (copied from the Tyche of Antioch) at the reverse of their coins.Ginolerhino

Carrhae in Mesopotamia, Septimius Severus, AE 24, Lindgren 2557Carrhae in Mesopotamia, Septimius Severus, AE 24, 193-211 AD
Av.: CEΠTIMIOC [CE]OY.... , naked (laureate?) bust of Septimius Severus right
Rv.: ..Λ]OY KAPPH ΛKA... , front view of a tetrastyle temple, the temple of the moon god Sin, in the middle a sacred stone on tripod, on top of stone: crescent, standards (with crescents on top) on both sides inside the building; another crescent in the pediment.
Lindgren 2557 ; BMC p. 82, #4

The city and the region played an important role in roman history.

Carrhae / Harran, (Akkadian Harrânu, "intersecting roads"; Latin Carrhae), an ancient city of strategic importance, an important town in northern Mesopotamia, famous for its temple of the moon god Sin, is now nothing more than a village in southeastern Turkey with an archeological site.
In the Bible it is mentioned as one of the towns where Abraham stayed on his voyage from Ur to the promised land. Abraham's family settled there when they left Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:31-32).
Inscriptions indicate that Harran existed as early as 2000 B.C. In its prime, it controlled the point where the road from Damascus joins the highway between Nineveh and Carchemish. This location gave Harran strategic value from an early date. It is frequently mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions about 1100 BC, under the name Harranu, or "Road" (Akkadian harrānu, 'road, path, journey' ).
During the fall of the Assyrian Empire, Harran became the stronghold of its lasts king, Ashur-uballit II, being besiged and conquered by Nabopolassar of Babylon at 609 BC. Harran became part of Median Empire after the fall of Assyria, and subsequently passed to the Persian Achaemenid dynasty.
The city remained Persian untill in 331 BC when the soldiers of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great entered the city.
After the death of Alexander on 11 June 323 BC, the city was claimed by his successors: Perdiccas, Antigonus Monophthalmus and Eumenes. These visited the city, but eventually, it became part of the Asian kingdom of Seleucos I (Nicator), the Seleucid empire, and capital of a province called Osrhoene (the Greek term for the old name Urhai).
The Seleucids settled Macedonian veterans at Harran. For a century-and-a-half, the town flourished, and it became independent when the Parthian dynasty of Persia occupied Babylonia. The Parthian and Seleucid kings both needed the buffer state of Osrhoene which was part of the larger Parthian empire and had nearby Edessa as its capital. The dynasty of the Arabian Abgarides, technically a vassal of the Parthian "king of kings" ruled Osrhoene for centuries.

Carrhae was the scene of a disastrous defeat of the Roman general Crassus by the Parthians. In 53 BC. Crassus, leading an army of 50.000, conducted a campaign against Parthia. After he captured a few cities on the way, he hurried to cross the Euphrates River with hopes of receiving laurels and the title of “Emperor”. But as he drove his forces over Rakkan towards Harran, Parthian cavalry besieged his forces in a pincers movement. In the ensuing battle, the Roman army was defeated and decimated. The battle of Carrhae was the beginning of a series of border wars with Parthia for many centuries. Numismatic evidence for these wars or the corresponding peace are for instance the "Signis Receptis" issues of Augustus and the “Janum Clusit” issues of Nero.
Later Lucius Verus tried to conquer Osrhoene and initially was successful. But an epidemic made an annexation impossible. However, a victory monument was erected in Ephesus, and Carrhae/Harran is shown as one of the subject towns.
Septimius Severus finally added Osrhoene to his realms in 195. The typical conic domed houses of ancient Harran can be seen on the Arch of Septimius Severus on the Forum Romanum.
Harran was the chief home of the moon-god Sin, whose temple was rebuilt by several kings. Sin was one of the great gods of the Assurian-Babylonian pantheon.
Caracalla gave Harran the status of a colonia (214 AD) and visited the city and the temple of the moon god in April 217. Meanwhile the moon god (and sacred stones) had become a part of the Roman pantheon and the temple a place to deify the roman emperors (as the standards on both sides of the temple indicate).

Caracalla was murdered while he was on his way from Temple to the palace. If this had been arranged by Macrinus - the prefect of the Praetorian guard who was to be the new emperor – is not quite clear. On the eighth of April, the emperor and his courtiers made a brief trip to the world famous temple of the moon god. When Caracalla halted to perform natural functions, he was assassinated by one of his bodyguards, Julius Martialis, who had a private grudge against the ruler, because he had not been given the post of centurion.

In 296 AD Roman control was again interrupted when nearby Carrhae the emperor Galerius was defeated by the king Narses / the Sasanid dynasty of Persia. The Roman emperor Julianus Apostata sacrificed to the moon god in 363 AD, at the beginning of his ill-fated campaign against the Sassanid Persians. The region continued to be a battle zone between the Romans and Sassanids. It remained Roman (or Byzantine) until 639, when the city finally was captured by the Muslim armies.

At that time, the cult of Sin still existed. After the arrival of the Islam, the adherents of other religions probably went to live in the marshes of the lower Tigris and Euphrates, and are still known as Mandaeans.
The ancient city walls surrounding Harran, 4 kilometer long and 3 kilometer wide, have been repaired throughout the ages (a.o. by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the sixth century), and large parts are still standing. The position of no less than 187 towers has been identified. Of the six gates (Aleppo gate, Anatolian, Arslanli, Mosul, Baghdad, and Rakka gate), only the first one has remained.

A citadel was built in the 14th century in place of the Temple of Sin. This lies in the south-west quarter of the ancient town. Its ruin can still be visited.

my ancient coin database
1 commentsArminius

Christ PantokratorDetail from the deesis mosaic in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul and histamenon (obverse) of Romanus III Argyrus with Christ enthroned.Serendipity

Cilicia, Augusta, Julia-Livia, RPC 4014Livia, wife of Augustus, AD 14-29
AE 19, 5.2g
struck AD 67/8 (year 48), in the time of Nero
obv. IOVLIA - SEBASTH
Bust of Livia, draped, r.; hair bound in small bun in the neck
rev. AYGOYSTA - NW - N DP (year 48)
Tyche, in long garment and wearing mural-crown, std. r. on ornated throne,
holding long grain-ears in both hands; at her feet river-god Saros swimming r.
RPC 4014; cf. SNG Paris 1893; cf. SNG Levante 1238; Karbach 25.1
very rare, about VF

Saros, today Seyhan river in TurkeyJochen

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum I (1226-1270) Nercessian 364, Bedoukian 1406

AE 24 mm kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint.

Obv: King seated on bench-like throne adorned with lions, holding globus cruciger in left hand and fleur-de-lys scepter in right, +ՀԵԹՈՒՄ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀԱՅՈ [Hetoum, Takavor Hayots = Hetoum, King of the Armenians].

Rev. Cross potent with lines in the quadrants, +ՇԻՆԵԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՆ Ի ՍԻՍ [Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis].Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum I (1226-1270)Nercessian 352, Bedoukian 1304

AE tank. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint. 6.96 g., 29.23 mm. max., 180°

Obv.: + ՀԵԹՈՒՄ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀԱՅՈՑ (=Hetowm Tagawor Hayots = Hetoum King of Armenians), King seated facing on a throne adorned with conventionalized lions, holding a scepter in the right hand and a globus cruciger in the left. Star in the field.

Rev.: ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ԳԱՂԱԳՍ Ի ՍԻՍ (= Shineal i kaghaks i Sis = Struck in the city of Sis), Potent cross with four stars in four quadrants and four pellets at the four cross arms.Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum II (1289-1293)Nercessian 400, Bedoukian 1622

AE kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint. 2.75 g., 20.81 mm. max., 270°

Obv.: + ՀԵԹՈՒՄ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ Հ• (= Hetowm Tagawor Hayots = Hetoum King of Armenians), king seated on pillow, holding a staff in right hand and cross (or globe) in left (ՈՐ ligature).

Rev.: + ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ԳԱՂԱԳՍ Ի ՍԻ (= Shineal i kaghaks i Sis = Struck in the city of Sis), Potent cross with four dots in four quadrants.Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum II (1289-1293)Nercessian 398, Bedoukian 1592

AE kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint. 3.73 g., 21.76 mm. max., 0°

Obv.: Crowned head of king with two curls, facing, + ՀԵԹՈՒՄ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀՍՅՈ (= Hetowm Tagawor Hayots = Hetoum King of Armenians).

Rev.: Ornate cross with two bars, + ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ԳԱՂԱԳՆ Ի ՍԻՍ (= Shineal i kaghaks i Sis = Struck in the city of Sis).Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Levon I, the Great (1199-1219)Vardanyan Group B; Nercessian 310 var. (rev. legend), Bedoukian 729 var. (obv. legend)

AE tank. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint. 7.91 g., 29.49 mm. max., 270°

Obv: + ԼԵՒՈՆ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀԱՅՒՈՑ (= Lewon Tagawor Haywots = Levon, King of Armenians), leonine head of the king, five [?] dots on the crown, pendilium and hair represented by two curls surmounted by a dot, short row of two vertical dots below; and the mane/beard by three parallel rows of dots.

Rev.: + ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՍ Ի ՍԻ [Type 1 letter Ք] (= Shineal i kaghakn i Sis = Struck in the city of Sis), patriarchal cross with five-pointed star on each side.

The sequence of issuance of the four groups is unknown.
Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Levon I, the Great (1199-1219)Vardanyan Group D; Nercessian 303 var. (rev. legend), Bedoukian 746 var. (rev. legend, per 737)

AE tank. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint. 7.14 g., 29.63 mm. max., 180°

Obv: + ԼԵՒՈՆ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀԱՅՒՈ (= Lewon Tagawor Haywots = Levon, King of Armenians), leonine head of the king, six dots on the crown, pendilium and hair represented by vertical row of three large dots; and the mane/beard by an irregular juxtaposition of smaller dots.

Rev: + ՇԻՆՍԼ Ի ՔԱՂՍՔՍ Ի ՍԻՍ [Type 4 letter Ք] (= Shineal i kaghakn i Sis = Struck in the city of Sis), patriarchal cross with six-pointed star on each side.

The sequence of issuance of the four groups is unknown.1 commentsStkp

Cilician Armenia. Levon I, the Great (1199-1219)Vardanyan Group C; Nercessian 304 var. (obv. legend), Bedoukian 720 var. (obv. legend)

AE tank. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint. 6.80 g., 28.19 mm. max., 180°

Obv: + ԼԵՒՈՆ ׀ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀԱՅՒՈՑ (= Lewon Tagawor Haywots = Levon, King of Armenians), leonine head of the king, seven dots on the crown, pendilium and hair represented by vertical row of six dots; and the mane/beard by a semi-irregular juxtaposition of dots.

Rev: + ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՍ Ի ՍԻՍ [Type 2 letter Ք] (= Shineal i kaghakn i Sis = Struck in the city of Sis), patriarchal cross with five-pointed star on each side.

There are three varieties of the obverse legend among the Group C coins in the collection of the History Museum of Armenia. The obverse legend on this coin, which bears a letter/symbol between the words ԼԵՒՈՆ and ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ, is not represented. This obverse letter variation is also not recorded in Bedoukian and Nercessian.

The sequence of issuance of the four groups is unknown.1 commentsStkp

Cilician Armenia. Levon III (1301-1307) Nercessian 432, Bedoukian 1821

AE 20 mm kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint.

Obv: King seated in oriental fashion, holding cross in right hand and staff in left, +ԼԵՒՆ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀԱՅ [Levon, Takavor Hayots = Levon, King of the Armenians].

Rev. Cross potent, +ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔ Ի Ս [Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis].

Note: ՈՐ ligature on obverse.Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Gosdantin IV (1365-1373)Nercessian 492, Bedoukian 2171a or 2173 var.

AR takvoran, Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint, 1.98 g., 20.95 mm. max., 270°.

Obv: King on horseback riding right, a mace extending over his shoulder, +ԿՈՍՏԸՆԴԻՆ ԹԱԳԱՌ ... (= Gosdantin [but spelled Gosdentin] King of the Armenians), field mark Լ between hind legs.

Rev. Lion walking right and facing, behind him an ornate cross, +ՇԻՆԱԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՆ Ի ՍԻՍ (Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis).Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Gosdantin/Constantine I (1298-1299)Nercessian 417-18 var., Bedoukian 1730

AE kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint. 1.99 g., 20.18 mm. max., 0°

Obv: King standing, facing, wearing royal vestments, holding cross in left hand and sword in right hand, +ԿՈՍՏԱՆԴ -- ԻԱՆՈՍ Թ[ԱԳ] with the ՈՍ ligate (= Gosdantin King).

Rev. Ornate cross with dots at ends of three of the arms, ՇԻՆԵԼ Գ[ԱՂ]ԱԳՆ ՍԻՍ Է (Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis).

Nercessian rarity for type 7R/rare (less than 62 known)

Gosdantin was one of the sons of Levon/Leo II (1270-1289). In 1296 his brother, King Hetoum II (1289-1303) placed Armenia under the regency of their brother Smpad, and traveled to Constantinople for the wedding of their sister to the Byzantine Emperor Michael IX Palaeologus. During his absence Smpad (1296-1298) usurped the throne with the aid of Gosdantin. Hetoum was imprisoned upon his return and was partially blinded. Gosdantin then turned against Smpad, usurped the throne for himself, imprisoned Smpad and freed Hetoum. In 1299, Hetoum ousted Gosdantin and again resumed the crown. Smpad and Gosdantin were imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Gosdantin ruled for less than a year.Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum I (1226-1270)Nercessian 364, Bedoukian 1415

AE kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint, 3.42 g., 22.14 mm. max.,270°

Obv: King seated on bench-like throne adorned with lions, holding globus cruciger in left hand and fleur-de-lys scepter in right, +ՀԵԹ[ՈՒՄ ԹԱԳԱՒ]ՈՐ ՀԱՅ [Hetoum, Takavor Hayots = Hetoum, King of the Armenians].

Rev. Cross potent with lines in the quadrants, +ՇԻՆ[ԵԼ Ի Ք]ԱՂԱՔՆ Ի ՍԻՍ [Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis].Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum I (1226-1270)Nercessian 363, Bedoukian 1394 or 1411-1412

AE kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint, 2.62 g., 21.63 mm. max.,180°

Obv: King seated on bench-like throne, holding globus cruciger in left hand and fleur-de-lys scepter in right, star in field, [+ՀԵԹ]ՈՒՄ ԹԱԳԱ[ՒՈՐ ՀԱՅՈՅ] (=Hetoum, Takavor Hayots = Hetoum, King of the Armenians].

Rev. Cross potent with crescent in first (upper right) quadrant and lines in the other quadrants, [+]ՇԻՆԵԱԼ [Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՆ Ի ՍԻՍ] (=Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis).Stkp

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum I (1226-1270)Nercessian 359 var., Bedoukian 1387-88 var.

AE (equestrian) kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint, 5.16 g., 23.19 mm. max.,90°

Obv: King on horseback facing right, wearing a crown and holding a scepter in his right hand which extends over his right shoulder, two dots in field, +[ՀԵԹՈՒՄ Թ]ԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀԱՅ (= Hetoum, Takavor Hayots = Hetoum, King of the Armenians).

Rev. Cross potent with lines in quadrants, + ՇԻՆԵԱԼ [Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՆ Ի] Ս (=Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis).
1 commentsStkp

Cilician Armenia. Hetoum II (1289-1293)Nercessian 401, Bedoukian 1642

AE 20 mm kardez. Sis (now Kozan, Turkey) mint.

Obv: King seated in oriental fashion on an invisible pillow or on floor. King's vestment is folded between two knees. Left hand raised holding cross and right hand holding mace which extends over his right shoulder, +[ՀԵԹ]ՈՒՄ ԹԱ[ԳԱ]Ւ [Hetoum, Takavor Hayots = Hetoum, King of the Armenians].

Rev. Cross potent, +[Շ]ԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ՍԻՍ [Shineal I Kaghakn I Sis = Struck in the City of Sis].Stkp

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