Sidon
| Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate. Sidon, or Zidon (now Seyde), a maritime city, in that part of Syria called Phoenicia, renowned for its great antiquity, being celebrated in history both sacred and profane. -- Sidon has its name from the son of Canaan, mentioned in Genesis (c. x. v. 15). The equally famous city of Tyre long contended with it for primacy. But as Isaiah (c. xxiii. v. 12) calls Tyre the "daughter of Zidon," thus confirming what Strabo says, that Sidon only, and not Tyre, was celebrated by Homer, the palm of antiquity must necessarily be yielded to Sidon. Its inhabitants were early famous for their naval power, insomuch that, according to Diodorus, they could send out a hundred gallies of the largest class. At length the opulence of this grand emporium of commerce became a prey to Persian cupidity. -- Falling afterwards under the sway of the Romans, Sidon was deprived of her long enjoyed dignity of a metropolis by Augustus. -- But Trajan, mindful of its ancient glory, reconstituted its pre-eminence in the Syrian province ; and at length this most ancient city was restored to its metropolitan rank, and made a Roman colony, by one utterly unworthy to hold the sceptre of imperial Rome, namely by Elagabalus, himself a Syrian by birth. These metropolitical rights, however, seem to have been soon abolished, for beyond the reign of Alexander Severus no coins assign that title to her. -- That Sidon was constituted a colony, with the distinctive appellation of Aurelia Pia, by Elagabalus is shown by the numerous coins struck in honour of himself and wives, of his mother and ants. -- The autonomous coins of this place, many of which have Phoenician legends, bear the heads of Syrian kings from Antiochus IV. to Demetrius III. Its imperial medals, with Greek legends, are from Augustus to Hadrian. The colonial are inscribed to Elagabalus, Julia Paula, Annia Faustina, and Julia Maesa, and also to Alexander severus. These all ahve Latin legends,
such as COL. MET. AVR. PIA. SIDON. Colonia Metropolis Aurelia Pia Sidon ; and on their reverses the features of the Greek and Roman are sinularly mingled with those of the Syrian and oriental superstitution. The following are the types found on coins of this colony, as given by Vaillant, whose work is rich in Latin medals of Sidon, and no less so in explanatory animadversions on the subjects to which the different types refer : -- Astarte. -- Among the numerous numismatic dedications made by the Sidonians to the Syrian Elagabalus and to members of his house, are first and second brass, bearing the legend of COL. AVR. PIA. METR. SID. (Colonia Aurelia Pia Metropolis Sidon), and exhibiting the effigy of theit favorite goddess, standing with her right hand placed on a trophy, and with her left holding a wand. A figure of Victory, placed on a column, extends to her a crown, and at the feet of Astarte is the figure of Silenus. -- On another first brass, inscribed to the same emperor, the same deity appears, and the same Victoriola, within a temple supported by four columns, but without the trophy. This type also appears on coins of Julia Paula. [The Sidonians, like their Tyrian neighbours and rivals paid supreme adoration to Astarte (see the word) ; and their city contained a temple erected to her honour. The goddess lays her hand on a trophy, in the same way as will be seen on the Tyrian money, and seemingly for the same purpose -- namely, to point at the various colonies established far and wide from Phoenicia, and in which trophies had been placed as tokens of conquest ; for which reason, perhaps, the small figure of Victory is made to offer a crown to Astarte, who holds the scipio, or a sceptre, her appropriate symbol, as queen of the place, loci regina.]
[Sidon, after having experience many changes of fortune, was at length made a colony, and the metropolis of Phoenicia, by Elagabalus. And he, having invested Alexander severus with the title and rank of Caesar, had this medal dedicated to him, in congratulation of the event, and especially in in remembrance of Alexander's victory over the Persian invaders of Syria. The Sidonians, therefore, adopted the deified hero as a type on their coins, perhaps in flattery to Alexander himself, as if he were another conqueror of the eastern world.]
Colonus agens boves. -- On the first brass of Elagabalus, the colonial priest drives his ploughteam of oxen, by whose side stands a vexillum, on which is inscribed LEG. III. PAR. -- Legio Tertia Parthica. -- On a similar reverse of Annia Faustina, the colonist extends his right hand, which holds a staff over the oxen. [The third legion had its appellation of Parthian conferred upon it by Sept. Severus ; and the military standard here inscribed with its name denotes that old soldiers from that legion were sent as a reinforcement to the Roman population of this colony. -- It appears that in order to supply the place of the many veterans who had fallen in the civil contests
between him and Pescennius and Albinus, and also to fulfill his determination of waging war against the Parthians, Seberus established three new legions, which, that he might give them a character for valour, as if they had already gained victories over the enemy, he called Parthicae. But having brought the war to a successful conclusion, he ordered the first and third of these newly formed legions to winter in Mesopotamia for the protection of that province. Subsequently, as many of the soldiers had completed their term of service, they were ordered by Elagabalus to be stationed in this colony of his own founding, not far remote from the place of their winter quarters.
Europa, riding on the back of a bull, holds with both hands a veil, which floats above her
head ; on a second brass of Elagabalus and of Annia Faustina, his third wife, the legend of this coin is C. A. PI. MET. SID., Colonia Aurelia Pia Metropolis Sidon. [Vaillant observes that this elegant type, representing the rape of Europa by Jupiter under the form of a bull, refers to the antiquity of Sidon. Bimard (ad Jobert. ii. 261) views it in the same light, in opposition to the conjecture of some writers, who contend that the young woman and the bull simply designate the united beauty and strength of the Sidonians, qualities for which they were by no means remarkable. -- .................
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Sidon
| Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate. Sidon, or Zidon (now Seyde), a maritime city, in that part of Syria called Phoenicia, renowned for its great antiquity, being celebrated in history both sacred and profane. -- Sidon has its name from the son of Canaan, mentioned in Genesis (c. x. v. 15). The equally famous city of Tyre long contended with it for primacy. But as Isaiah (c. xxiii. v. 12) calls Tyre the "daughter of Zidon," thus confirming what Strabo says, that Sidon only, and not Tyre, was celebrated by Homer, the palm of antiquity must necessarily be yielded to Sidon. Its inhabitants were early famous for their naval power, insomuch that, according to Diodorus, they could send out a hundred gallies of the largest class. At length the opulence of this grand emporium of commerce became a prey to Persian cupidity. -- Falling afterwards under the sway of the Romans, Sidon was deprived of her long enjoyed dignity of a metropolis by Augustus. -- But Trajan, mindful of its ancient glory, reconstituted its pre-eminence in the Syrian province ; and at length this most ancient city was restored to its metropolitan rank, and made a Roman colony, by one utterly unworthy to hold the sceptre of imperial Rome, namely by Elagabalus, himself a Syrian by birth. These metropolitical rights, however, seem to have been soon abolished, for beyond the reign of Alexander Severus no coins assign that title to her. -- That Sidon was constituted a colony, with the distinctive appellation of Aurelia Pia, by Elagabalus is shown by the numerous coins struck in honour of himself and wives, of his mother and ants. -- The autonomous coins of this place, many of which have Phoenician legends, bear the heads of Syrian kings from Antiochus IV. to Demetrius III. Its imperial medals, with Greek legends, are from Augustus to Hadrian. The colonial are inscribed to Elagabalus, Julia Paula, Annia Faustina, and Julia Maesa, and also to Alexander severus. These all ahve Latin legends,
such as COL. MET. AVR. PIA. SIDON. Colonia Metropolis Aurelia Pia Sidon ; and on their reverses the features of the Greek and Roman are sinularly mingled with those of the Syrian and oriental superstitution. The following are the types found on coins of this colony, as given by Vaillant, whose work is rich in Latin medals of Sidon, and no less so in explanatory animadversions on the subjects to which the different types refer : -- Astarte. -- Among the numerous numismatic dedications made by the Sidonians to the Syrian Elagabalus and to members of his house, are first and second brass, bearing the legend of COL. AVR. PIA. METR. SID. (Colonia Aurelia Pia Metropolis Sidon), and exhibiting the effigy of theit favorite goddess, standing with her right hand placed on a trophy, and with her left holding a wand. A figure of Victory, placed on a column, extends to her a crown, and at the feet of Astarte is the figure of Silenus. -- On another first brass, inscribed to the same emperor, the same deity appears, and the same Victoriola, within a temple supported by four columns, but without the trophy. This type also appears on coins of Julia Paula. [The Sidonians, like their Tyrian neighbours and rivals paid supreme adoration to Astarte (see the word) ; and their city contained a temple erected to her honour. The goddess lays her hand on a trophy, in the same way as will be seen on the Tyrian money, and seemingly for the same purpose -- namely, to point at the various colonies established far and wide from Phoenicia, and in which trophies had been placed as tokens of conquest ; for which reason, perhaps, the small figure of Victory is made to offer a crown to Astarte, who holds the scipio, or a sceptre, her appropriate symbol, as queen of the place, loci regina.]
[Sidon, after having experience many changes of fortune, was at length made a colony, and the metropolis of Phoenicia, by Elagabalus. And he, having invested Alexander severus with the title and rank of Caesar, had this medal dedicated to him, in congratulation of the event, and especially in in remembrance of Alexander's victory over the Persian invaders of Syria. The Sidonians, therefore, adopted the deified hero as a type on their coins, perhaps in flattery to Alexander himself, as if he were another conqueror of the eastern world.]
Colonus agens boves. -- On the first brass of Elagabalus, the colonial priest drives his ploughteam of oxen, by whose side stands a vexillum, on which is inscribed LEG. III. PAR. -- Legio Tertia Parthica. -- On a similar reverse of Annia Faustina, the colonist extends his right hand, which holds a staff over the oxen. [The third legion had its appellation of Parthian conferred upon it by Sept. Severus ; and the military standard here inscribed with its name denotes that old soldiers from that legion were sent as a reinforcement to the Roman population of this colony. -- It appears that in order to supply the place of the many veterans who had fallen in the civil contests
between him and Pescennius and Albinus, and also to fulfill his determination of waging war against the Parthians, Seberus established three new legions, which, that he might give them a character for valour, as if they had already gained victories over the enemy, he called Parthicae. But having brought the war to a successful conclusion, he ordered the first and third of these newly formed legions to winter in Mesopotamia for the protection of that province. Subsequently, as many of the soldiers had completed their term of service, they were ordered by Elagabalus to be stationed in this colony of his own founding, not far remote from the place of their winter quarters.
Europa, riding on the back of a bull, holds with both hands a veil, which floats above her
head ; on a second brass of Elagabalus and of Annia Faustina, his third wife, the legend of this coin is C. A. PI. MET. SID., Colonia Aurelia Pia Metropolis Sidon. [Vaillant observes that this elegant type, representing the rape of Europa by Jupiter under the form of a bull, refers to the antiquity of Sidon. Bimard (ad Jobert. ii. 261) views it in the same light, in opposition to the conjecture of some writers, who contend that the young woman and the bull simply designate the united beauty and strength of the Sidonians, qualities for which they were by no means remarkable. -- .................
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