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Sidon










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     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. -- .................


View whole page from the |Dictionary Of Roman Coins|

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. -- .................


View whole page from the |Dictionary Of Roman Coins|