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Coins of mythological interest

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Jochen:
Herakles with kantharos

There are rare depictions of Herakles showing him besides his usual attributes holding a kantharos, the typical attribute of Dionysos. This depiction we find in Imperial times at Smyrna for Domitian, Julia Mamaea, Julia Domna and Gordian III (I don't know wether this list is complete!). Here is my coin:

Ionia, Smyrna, Gordian III AD 238-244
AE 21, 5.69g
(without name of magistrate)
obv. A KM ANT - GORDIANOC
Bust, draped and cuirassed, laureate, r.
rev. CMVRNAIWN.G - NEWKORWN
Herakles, nude, stg. frontal, head l., holding club and lion-skin in l. arm, pouring from kantharos with r. hand
SNG von Aulock 2230; SNG München 3244; SNG Copenhagen 1397 (rev.); BMC Ionia, 445
rare, about VF/VF, oliv-green patina, usual light roughness

Mythology:
The story behind the depiction of this reverse plays in the time after the twelve labours, which Herakles had to do for Eurystheus (the so-called Dodekathlos). After having completed these labours he moved around the world performing heroic deeds everywhere. He rescued Prometheus, fighted against the Centaurs, defeated the Amazones, accompagnied the Argonauts and killed the Giant Antaios in Africa, to name only few of them.

At his journey he finally came to Spain after having digged (referring to some authors) the narrow passage between Africa and Europe and so connecting the Ocean with the Mediterrean (Diodor. Sic. I.c.c.17.18.p.157). During his journey the sun in Africa burnt so hard that due to his impatience he shot arrows to the sun. For this bold deed Apollo gave him a golden cup as a present which he used as ship and not only to go to Spain but to return back to Africa together with the raped cattle of the Sun-god. After that he gave the cup back to Apollo (Apollodor I.II.c.4.§10). This cup he is holding on some coins from Smyrna (Froel. sensam.p.355). The cup is seen on other monuments too but perhaps this may have different reasons.

Herakles and Dionysos:
Actually the kantharos beside the thyrsos  is the typical attribute of Dionysos. Now Herakles and Dionysos have a lot in common. Both are Half-Gods, who at last were incorporated in the circle of the Olympic gods. Both died and then rose from the dead. Therefore both were identified with Christ in later times. But here I will restrict on their relation to wine. Dionysos is known as cultivator of wine and for bringing the wine to the human beings all over the world.  But Herakles too was not an anti-alkoholist! So we know a coin where he is shown staggered drunk by wine and hold by two satyrs.

And then there is the famous drinking contest between Herakles and Dionysos. It doesn't belong to the classic deeds of Herakles but especially in the time of Hellenism this theme was very popular. There was found a famous mosaic in the house of atrium in Antioch from the 2nd century AD. God Dionysos is resting on a kline (a kind of couch), holding a drinking cup and the thyrsos. Beside him stands the dark-skinned Herakles with a wine-glass, his club leaning at his knees. Dionysos is accompagnied by a fluteplaying Mainad, the young satyr Komos and the old god Silen. The victorious Dionysos holds his cup upside-down to show that he has empted it first.

Background:
There is no known proof in mythology that Herakles had participated in the Dionysean thiasos; probably it is a hellenistic invention very popular in Imperial times, which was originated because of the well-known preference of the heroe for wine, his even proverbial dipsomania. In addition Dionysos and Herakles were children from mortal mothers and relative 'new' Olympics. This too is promoting a connection between both. The depiction of Herakles in a Dionysean context was popular during the entire Imperial time; a special meaning - f.e. for creating a new myth or an allusion to cult practices - can't deduced from these pictures. They expresse rather a common symbolic of happiness in the sense of an idea of paradisiacal conditions and of welfare where the presence of the drunk Herakles adds a humouristic note to all. The dipsomania and the unbridled appetite of Herakles were popular topoi of the comedy writers too, f.e. Aristophanes. 

The mosaic today is in the Worcester Museum in Worcester/Massachusetts, USA.

Sources:
Benjamin Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon
http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/2002/16/kap12.pdf

Best regards

moonmoth:
Referring to Jochen's post on Vejovis and Amalthea -

The figure on the obverse is wearing a wreath which seems to include berries.  I wonder what that is?  If it's an underworld figure it might not be the normal laurel.  Could it be mistletoe?

This coin is a slight variation of the one you showed, which has the caps of the dioscuri above instead of to each side.  Like Jochen's coin, the wreath on the obverse also has berry-like objects, though they are differently placed.

slokind:
The Mediterranean laurel, laurus nobilis, produces berries in the fall.  On some red-figured vases, where a band of laurel is used as a border pattern, the berries are included, usually placed decoratively rather than botanically.  See the Pronomos vase in Naples, which, so far from funerary, is theatrical in subject matter.  I don't know whether the berries, if in the noonday sun they fell onto one's toga or onto the street, are among those that make a mess and stain.  This is also the laurel that can be used in cooking and medicine.  The look-alikes (as in California, where I come from) are some of them poisonous, but it was the true laurel that was used in Greco-Roman antiquity.  Pat L.

Jochen:
Once more we learn that each closer look on the coins leads to new discoveries! Nice!

Now I want to contribute
Some notes on Pan

After getting the following coins with depictions of Pan I thought it should be time to read about Pan. Here are the results. I hope there is something new for the Forum members.

1. Coins:
Moesia inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Elagabal AD 218-222
AE 27, 13.03g
struck under legate Novius Rufus
obv. [AVT KM AVR] - ANTWNINOC (NO ligate)
bust, draped and cuirassed, laureate, r.
rev. VP NOB[IOV ROVF]OV NIKOPOLITWN PRO / C ICTRW
Pan, bearded, with horns and legs of goat, standing frontal, head r., treading
with l. foot on panther, laying on back to right; holding with r. hand lagobalon
over r. shoulder and nebris (pipe) in l. hand
AMNG 1933; Moushmov 1436
very rare, good F, bluegreen patina

This type seems to imitate the coins of Hadrianopolis where it occurs for Caracalla (Pick).

BTW
Lagobalon (lat. pedum) was a kind of boomerang for chasing small game (lagos, gr. hare).
The word 'panther' reminds of Pan but has a very different origin. It probably is of Persian origin like Pardalis (lat. panther). Here the panther seems to be a symbol for Pan as hunter of wild beasts.

Mythology:
Referring to some writers Pan was the son of Zeus and Hybris or Kallisto, or son of Hermes and Penelope or the Nymph Dryope. Some writers allude to two Pans (probably because he sometimes appears several herdsmen at the same time at different places!). He was raised by Nymphs in Arcadia especially by Sinoe. Short after his birth he ran away but was catched by Hermes who showed him to the Gods on he mountain Olympos who burst out laughing when they saw him and his buffoonery.

Arcadia was a rural, uncivilized region in Greece and so Pan was the God of mountains, sheep and herdsmen, of hunters too, and he liked to hunt. He was the leader of Nymphs who liked to dance around him. He loved to stay in caves. Siesta was hold sacred to him. Whom who happened to awake him he scared by shouting loudly so that he terrified ran away (therefore called 'panic'!).

He is depicted with horns, goat-feet, a tail and ram's-skin. So he reminds strong of the image we have of the Devil. But he should not be seen as theriomorphic god, as Animal-Human-God. Together with Zeus he defeated the Titans. For this battle he invented the Triton's horns as instruments for acoustic noise, gave these to his people and so put the Titans to flight. He was a companion of Dionysos and teached him to arrange his army in regiments and wings.

He was famouse because of his horniness. So he was after the herdsmen and mated with goats too. Especially he was after the Nymphs. Once he followed Syrinx who coming to the river Ladon could save herself only by transforming herself into reed. Because Pan couldn't see the right Syrinx reed he cut off several of them and bound them to a flute, the so-called Pan's-flute. With it he challenged Apollo with his lyre for a competition. But like Marsyas he was underlying by the arbitrage of the mountain god Tmolos. Apollo took away his flute and donated it later to Hermes. Another Nymph he was after was Echo known for her loquacity. She was said to be even his wife who bore Iynx to him, but later came to a bad end because of her love for Narkissos. Once he tried to rape the caste Pitys who could escape only by transforming herself into a pine. From that time on Pan wears a pine wreath on his head. His greatest success was the seduction of Selene, the Moon Goddess. He has seduced her by turning himself into a snow-white ram.

Pan is the only god who died in historic times. The news of his death came to Thamos a sailor whose ship was on a travel to Italy. A divine voice shouted across the sea: "Thamos, are you here´? If you come to Palodes announce there that the Grest God Pan is dead!". Thamos did so an at all coast rose crying and moaning. This occurs in the time of the emperor Tiberus. Plutarch - from whom we know this story - found the following explanation: The Egyptian Thamos has probably misunderstood the ceremonial moaning 'Thamos Pan-megas tethneke (= the infinite-great Tammuz is dead!)' as 'Thamos, the great Pan is dead!'. It was suggested that this story was invented only to frighten the superstitious Tiberius who has called Thamus at his court. In any case Pan was worshipped one century later all over Greece as Pausanias reports.

2. coin:
Makedonia, Antigonos II Gonatas ca. 319-239 BC.
AE 17, 5.65g
srruck 277-239 v.Chr.
obv. (anepigraphic)
        Head of Athena with crested Corinthian helmet, r.
rev. Pan, nude, stg. r., erecting tropaion, holding wreath in l. hand
       M in l. field, ANT between feet
cf. SNG Copenhagen 1208-1209 (different letters in l. field)
about VF, brown patina
Pedigree: ex Freeman & Sear

The revers reminds of the victory of Antigonos Gonatas over the Celts 277 BC.

This coin is not rare, but historical interesting. About the time of Antigonos Gonatas (277/6-240/39 BC) we don't know much. This time belongs to the the times which are the worst documented of the Greek history at all. But we know, that the reverse of this coins where Pan erects a tropaion is referring to the victory of Antigonos over the Celts at Lysimacheia 277 BC. In this battle it is said that Pan has appeared - as at Marathon or at Salamis - and has the Celts put in panic fear by his loud shouting. By this victory Antigonos could overwhelm Pyrrhos, Lysimachos and Ptolemaios Keraunos in Macedonia. Thus Macedonia after a time of disturbances got a time of calm and order again.

3. coin:
Thracia, Pantikapaion, struck under Perisad II 275-265 BC
AE 17, 3.71g
obv. (anepigraphic)
        Head of bearded Pan or Satyr, laureate, l.
rev.  P-A-N
       Head and neck of a bull with big eye, l.
SNG Cop. 32; SNG BM Black Sea 890-893; Anokhin Bosporous 132
about EF/EF

 A note from the consignor, a prolific writer on ancient history: "In Greek mythology, satyrs were half-man half-goat creatures who roamed the woods and fields, drinking wine, playing panpipes, and in constant search of nymphs. Attic painted vases depict them with snub noses, pointed goat ears, and long wavy hair, with mature satyrs often shown with goat's horns and full beards. Satyrs closely resembled Pan, the Greek god of shepherds and fields, and were his devout companions. Because of the physical similarity between the satyr and Pan, there has been a long numismatic debate on whether the emblematic head appearing on Pantikapaion coins represents Pan or a satyr. The more traditional interpretation is to view the character as Pan, a view bolstered by the usual presence of the word PAN on the coins. However Bosporous specialist David McDonald, expressing the opposing point of view, notes that the Russian numismatist A.N. Zograph, in his massive work Ancient Coins (published in Russian in 1951, but written prior to 1941), considered the image to be the head a satyr. Zograph (and later Anokhin in 1986) noted that the first coins with a satyr appeared in the region around 390 BC, during the rule of Satyros I (433-389?). Satyros the First was a local leader who conquered neighboring cities and introduced a centralized Bosporian state. The Russian numismatists speculate that the coins show a satyr which may commemorate Satyros. Jerzy Gorecki nicely sums up this point of view: 'Perhaps we should change the traditional interpretation of Pantikapaion->Pan into satyr->Satyros I.'"

Best regards

Jochen:
Miletos - founder of Milet

Mysia, Miletopolis, Gordian III, AD 238-244
AE 23, 6.40g
obv. A[V] M ANT GORDIANOC [AVG]
       bust, draped (and cuirassed?), laureate, r.
rev. KTIC[TH] - C MEILHTOC
      The heroe Miletos, in short military cloak, stg. frontal on prora(?), head r., raising r. hand
      and holding in l. hand spear and round shield
Franke, Griechische Münzen von Kleinasien, p.48, no.153 (only rev., but with different break)
extremely rare, about VF
Thanks to Pat Lawrence and Curtis Clay for the attribution and the legends!

Mythology:
When Europa was left by Zeus - on Crete he has created with her the sons  Minos, Rhadamanthy and Sarpedon - she married king Asterios of Crete. This marriage was childless. So Asterios adopted Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon and made them his heirs. When the brothers grow up they came into conflict about the love to a young beautiful boy named Miletos. This boy was created by Apollon with the nymph Aireia, who is called by others Deione or Theia. Miletos has elected Sarpedon who he loved most. Because of that he was expelled by Minos from Crete. With an important armada he sailed to Karia in Asia Minor and there he founded the city and the reign of Miletos.This region - called Anaktoria - was ruled since two generations by the giant Anax, son of Uranos and Gaia, and his son Asterios, a giant too. Miletos killed Asterios and buried the body on a small island near Lade, where his bones recently were excavated; he must be have a length at least of ten ells. But some writers say Minos have suspected Miletos of having planned to dethrone him and to seize the reign. Only his fear of Apollon has kept Minos from doing more bad to Miletos than only warning him. After that Miletos has fled to Karia unsolicited. Others claim that not Miletos but Atymnios, son of Zeus and Kassiopeia or Phoinix, has been the reason for the conflict.

In Miletos he married the king's daughter Eidothea who bore him twins, Byblis and Kaunos. Cp. Parthen. 11. The adolescent Byblis fell in passionate love to her brother Kaunos. Even though she knew of the unnatural aspect of her love she wrote a letter to him declaring her love. Kaunos was enraged and highly disgusted and to avoid further meetings with her he fled to the borders of Karia and Lykia and there he founded the city of Kaunos.

Background:
Miletos, who came frome Crete, is said to be the founder (or re-founder) of Miletos. Referring to Apollon. 3, 5 ff. he was the son of Apollon and Areia, daughter of king Kleochos (whose tomb was found in the sanctuary of Didyma near Miletos), he choosed Sarpedon as lover against Minos and had to flee. Referring to Nikandros (Anton. Lib. 30) Apollon has created him with the Minos daughter Akakallis and she marooned him, wolfes fed him and herdsmen raised him up (whe know such stories!). Minos was after him when he was adolescent, he fled to Karia and founded Miletos. According to others he first had to slain te giant Asterios, son of Anax, and therefore the region formerly was called Anaktoria. Referring to Ovid met. 9, 443 ff. Miletos is the son of Apollon and an otherwise unknown Deione and married Kyanee, daughter of Maiandros. Referring to Cramer Anecd. Gr. 2, 123, 30 Miletos himself is autochthon in Karia. According to Ephor. FGr.H 70 F 127 (Strab.) miletos was founded by Sarpedon together with people from the Cretean city Milatos.

Ranke-Graves: Because Miletos is a male forename the well-kown myth where two brothers
fight for the love of a woman here is given a homosexual twist. Actually - during a period of anarchy following the destruction of Knossos by the Achaiae about 1400 BC - numerous Greek talking Cretean aristocrats of Aiolic-Pelasgean or Ionic origin seem to have emigrated together with their native domestics to Asia minor, especially to Karia, Lykia and Lydia. Herodot doesn't mention the passed down reports about the dynasty of Sarpedon and claimed, that at his time the Lykians (Heroot I, 173; Strabon XII, 8, 5) and the Karians (s. 75, 5) have accepted the matrilinear origin. Miletos originally could be a Cretean word or a transliteration of milteios, meaning 'the colour of red ocker or red plumb' and therefore a synonym of Erythros or Phoinix, because both meaning 'red'. The colour of the Cretean faces was more red then the colour of the Hellenic faces;  Lykians and Karians were partially of Cretean origin.

Miletos was one of the most famous cities of Asia minor. After Sardes here were struck the oldest Elektron coins. The city's famoust sons were Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes and Hekataios, to name only few.
Miletopolis, the city where the coin above was struck, is a city situated in the northern Mysia southwest of the Milesian colony Kyzikos near the Miletopolitis limne (todays Manias Göl). The localisation at todays Melde is not sure. Miletopolis belongs to a large number of cities which were founded by Miletos especially at the coasts of the Black Sea.

Sources:
Der kleine Pauly
Robert Ranke-Graves, Griechische Mythologie

Best regards

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