The Pomponium era in the Greek world

[cicerokid]

Pontic Kingdom. Mithradates VI Eupator. Silver Tetradrachm (16.87 g), 120-63 BC. Year 4 of the Pompeian era, 85/4 BC. Diademed head of Mithradates VI right. Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ MIΘPAΔATOY EYΠATOPOΣ, Stag standing left, grazing; in left field, star and crescent; in right field, date (Δ) above monogram; all within Dionysiac wreath of ivy and fruits. Callataÿ p. 23, pl. XIII. Boldly struck and lightly toned. Extremely Fine. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP
Peter Corcoran Collection, Purchased privately from M&M Numismatics in April 1995.

Pompey took over from Lucullus in the 3rd Mithradatic war c 73 -63 BC,

So is the Seleukid era date for this coin is correct the year 4 of the Pomponian era is rubbish and Sulla at this time was the victor and negotiated a settlement with Mithradates vis Archaleus( at first) at Dardanus in 85/84 and then scuttled after Fimbria  who had taken Pergamon in early 85bc then back to Rome, where there is no place like.

What a shame the details are wrong somewhere........The era on the coin is....what year 4 where  Athens c 90-86...Pergmenon but Fimbria was defeated by Sulla and commited suicide in Pergamon in later 85BC

Can someone put all this in order and talk about the Atheian ere, the pergamon/seleukid era and finally the caesarian and then Pomponian era   all in chronolgical order

My head spins!

John

[Altamura]

... Can someone put all this in order and talk about the Atheian ere, the pergamon/seleukid era and finally the caesarian and then Pomponian era   all in chronolgical order ...

There is a whole book about ancien eras, Wolfgang Leschhorn, "Antike Ären: Zeitrechnung, Politik und Geschichte im Schwarzmeerraum und in Kleinasien nördlich des Tauros", Stuttgart 1993, but I don't have it .

It's not so easy, Leschhorn writes more than 500 pages about it .

Regards

Altamura

[Pekka K]

You can find start dates for different eras here:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Greek%20Dates

Pekka K

[cicerokid]

ta very much for the replies.

Nein mein Deutscher is kaput....ie I think I said No I have no German but you see what I mean

But I suspect that the wrong information just gets cut and pasted and that New York auction is no better at reading obscure references in German  than me

[Altamura]

... You can find start dates for different eras here:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Greek%20Dates
...

But this is already simplified. E.g. the beginning of the pompeian era is not in all cities using it the same , so it depends on the location.

Regards

Altamura

[Altamura]

....Nein mein Deutscher is kaput....ie I think I said No I have no German but you see what I mean ...

I did not expect that you put the whole book into a translator and read the 500 pages , I just used it to show that there are probably no short answers .

Regards

Altamura

[cicerokid]

I have contacted Francois de Callatay the author of "Les Guerres Mithradatique.................." 1997. The expert on Mithraditic silver .

I also have zero French.

   
John Arnold Nisbet
Dear Francois,

Good day,l

A question about the designation of the "Athenian era" on Mithradtic tetradrachms.
A coin sold in the New York auction is described as such;

Pontic Kingdom. Mithradates VI Eupator. Silver Tetradrachm (16.87 g), 120-63 BC. Year 4 of the Pompeian era, 85/4 BC. Diademed head of Mithradates VI right. Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ MIΘPAΔATOY EYΠATOPOΣ, Stag standing left, grazing; in left field, star and crescent; in right field, date (Δ) above monogram; all within Dionysiac wreath of ivy and fruits. Callataÿ p. 23, pl. XIII. Boldly struck and lightly toned. Extremely Fine. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP
Peter Corcoran Collection, Purchased privately from M&M Numismatics in April 1995.

It, of course, cannot be the Pomponian era which was a consequence of Pompey replacing Lucullus during the 3rd Mithradatic war 73-63 BC and I have seen such coins referred to as the Athenian era. It surely cannot be from the Pergamon mint because Fimbria took it in 85 bc and coins definitely from Pergamon with it's recognisable mint mark are known and the dates are Bithynian-Pontic era based on the Seleucid era.
The coin with the stag suceeded the drinking pegasos I think in c 88/7 BC after the asiatic vespers .
So where and when is this coin.

If you can help I would be grateful, the answer might be your book, "Les Guerres Mithradatique......." but my French is non-existant and google translate is not adequate.

Thank you,

John Nisbet
Coventry,
UK