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Author Topic: The Gigantomachia  (Read 3112 times)

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Offline Jochen

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The Gigantomachia
« on: December 02, 2005, 08:13:48 pm »
Hi!

I want to share my newest coin with you. It is an AE26 of Gallienus from Seleukia ad Calycadnum in Cilicia.

Gallienus AD 253-268
AE 26, 10g
obv. AYK PLK GALLIHN / OC
bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind,laureate, r.
rev. C[E]LEYK - E - WN K / ALYK / ADN / W
Athena stg. r., shield in l. hand, stabs with spear on Giant with snakelike feet,
kneeling before her. He grabs her spear with l. hand and has a rock in his
raised r. hand to throw it on her.
SNG Levante 789; BMC 57
rare, about VF

The reverse shows a scene of the Gigantomachia. After Zeus has locked up the Titans in the Tartaros Gaia sets her youngests sons, the Giants, on the Olympic gods. They were human shaped with snakelike feet. They couldn't be killed by gods, only by humans. So Herakles came into play. The battle occured at Phlegra in Thrace The Giants throw rocks, trees and summits of mountains. Herakles shot a poisoned arrow on Alkyoneus and dragged him over the frontier where he died. Athena throw the island of Sicily on another Giant, Enkelados, where he was buried. His fire breathing came out of the Aetna until today. After defeating them in a long and heavy battle Zeus sent the Hekatoncheires to the Tartaros to watch over them.

Myths like that of the Aetna very early lead to the opinion, that the Giants are personifications of the vulcanic powers of earth. And it was assumed that the victory of the Olympic gods was the victory of civilisation and order over the chaotic and ferocious primitive times and a symbol of contemporary tussles and victories over the barbarians.

If we speek about the Gigantomachia we must mention the Altar of Pergamon. Mosaics, frescos, pictures and sculptures decorated the residence on top of the 335m high mountain. It was all admirable, but the most impressive was the huge altar for which Eumenes III BC gave order. The Roman writer Lucius Ampelius praised it and its Gigantomachia in his 'Liber memorialis' and the Apocalypse of St.John calls it, unwilling fascinated, 'Seat of Satan'.
Peter Weiss related the battle between barbarianism and culture to the recent past. Archaeologists decoded the Gigantomachia as reference of the Attalides to their victory over the Gauls and interpreted the uncommon structure of the altar as synthesis of sacral and palace building, where logical consistent the Telephos frieze expressed the foundation myth of the rulers, who traced back themself to Heracles and his son.

Best regards

Offline slokind

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Re: The Gigantomachia
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2005, 03:05:51 pm »
One might think that with Pergamon being so famous there was nothing remarkable in another city or two picking up the Gigantomachy (and specifically Athena and Enkalados)--but generally they don't.  I often wonder why Seleucia ad Calycadnum is so interesting perhaps also out of proportion to its size and wealth.
And that is a very nice coin, Jochen.  Pat L.

Offline Jochen

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Re: The Gigantomachia
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2005, 03:35:15 pm »
Thanks, Pat! I know there are other Gigantomachias on the Akropolis in Athen, in the theatre of Perge, in Delphi and other locations. I have choosen the Pergamonaltar in Berlin because it was successfully restaurated 2004 by Silvano Bertolin after 8 years of working and is now open to the public.

Perhaps we can narrow down the Giant on the reverse to Enkelados because Athena has fought an individual fight especially against him?

Best regards


Offline slokind

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Re: The Gigantomachia
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2005, 08:57:27 pm »
Enkelados is indeed Athena's own giant, but the lovely new photo of the Altar that you posted actually shows Zeus's giant, unless I'm wrong.  Pat L.

Offline Dapsul

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Re: The Gigantomachia
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2005, 09:43:48 am »
Pausanias 8,47,1 says that Enkelados was defeated by Athena Hippia using a chiarot. But Vergil, Aen. 3,578 holds that Enkelados is the giant defeated by Zeus and banned under the Aetna. But there are also mythological links between Rough Kilikia and the giants: In the hinterland of Korykos, some miles east of Seleukeia on the Kalkadnos, there are the Korykian caves, huge and very impressive Einsturzdolinen (I don't know the English word), today called in Turkish Cennet ve Cehennem - heaven and hell-, which are described by Pomponius Mela 1,72-76 as home of Typhon, the giant that was created by Hera and defeated by Zeus. But why should he be represented as defeated by Athena? Local myths are inexhaustable.
Frank

Offline Jochen

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Re: The Gigantomachia
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2005, 03:12:10 pm »
Enkelados battled Zeus (Batrachom. 284), Dionysos (Eur. Cycl. 5), or Athena (Eur. Herc. 908; Apollod. 1, 37; Paus. 8, 47, 1). He was killed by Zeus' thunderbolt (Verg. Aen. 3, 578) or by Athena's chariot (Paus. , 47, 1). Usual myth: Athena throw the mountain Aetna on him (Kall. frg. 382 Schn.; Apollod. 1, 38).

"[In the War of the Gigantes] As Enkelados was fleeing, Athene threw the island of Sikilia (Sicily) in his direction." - Apollodorus, The Library 1.38

"In the old time Pallas [Athena] heaved on high Sikelia (Sicily), and on huge Enkelados dashed down the isle, which burns with the burning yet of that immortal giant, as he breathes fire underground." - Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 14.581

Best regards

 

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