Three depictions of Nemesis: different attributes, eras, and regions. Quite varied and challenging – but that’s what’s interesting about them!
1. Nikopolis. Septimius. Wheel,
scales, cubit rule.
2.
Alexandria. Antoninus.
Griffin, wheel.
3.
Antiochia (
Caria).
Lucius Verus. Wings,
chiton (?), cubit (?).
Nemesis is usually described as a god of “equilibrium,” responsible for “righteous apportionment” (Wetterstrom [
LINK]). She sometimes blended with other deities: Aequitas/Justitia (justice) and Tyche/Fortuna (fortune). (Maybe
Victory?)
I believe her relationship to “vengeance” and “retribution” may
still be debated, but in
Stevenson’s (1889)
Dictionary of Roman Coins [
LINK via
Numiswiki], the entry begins:
“Nemesis, avenger of crimes and punisher of wicked doers. The divinity thus named and adored by the Greeks was also by the Romans held in high respect for the equitable and impartial severity of her chastisements….”
Happy to hear thoughts on that....
1. NIKOPOLIS (MOESIA), SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS.Attributes: Wheel,
scales, cubit rule.
This
reverse was used by many
Severan rulers at Nikopolis (though the
tools in her
hands vary). The
right-facing Septimius
types are more common; several examples have been posted to this board. This
type is scarcer.
(I didn’t want to clutter the Nikopolis-Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov-Addenda threads, but I
hope Jochen sees this. It’s
Varbanov 2558 (this coin illustrated), but I don’t know if this
type (or specimen) is in
Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov.)
Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum. Septimius Severus AE Diassarion (18mm, 5.26g), c. 193-211 CE.
Obv: AV KAI CE CEYHΡOC
PER. Laureate
head left.
Rev: NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠΡOC ICTΡ.
Nemesis standing, holding
scales &
scepter [cubit?], wheel at foot to l.
Ref:
Varbanov,
Greek Imperial Coins,
vol I, 2558 (this example) [also illustrated on
Wildwinds].
Prov: Slg. Karl H. Kluger (Kölner Münzkabinett 117 [28 Oct 2022], 182); Slg.
Peter Fischer (Aarburg, d. 2013) (
Peus 419 (27 Apr 2017), 543); Münzen & Medaillen GmbH 20 (10 Oct 2006), 125 [NOT Righetti section];
Gorny & Mosch 130 (2004), 1780.
2. ALEXANDRIA (EGYPT), ANTONINUS PIUS.Attributes: Griffin (as
Nemesis), wheel.
Kerry Wetterstrom wrote a nice essay about Nemesis-as-Griffin on Alexandrian coinage: “
Nemesis as Portrayed on Roman Coinage” (
CNR XV.1. [1990], p. 43 [
LINK]). (See also: Getty’s commentary on this Mosaic from
Roman Syria [
LINK].)
Beginning in
Roman Egypt, perhaps in the reign of
Hadrian,
Nemesis was often depicted as a
Griffin. The wheel serves to differentiate Nemesis-Griffins from ordinary Griffins. Judging from numismatic evidence,
Alexandria may have even
had a temple to
Nemesis with a statue of her as
Griffin.
Egypt, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius AE Drachm (34mm, 23.79g, 12h), dated 150/1 CE.
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤƱΝΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ ƐVϹ. Laureate
head left, with slight drapert.
Rev: L ΙΔ.
Griffin (
Nemesis) seated right, paw on wheel.
Ref: Kampann &
Ganschow 35.511 (this coin illustrated) =
RPC (VI.4) 14196, ex. 2 [
LINK].
Prov: Virginia
Ruzicka [1915-1984]
Collection (
Malter 28 [8
Dec, 1984], 460); Kerry K. Wetterstrom Coll,
Part I (
CNA 12 [26
Sep 1990], 213); “
Morris”
Collection [Phil Peck] (Heritage 61151 [26 Jan 2020), 97082); Al Kowsky Coll. (
CNG e 483 [6 Jan 2021], 357).
3. ANTIOCHIA (CARIA), LUCIUS VERUS.Attributes: Wings,
chiton (?), bridle (?), cubit (?).
UPDATE:
After Jochen's reply, I believe that Nemesis is actually spitting into her chiton! I had forgotten about the "spitting gesture," but it works for the other Carian Antiochian Nemeses, too. How cool!This final example is more enigmatic.
RPC lists several
Nemesis reverses for
Antiochia:
[LINK] for 5
types. The attributes are described somewhat tentatively, usually as
chiton and bridle. (I don't know why
Nemesis holds those.) Some entries give “cubit,” some don’t, though all depictions appear the same.
I wonder if the winged
Nemesis means she is associated with
Victory here?
(Apologies for photo
quality!)
Caria, Antiochia. Lucius Verus AE Hemiassarion (16.5mm, 2.93g, 5h), c. 161-169 CE.
Obv: ΑV ΚΑΙ Λ ΒΗΡΟϹ. Laureate
head right.
Rev: ΑΝΤΙοΧƐΩΝ. Winged
Nemesis, plucking
chiton (?), holding cubit (?) and/or bridle (?).
Ref:
RPC (IV.2) 11539, ex. 3 (this coin) [
LINK]
Prov: Ex
Henry Clay
Lindgren (1914-2005)
Collection (unpublished), with
his envelope.
