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Valerian I, October 253 - c. June 260 A.D., Alexandreia Troas, Troas
Silenus, the old man of the forest with horse ears (sometimes also a horse tail and legs), was the oldest, wisest and most drunken of the followers of Dionysus, and was said in Orphic hymns to be the young god's tutor. He was usually drunk and had to be supported by satyrs or carried by a donkey. When intoxicated, he possessed special knowledge and the power of prophecy. Eager to learn from Silenus, King Midas caught the old man by lacing a fountain from which Silenus often drank. Silenus shared with the king a pessimistic philosophy: That the best thing for a man is not to be born, and if already born, to die as soon as possible. In another myth, when lost and wandering in Phrygia, Silenus was rescued by peasants and taken to King Midas, who treated him kindly and entertained him for five days and nights. Dionysus offered Midas a reward for his kindness towards Silenus, and Midas chose the power of turning everything he touched into gold.RP71870. Bronze AE 24, Bellinger Troy A435; SNG Cop 194; SNG Munchen 125; BMC Troas p. 30, 165; SNGvA - (refs ID the central figure as drunken Hercules), gVF, grainy surfaces, Alexandria Troas (Eski Stambul, Turkey) mint, weight 6.082g, maximum diameter 24.0mm, die axis 0o, Oct 253 - c. Jun 260 A.D.; obverse IMP LIC VALERIANVS AVG (N retrograde), Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse COL A-VG, TROAC (ending in exergue, AC ligate), Silenus standing half right, supported by three satyrs, one standing behind with arms around his waist, and two more at sides; very rare; SOLD
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