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00071 Horse Prancing Left Lion’s Head Left, Lion’s Head Spout Right Larissa Right Balancing HydriaThessaly Greece, the City of Larissa

Obv: horse prancing l., lion’s head above facing l. [protruding tongue or stream of water?]. All within a border of dots.
Rev: [Λ]-Α above l. to r., R-I in front and downwards, Larissa standing r. and balancing hydra on her raised l. knee, behind is a spout in the form of a lion’s head from which pours water. All within incuse square.

Denomination: silver obol; Mint: Larissa; Date: c. 440 - 420 BC1; Weight: .95g; Diameter: 13 mm: Die axis: 270º; References, for example: Herrmann Group II b 𝛼, pl. I 13; BCD Thessaly I 1433.5 var. no lion’s head above horse; BCD Thessaly II 160; HGC 4 483.

Notes:
1This is the date given in HGC 4

Provenance: Ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. December 10, 2023

Photo Credits: Dr. Busso Peus Nachf.

CLICK FOR SOURCES2 commentsTracy Aiello

096 B.C. A.Postumius S.f. Albinus, Republic AR-Denarius, Crawford 335/10b, Rome, Dioscuri watering horse left, Crescent above, A•ALBINVS•S•F•, #1, Rare !!!096 B.C. A.Postumius S.f. Albinus, Republic AR-Denarius, Crawford 335/10b, Rome, Dioscuri watering horse left, Crescent above, A•ALBINVS•S•F•, #1, Rare !!!
avers: Laureate head of Apollo right, behind star below R, before X, border of dots.
reverse: Dioscuri watering horse (left) at the fountain of Juturna, in left field crescent above, border of dots.
exergue: -/-//A•ALBINVS•S•F•, diameter: 17,0-19,0mm, weight: 3,76g, axis: 5h,
mint: Rome, date:096 B.C., ref: Syd-612b, Crawford-335/10b, Postumia 6., Rare !!!
Q-001
"This issue is said to relate to the battle of Lake Regillius; the Roman army was commanded by A. Postumius Albus. Legend says that the Dioscuri were said to have assisted the Romans in obtaining the victory; the reverse of shows the Dioscuri watering their horses at the fountain of Futurna in the Roman Forum, where they were supposed to have arrived on the eve of the battle."3 commentsquadrans

193bSeptimius Severus 193-211 AD
AE 17 mm
Serdica
Fountain head with water spouting from three lion heads
Ruzicka -; Varbanov (engl.) 1914; Hristove & Jekov 12.14.47.2mauseus

2008-Savaria - Fountain of Faunsberserker

AE provincial, Saitta, Lydia (Sidas Kaleh, Turkey), Senate/River-God (mid-2nd to early 3d century AD) IÐ„Î¡A - [CYNKÎ›HTOC], bare-headed youthful draped bust of Senate right / CAIT[THNÎ©N] + [Ð„PMOC] in exergue, River-God Hermos reclining left, holding reed and cornucopiae, resting arm on urn (hydria) from which waters flow.

Ó” (base metal yellow, orichalcum?), 22 mm, 5.68 g, die axis 6.5h (coin alignment)

It is difficult to read the name of the river. I think that Ð„PMOC is more likely, but VÎ›Î›ÎŸÐ¡ is also possible, representing the other important local river, Hyllos.

Possible catalog references are BMC Lydia 25 (or 26-27?), SNG Copenhagen 398, SNG München 439.
For the Hyllos reverse, Leypold 1153.

To emphasize the autonomy of certain Hellenistic polises, even under the Roman rule they sometimes used allegorical figures of Senate or Demos on obverses of their coins instead of imperial portraits. Saitta was issuing similar-looking coins with busts of emperors and their family as well, but in this issue the town Senate is honoured as the ruler. IÐ„Î¡A CYNKÎ›HTOC = Holy Senate. CAITTHNÎ©N = Saitta, Ð„PMOC = Hermos, the name of the river and its god.

River-Gods or Potamoi (Î Î¿Ï„Î±Î¼Î¿Î¯) were the gods of the rivers and streams of the earth, all sons of the great earth-encirling river Okeanos (Oceanus) and his wife Tethys. Their sisters were the Okeanides (Oceanids), goddesses of small streams, clouds and rain, and their daughters were the Naiades, nymphs of springs and fountains. A River-God was depicted in one of three forms: as a man-headed bull; a bull-horned man with the tail of a serpentine-fish in place of legs; or as a reclining man with an arm resting upon a pitcher pouring water, which we see in this case. The addition of cornucopia symbolizes the blessings that a particular river bestows on those who live near it.

Saitta or Saittae (Î£Î±Î¯Ï„Ï„Î±Î¹, Ptolemy 5.2.21: Î£ÎÏ„Ï„Î±Î¹, Î£Î¬ÎµÏ„Ï„Î±Î¹) was a polis in eastern Lydia (aka Maeonia), in the rivers' triangle between the upper Hyllus (modern Demirci ÇayÄ±, c. 12 km to the west) and the Hermus or Hermos (modern Gediz Nehri, c. 20 km to the south). In Roman imperial times it belonged to the "conventus" of Sardis in the Roman province of Asia (conventus was a territorial unit of a Roman province, mostly for judicial purposes).

Now its ruins are known now as Sidas Kaleh or Sidaskale in Turkey, near the village of Ä°çikler (Ä°cikler Mahallesi, 45900 Demirci/Manisa). They were never excavated, so are little known or cared for. Ruins of a stadium and a theatre survive, together with remains of some temples and tombs.

Not much is known about it. It was a regional centre for the production of textiles. In 124 AD the town was probably visited by emperor Hadrianus. During the Roman period the cult of the moon god MÄ“n Axiottenus was very popular in the city. Because of its reference to "angels" (both literally as the Greek word and by their function as god's messengers) it was possibly close to the more general Asia Minor cult of Theos Hypsistos, Î˜ÎµÎ¿Ï‚ á½•ÏˆÎ¹ÏƒÏ„Î¿Ï‚, "the highest god" (200 BC – 400 AD), which in turn was perhaps related to the gentile following of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Known Roman provincial coins issued by this city feature portraits of emperors from Hadrian to Gallienus, thus covering the period from 117 to 268 AD, with the peak around the Severan dynasty. The semi-autonomous issues are usually dated from mid-2nd to mid-3d century AD.

Later Saittae was the seat of a Byzantine bishopric. Bishop Limenius signed the Chalcedon Creed, while Bishop Amachius spoke at the Council of Chalcedon. Although an Islamic area now, Saittae remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.Yurii P

Argolis, Argos, late 2nd Century - 80s BC AE Dichalkon
Wolf's head right
Rev. Pillar Fountain between helmet over wolf's head left on left and heta above monogram APX on the right. Rare.
BCD 1147Dino

Argolis, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC, Æ ChalkousWreathed head of Demeter Chthonia left.
Torch between letters E and P, all within wreath of grain.

HGC 5, 753 (C); Grandjean Group I, emission 2B, d25/r24 (this coin cited as Coll. BCD, 13); BCD Peloponnesos 1297.

(13 mm, 2.08 g, 12h).
John Jencek; ex- BCD Collection; ex- The Fountainhead of Fine Coins (December 1980); Found on the Megara acropolis according to Grandjean’s catalogue.n.igma

Argos, Argolis100/90 - 50 B.C.
Bronze Dichalkon
3.69 gm, 17 mm
Obv.: Head of Hera right, wearing stephane
Rev.: Pillar fountain; monogram to left, wreath to right.
BMC 10, p. 147, 146
[BCD Peloponnesos 1158.3; SNG Copenhagen 76]Jaimelai

BCC LT39Lead Token
Caesarea Maritima
Obv: Figure standing left, right hand
extended, left hand on hip,
cape(?) flowing behind.
Rev: Animal (horse or hind?) facing altar or
fountain. Semi-circular flower design with
five tear-drop shaped petals, above.
Thick, heavy lead coin or token,
very different in fabric from
the other tesserae in the collection.
Diameter: 14mm. Thickness: 3.0mm
Weight: 3.30gm. Axis: 0
Surface find, 1975v-drome

Caria, Aphrodisias, Gordian III, MacDonald Type 187 var. Gordian III, AD 238-244
AE 30 (2 assaria), 14.09g, 30.48mm, 165°
struck AD 238-341 (see MacDonald below)
obv. AV KM ANT - GORDIANOC (1st N reversed)
Bust, draped and cuirassed, laureate, r.
rev. AFROD. - EI[CIE]EWN
Cult statue of Aphrodite Aphrodisias in ependytes and with kalathos, stg. r. on plinthe, head flanked by
crescent and star, both hands outstretched forwards; l. beside her small priestress std. with raised hand
on sella r., r. beside her a fountain with arched cover.
ref. MacDonald Type 187 var., 0234 var., R432 var.; cf. SNGF von Aulock 2461; not in Leypold, Keckmann,
Sammlung Karl, BMC
rare, F+, some deposits of sand-patina

MacDonald: Types 187-189 are an exception to the rule that the portrait of the emperor appears only on the largest denominations of Aphrodisias. The reason is fairly obvious. The portraits of 0234-0236 are distinctly juvenile, and early in the reign of Gordian III there were no other members of the imperial family whose portraits might be put on the coins. When Gordian III married Tranquillina, her portrait appeared on this denomination, Types 190-192 Jochen

Caria, Aphrodisias, pseudo-autonomous, MacDonald 145Caria, Aphrodisias, pseudo-autonomous, c.AD 225-250
AE 22, 4.90g, 22.39mm, 180°
obv. [IEROC] - DEMOC
Head of Demos,laureate, r.
rev. [A]FROD - E - I - CIEWN
Cult statue of Aphrodite Aphrodisias, in ependytes and with kalathos, stg. r., holding
unknown object in extended hands; l. behind her small priestress std. r., r. before her
fountain with oval cover; in upper l. field star, in upper r. field crescent
ref. MacDonald type 145 (O203/R376); BMC 34; SNG Copenhagen 107
rare, F+, flan break-out at 10h

O203 is the only die where Demos is called "holy". Regarding its style this type is later than
the types 133-144. The increase of the module suggests the time around AD 250 (MacDonald)Jochen

Cilicia, Irenopolis, Marcus Aurelius SNG Paris 2258Marcus Aurelius, AD 161-180
AE 20, 7.84g
obv. AVRHLIOC - KAI[CAR]
laureate head r.
rev. IRHNO[POLITWN] - MHTROP (RO ligated)
Herakles, nude, reclining l. on lion's skin, legs crossed, holding knotted club in r.
hand and with l. hand lion's skin of which the legs hanging down; from the
lion's mouth water is flowing.
ref. SNG Levante Supp. 381 (this coin); SNG Paris 2258. Both don't mentioned the flowing water!
added to www.wildwinds.com

Perhaps the reverse shows Herakles as fountain figure.Jochen

Crawford 412/1, Roman Republic, L. Roscius Fabatus, Denarius serratusRoman Republic (Rome mint 64 BC.), L. Roscius Fabatus.
AR Denarius (3.82 g, 18-19 mm).
Obv.: L.ROSCI , below head of Juno Sospita to right, wearing goat skin headdress; behind symbol: fountain basin.
Rev.: FABATI (in ex.), maiden standing right, feeding snake coiled erect before her; to left, well-head.
Crawford 412/1 (Symbol pair 102) ; Sydenham 915 ; Babelon Roscia 3 .

Juno Sospita was one of the names of the goddess Juno, emphasizing her role as protector of women, marriage, and childbirth ('Sospita' = 'she who saves'). The cult of Juno Sospita (or 'Sispes') was important in Lanuvium. She wore a goat-skin headdress and carried a spear and a shield.
At Lanuvium, Juno Sospita had a temple which was guarded by a serpent. Every year a maiden would offer cakes to the serpent. If it accepted, this was a sign that the girl was a virgin. Its refusal was an evil omen and a year of sterility was to be feared.
L.Roscius Fabatus was born at Lanuvium and was a "new man" (the first to ennoble his family by entering the Senate). In 55, he held the tribuneship. Roscius was co-author of a measure to further Caesar's plans for agrarian and municipal reform. He was a Caesarian legate in Gaul after 54, where he commanded the 13th legion. In 49, he held the praetorship and was involved as a messenger in the events of that year, which led to the fatal rupture between Caesar and Pompey. In one of his letters, Cicero reported Roscius was killed at the Forum Gallorum in 43 during the war of Mutina.
The coins of this moneyer are the last to exhibit edge serrations as a regular practice. He also utilized a large number of paired die control symbols, one for each side, which represented almost 250 everyday objects. In this, he appears to have taken an earlier moneyer, L.Papius, c. 78, as a model. Curiously, the moneyer's name on the coin is in the genitive, " . . . of Roscius Fabatus", perhaps implying "coinage of Roscius Fabatus."

my ancient coin database
8 commentsArminius

FRANCE -- Jeton, Louis XVI (1774-1792)FRANCE -- Jeton, Louis XVI (1774-1792) Jeton made 31 Décembre 1791. Obverse - LVD . XVI . D . G . FR . ET NAV REX King's bust left. On the bust's shoulder - REICH Rev.: OMNIBVS NON SIBI. A water fountain. The word IETTON in exergue. 24 mm. Made by Johann Christian Reich of Nuremberg. Reference: Hennin #244. dpaul7

France, Nemausus - Crocodile FountainThis fountain is not ancient, but represents the famous coin-type of the ancient city of Nemausus, showing a crocodile chained to a palm-tree. Syltorian

France, Nimes - The CastellumThis is the end point for the aquaduct that crossed the Pont du Gard. From here water was distributed to public fountains, monuments and different areas of the city via lead pipes.vacationchick

France. Jeton of Louis XIVFeuardent 2383, Neumann 29769

Jeton, dated 1680 and issued during the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715); brass, __ mm. max., 180°

Obv: LVD • XIIII • D • G • -- • FR • ET NAV • REX,, Bust of Louis XIV facing right.

Rev: • EXIT • VT • INTRAT (=exit as it enters), fountain flowing from a rock formation into an overflowing basin; CHAMBRE • AVX • / • DENIERS • / • 1680 • in exergue.1 commentsStkp

France. Omnibus Non SibiFeuardent 13419; Hennin Plate XXV 244-245 var. (placement of pellets); LaTour 2306 Plate XXXVI, 9 var. (placement of pellets)

Jeton, brass; minted in 1791 by Johann Christian Reich (active 1758-1814) in Nuremburg;
24 mm., 180°

Obv: LVD • XVI D • G FR -- ET• NAV • REX, bust of Louis XVI facing left, REICH on shoulder.

Rev: OMNIBUS NON SIBI • (=for everyone but not for him), a basin with a water fountain in the middle, • IETON • (with pellet beneath the E) in exergue.

On October 5, 1789 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned by a Parisian crowd in the Tuileries Palace in Paris. On June 21, 1791, he and his family attempted an unsuccessful flight to Varennes. This jeton was minted during the king's captivity. The legend presumably has revolutionary significance.Stkp

French Jeton of Louis XVIHennin 273. plate. 26
Brass,1.90 g., 23.72 mm max., 0°

Minted in Nuremberg in 1791 by Ernest Ludwig Sigmund Lauer (active 1783-1833)..

Obv: LVD XVI -- DG FR N REX., bust of Louis XVI to right.

Rev: MIT LUST (= with pleasure), fountain in center of law surrounded by trees, L in exergue.Stkp

German Notgeld: Nürnberg – Fürther StrassenbahnCity: Nürnberg – Fürther Strassenbahn

State: Bavaria

Denomination: 20 Pfennig

Obverse: NÜRNBERG – FÜRTHER STRASSENBAHN, 20 PFENNIG within circle in center.

Reverse: WASSER SPEIER, a view of the Triton Fountain in Nuremberg, erected 1689 by Johann Leonhard Bromig.

Date: No Date

Grade: UNC

Catalog #:Matt Inglima

German Notgeld: Nürnberg – Fürther StrassenbahnCity: Nürnberg – Fürther Strassenbahn

State: Bavaria

Denomination: 20 Pfennig

Obverse: NÜRNBERG – FÜRTHER STRASSENBAHN, 20 PFENNIG within circle in center.

Reverse: KUNST - BRUNNEN, a depiction of Centaur Fountain at Bahnhofsplatz, FÜRTH in exergue.

Date: No Date

Grade: UNC

Catalog #:Matt Inglima

Greece, Corinth - Peirene fountain - Acrocorinth in the backgroundJ. B.

Himera. Biga and Himera TetradrachmGreek Sicily. Himera. 440-430/425 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.93 gm, 27.5mm, 7h). Slow biga driven l. by charioteer Pelops crowned by Nike flying r. Ex: IMEPAION (retrograde) and cock walking l. / Nymph Himera holding patera over altar to l.; satyr Silenos r. stdg below fountain w/ lions-head spout; ear of grain above. gVF. Same dies: Boston MFA 254; de Luynes 976; Rizzo pl.XXI #12; Arnold-Biucchi Himera Gp.III #15 (Q4/H12); SNG Ashmolean II #1765. HGC - ; SNG Cop - . cf. Jenkins Sicily 30; CNG 106 #36 = 100 #1268 & Triton XI #37 (same dies), Egger Brüder 15 Jan. 1912 #79 (same). Very rare.4 commentsAnaximander

Israel, Hamat Gadar, inscription of the Empress Eudocia's poem about the Hamat Gader bathsIsrael, Hamat Gadar, inscription of the Empress Eudocia's poem about the Hamat Gader baths, 5th Century AD

The Hamat Gader Poem inscribed on the baths at Hamat Gader was very short, and can be included here, as evidence of her hexameter writing style. The poem was inscribed so visitors could read it as they went into the pool.

I have seen many wonders in my life, countless,
But who, noble Clibanus, however many his mouths, could proclaim
Your might, when born a worthless mortal? But rather
It is right for you to be called a new fiery ocean,
Paean and parent, provider of sweet streams.
From you the thousandfold swell is born, one here, one there,
On this side boiling-hot, on that side in turn icy-cold and tepid.
Into fountains four-fold four you pour out your beauty.
Indian and Matrona, Repentius, holy Elijah,
Antoninus the Good, Dewy Galatia, and
Hygieia herself, warm baths both large and small,
Pearl, ancient Clibanus, Indian and other
Matrona, Strong, Nun, and the Patriarch's.
For those in pain your powerful might is always everlasting.
But I will sing of a god, renowned for wisdom
For the benefit of speaking mortals.

The inscription of the poem

The line "Of the Empress Eudocia" flanked by two crosses is set above the poem. This title line was added after the carving of the main inscription, making room for some doubt whether the poem was indeed authored by Eudocia. Clibanus is the name given to the source of the hot water. After praising his qualities and those of his many springs ("the thousandfold swell"), the poem enumerates "four-fold four", thus sixteen different parts of the bath complex, fourteen of which bear a name; these names include Hygieia (the pagan goddess of health), a whole range of pagan personal names, "holy Elijah" referring to the prophet, and two refer to Christians – a nun and a patriarch.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eudocia's_poem_Hamat_Gader.png
Greek Inscriptions from á¸¤ammat Gader: A Poem by the Empress Eudocia and Two Building Inscriptions Author(s): JUDITH GREEN and YORAM TSAFRIR
Source: Israel Exploration Journal, Vol. 32, No. 2/3 (1982), pp. 77-96Joe Sermarini

Italy, Pompeii - modest villaInside one of the more modest villas in Pompeii, although you'd never know it by the still-beautiful murals on the walls and the fountain there to the right.1 commentsMark Z

Italy- Pompeii- Big House and house with drain in the cornerWhat strikes you most about Pompeii - and also Herculaneum for that matter - is that they are both very neatly laid-out cities, very elegant and very orderly. There was running water in the houses, as the numerous indoor fountains would testify. There were public baths - Roman style - with separate entrances for men and women; while the walls of both were decorated with terracotta statues, the women's baths were much more elegant with exquisite floral mosaics. There were separate dressing rooms called apodyterium, cold bath - frigidairium - warm bath - tepidarium - and hot bath - calidarium. The calidarium was heated by a system of double walls and a hollow floor, which provided circulation for hot air and steam. The large cold water basin has inscriptions with names of the donors who funded its construction. There was also the palaestra or the gymnasium and separate areas for ablutions. There were public latrines with running water channels. In fact, the baths take up quite a bit of space in Pompeii and Herculaneum, pointing to the fastidiousness of early Romans when it came to personal hygiene. In Herculaneum, there is even a bronze bath-tub that is still intact.

Peter Wissing

Italy- Pompeii- House with nice mosaic and fountainPeter Wissing

Italy- Pompeii- House with nice mosaic and fountain 1FOUNTAIN
House of the Small Fountain Pompeii Another fountain with mosaic decorations, including abstract and geometric designs, fish, shells, and other sea life.
Peter Wissing

Italy- Pompeii- The Forum 1The Forum
ENTRANCE TO THE FORUM Forum of Pompeii After 80 B.C. One of the two arches originally covered with marble which flank the Temple of Jupiter and are the main entrances to the forum. The temple was built under the Samnites in the second century B.C.
FORUM OF POMPEII After 80 B.C. The Forum of Pompeii has a central rectangular space, 466 feet long by 124 feet wide, surrounded by the most important public buildings in the city. Like other forums, it is set up on an axial plan. A colonnade lines three sides. In the center of the fourth side, visible in the distance, is the Temple of Jupiter, known as the Capitolium. The forum was paved with travertine stone and only pedestrians were permitted in its precinct. Situated on an old site, it was largely rebuilt after 80 B.C. when Pompeii became a Roman colony. The forum was again in the process of rebuilding after the earthquake of 62 AD. It was buried under the eruption of Vesuvius seen in the distance in 79.

FORUM (VII,8)
The first monumental arrangement dates from the 2nd cent. BC, with a few buildings and the porticos with their double row of tufa columns, replaced with white limestone in the imperial age, when the site was repaved and buildings added on the east side where shops had previously stood. Located at the intersection between the two main streets of the original urban center, the Forum was the city's main square, where cart traffic was forbidden: it was surrounded on all sides by religious, political, and business buildings. In the 1st cent. AD the Forum highlighted the celebratory intention of the imperial house, where the monumental bases for commemorative statues were placed on the south side, in front of the city's administrative buildings, while those of illustrious citizens stood along the porticos : the sculptures have not been found, perhaps because they were removed by the people of Pompeii who returned after the eruption to take whatever they could. In the center of the western side stands an orators' tribune.
MEMORIAL ARCHES
In opus latericium, at one time covered with marble, these elegantly enclose the Forum to the north, in celebration of the imperial family. Of the two built on either side of the Temple of Jupiter, the one to the west is attributed to Augustus, the east to Nero, perhaps demolished following the death (68 AD) and sentencing of the emperor, or simply to avoid blocking the view of the other arch behind it, at the north entrance to the Forum. This has two niches on one side that once held statues of Nero and Drusus, on the other side two fountains; an equestrian statue (perhaps of the emperor Tiberius) topped this arch. The other arch, in the back at the start of Via di Mercurio, is called the Caligula Arch because an equestrian statue was found nearby, that may have depicted the emperor Caligula and probably stood on the arch.
Peter Wissing

Larissa, Thessaly480-450 B.C.
Silver Obol
1.11 gm, 11 mm
Obv.: Horse prancing right; above, lion’s head right
Rev.: Î›-[A] above, RI downward to right, the nymph Larissa standing right, balancing single-handled hydra on her raised left knee; behind her, water flowing from fountain spout in the form of a lion’s head; all within incuse square
Sear 2110; BMC vii, p. 25, 31
BCD Thessaly II 358.1 (same dies), 361.3 (same rev. die)
CNG 78000457 (same dies)Jaimelai

Marcus Antonius and Octavianus Caesar - AR denariusmoneyer M. Barbatius Pollio
Ephesus?
spring - early summer 41 BC
head of Mark Antony right
M·ANT·I(MP)·(AV)G·III·VIR·R·P·C·M·BARBAT·Q·P
head of Octavian Caesar right
CAESAR·IMP·PONT·III·VIR·R·P·C·
Crawford 517/2, RSC I Mark Antony and Augustus 8, BMCRR 103, Sydenham 1181, SRCV I 1504
3,3g 18,5mm
ex Künker

Moneyer held unusal office quaestor pro praetore in the east in 41-40 BC. He accompanie Mark Antony after the battle of Philippi. He was probably also Curule Aedile. He restored aedicula shrine on the Forum Romanum and fountain of goddess Juturna (Lacus Iuturnae).J. B.

Meta SudansThe Meta Sudans (Latin: "sweating turning post") was a large monumental conical fountain in ancient Rome. The pic shows a graphical reconstruction. It can be found on several Roman coins.Jochen

Nürnberg, Rechenpfennig. Dietzel, Johann JakobObv: Ludwig XV. (1701-1748)
Rev: Park with fountain. Rv: AD.NVTVM.ASSVRGVNT RECH•PF/I.I.D. ancientone

Peloponnesos. Argolis, Argos, AE17 Dichalkon.Obv: Head of Hera right, wearing ornamented stephan.
Rev: Pillar fountain; helmet to left, archaic heta to right.
BCD Pelop. 1124–1126
Late 3rd-early 2nd centuries BC.ancientone

Pherai, region of Thessaly 404 - 369 BC. Pherai, region of Thessaly 404 - 369 BC.

Obv: Head of the nymph Hypereia right.

Rev: FERAI , Lion’s head fountain spouting water right

Diameter: 14 mm. / Weight: 1,92 gms. / Material: Æ Bronze

Refs: Rogers 513; SNG Copenhagen 241.
emporiton

Pherai, region of Thessaly 404 - 369 BC. Pherai, region of Thessaly 404 - 369 BC.

Obv: Head of the nymph Hypereia right.

Rev: FERAI , Lion’s head fountain spouting water right

Diameter: 11 mm. / Weight: 1,21 gms. / Material: Æ Bronze

Refs: Rogers 513; SNG Copenhagen 241.
emporiton

Pherai, Thessaly302-286 BC
AR Hemidrachm (14-16mm, 2.44g)
O: Head of Hekate left, wearing laurel wreath, triple-pendant earring and plain necklace; torch over shoulder.
R: The nymph Hypereia standing left, placing right hand on lion-headed fountain from which water pours; [A]Σ/TO in two lines in wreath to left; ΦEPAIOYN to right.
SNG Cop 239; BCD Thessaly 714; Sear 2204; BMC 7, 20-21
From the BCD collection. ex Auctiones GmbH

... Hekate whom Zeus the son of Kronos honored above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honor also in starry heaven, and is honored exceedingly by the deathless gods... For as many as were born of Gaia and Ouranos amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Kronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honour, but much more still, for Zeus honors her.
~ Hesiod (Theogony, 404ff)2 commentsEnodia

Pherai, Thessaly404-369 BC
AE 13 (13.4mm, 1.85g)
O: Wreathed head of Hekate left, wearing triangular pendant earring.
R: Lion head fountain right, spouting water; ΦEPAIOYN around to right.
Rogers 516; BCD Thessaly II 691.2
ex Savoca Coin

"Tender-hearted Hekate, bright coiffed, the daughter of Persaios."
~ Homeric Hymn to Demeter (2)
3 commentsEnodia

Pherai, Thessalylate 4th century BC
AE14 (14mm, 2.59g)
O: Wreathed head of Hekate right; torch before.
R: Lion's head fountain right, spouting water; fish below, ΦEPAIOYN around to right.
Rogers 514; HGC4, 568; BCD Thessaly II, 691.1
From the BCD collection. ex Ken Dorney

"... For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favour according to custom, he calls upon Hekate."
~ Hesiod (Theogony, 419-424)

Enodia

Postumius Albinus. 96 BC. DenariusPostumius Albinus. 96 BC.

ROMA / X Laureate head of Apollo r., star.
A ALBINVS S F Dioscuri watering horses at fountain, crescent.

Cr. 335/10a; RSC Postumia 5. Rare.

The Romans believed that the Dioscuri twins aided them on the battlefield. The construction of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, located in the Roman Forum at the heart of their city, was undertaken to fulfil a vow sworn by Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis in gratitude at the Roman victory in the Battle of Lake Regillus . According to legend, the twins fought at the head of the Roman army and subsequently brought news of the victory back to Rome. After battle, they were also seen watering their horses and that scene is represented on this coin.

Schjöth 1405, Hartill 5.20 (Type E), KM 293Shunzhi (1644-1661)

One cash, 1657-1661, Board of Revenue mint (in Beijing), 27 mm.

Cast Bronze (officially 70% copper and 30% zinc, but actually on average 64.9% copper, 23.8 % zinc, 7.7% lead, 2.3 % tin, etc.), nominal weight 1.4 qian = 5.22 grams.

Obv: Shunzhi tongbao

Rev: Boo Chiowan to the left and right

Note: By the Edict of the Board of Revenue (November 1657) it was decreed that the name of the mint, Bao Quan (= Fountainhead of the Treasury) should be cast into the reverse of the coins in the Manchurian alphabet (as Boo Chiowan). This was the beginning of the familiar Qing cash pattern, in which there is a four-character Chinese obverse and a two-character Manchurian reverse.

Hartill rarity 10
Stkp

Sicily, Syracuse. Second Democracy(Circa 415-405 BC)Hemilitron

16mm, 3.82 g

Obverse: Head of Arethusa to left, hair in sphendone.

Rev. Î£Y-PA Wheel of four spokes, dolphins in lower quarters.

CNS 22. SNG ANS 404-410.

Arethusa was a naiad (a water nymph) who frolicked in the vicinity of Olympia and was desired and pursued by the river-god Alpheios. She appealed for assistance from Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt and the protector of women. Aretemis transformed her into an underground stream emerging as a freshwater spring on the Sicilian island of Ortygia, the future site of Syracuse. Undaunted, Alpheios diverted his river’s flow underground to follow Arethusa, and both of their waters now mingle eternally in the Fountain of Arethusa in Ortygia. Arethusa’s image on coins is usually accompanied by dolphins, which were common in the sea around Ortygia in classical times.Nathan P

Sources - 00071 Horse Prancing Left Lion’s Head Left, Lion’s Head Spout Right Larissa Right Balancing HydriaBCD Thessaly I: Nomos AG. Auction 4. Coins of Thessaly: The BCD Collection, 10 May 2011. Zurich: Nomos, 2011.
BCD Thessaly II: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly. Triton XV Auction. (3 January 2012, New York).
Herrmann, Fritz. “Die Silbermünzen von Larissa in Thessalien.” Zeitschrift für Numismatik 35 (1925): 1 - 69.
HGC 4: HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.Tracy Aiello

Syracuse, Reign of Dionysius I 405-367 BC
AE Hemilitron (18mm, 4.12g)
O: Head of Arethusa left, hair in sphendone and wearing earring and necklace; dolphin behind.
R: Wheel of four spokes; ΣΥ-ΡΑ in upper quadrants, two dolphins in lower quadrants.
HGC 2, 1479; Calciati 20; SNG ANS 404-10; Sear 1186
ex Jack H. Beymer

“The Island of Ortygia... has the fountain of Arethusa, which sends forth a river that empties immediately into the sea. People tell the mythical story that the river Arethusa is the Alpheus, which latter, they say, rises in the Peloponnesus, flows underground through the sea as far as Arethusa, and then empties thence once more into the sea.”
~ Strabo1 commentsEnodia

THESSALY - PHERAIAR Hemidrachm - 302 - 286 BC
14.0 mm, 2.7 g

Wreathed head of Ennodia left; torch r./ ΦΕΡΑΙΟΥΝ, Nymph Hypereia l., placing hand on lion-headed fountain; wreath inscribed AΣ/TO before.

BCD Thessaly II 714, HGC 4 553

Ex BCD Collection; found near Itea Hoard
(CNG eAuction 454, part of Lot 278)1 commentsS.B.C.

Thessaly, PheraiLate 3rd - Early 2nd century BC
AE Chalkous, 15mm, 3.15 grams, 300 degrees

O: Head of nymph Hypereia facing 3/4 left, wreathed with reeds. Fish to left swimming upwards (barely visible); all in dotted circle

R: ΦEPAIΩN below, Ennodia, wearing long chiton and holding long transverse torch across her body, seated facing on horse galloping r., above l., fountain spout in the form of a lion’s head l.

Ref" HGC 4 569

Ex-CNG e506, Lot 967 (part of)Virgil H

Thessaly, Pherai, (302 - 286 B.C.)AR Hemidrachm, 15mm, 2.46 grams
Obverse: Wreathed head of Ennodia left, torch to right.
Reverse: AΣTOMEΔON, The nymph Hypereia standing left touching the top of a lions head fountain from which water pours forth, AS TO within wreath to lower left.
2.46g
15mm
BCD Thessaly II, 714 // HGC 4, 553

ex BCD Collection3 commentsMat

Thessaly, Pherai, BCD Thessaly II, 689Thessaly, Pherai, ca. 404-369 BC
AE 18 (dichalcon), 3.76g, 18.28mm, 0°
Obv.: Laureated head of Enodia to the right.
Rev: Fountain in the shape of a lion's head to r.
Ref.: BCD Thessaly II, 689; HGC 4, 577
VF, black patina
Jochen

Thessaly, Pherai, BMC 22Pherai, 353-352 BC (National Museums in Berlin)
AE 21 (trichalcone), 6.55g, 30°
Obv.: Head of the water nymph Hypereia with wreath of reeds 3/4 n. l.; in left field fish swimming upwards.
Rev.: ΦEPAIΩN
Enodia, in long chiton, seated in lady's seat on horse, riding r.; holding long torch in front of body; in upper left ield, fountain in form of
lion's head with water flowing from its mouth
Ref: BMC 22; SNG Copenhagen 247; BCD Thessaly II, 716; Hoover HGC 4, 565
VF, somewhat rough
1 commentsJochen

Trajan Decius; Tarsus, CiliciaCILICIA, Tarsus. Trajan Decius. AD 249-251. Æ (33mm, 19.74 g, 6h). Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Lion attacking bull right. SNG Levante 1161 (same dies); SNG France 1764 (same dies). VF, earthen black-green patina.

From the Kelly J. Krizan, M.D. Collection.

Pompey subjected Tarsus to Rome, and it became capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, the metropolis where the governor resided. In 66 BC, the inhabitants received Roman citizenship. To flatter Julius Caesar, for a time it took the name Juliopolis. It was also here that Cleopatra and Mark Antony met and was the scene of the celebrated feasts they gave during the construction of their fleet (41 BC). In William Shakespeare's 1606 play Antony and Cleopatra (Act 5, Scene 2), after Antony's death Cleopatra says she is going to Cydnus to meet Antony, i.e., she will commit suicide to meet him in the afterlife; "Go fetch / My best attires: I am again for Cydnus, / To meet Mark Antony"

When the province of Cilicia was divided, Tarsus remained the civil and religious metropolis of Cilicia Prima, and was a grand city with palaces, marketplaces, roads and bridges, baths, fountains and waterworks, a gymnasium on the banks of the Cydnus, and a stadium. Tarsus was later eclipsed by nearby Adana, but remained important as a port and shipyard. Several Roman emperors were interred here: Marcus Claudius Tacitus, Maximinus II, and Julian the Apostate, who planned to move his capital here from Antioch if he returned from his Persian expedition.

Tarsus was the city where, according to the Acts of the Apostles, "Saul of Tarsus"[Acts 9:11] was born, but he was "brought up" ([Acts 22:3]) in Jerusalem. Saul became Paul the apostle after his encounter with Christ (Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3), and he briefly returned here after his conversion (Acts 9:30). From here Barnabas retrieved him to help with the work in Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:25).

Already by this time a Christian community probably existed, although the first recorded bishop, Helenus, dates only from the third century; Helenus visited Antioch several times in connection with the dispute concerning Paul of Samosata. Later bishops of Tarsus included Lupus, present at the Council of Ancyra in 314; Theodorus, at the Council of Nicaea in 325; Helladius, who was condemned at the Council of Ephesus and who appealed to the bishop of Rome in 433; above all the celebrated exegete Diodorus, teacher of Theodore of Mopsuestia and consequently one of the fathers of Nestorianism. From the sixth century the metropolitan see of Tarsus had seven suffragan bishoprics; the Greek archdiocese is again mentioned in the tenth century , and existed until the twentieth century upheavals, part of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

Owing to the importance of Tarsus, many martyrs were put to death here, among them being Saint Pelagia, Saint Boniface, Saint Marinus, Saint Diomedes, Saint Quiricus and Saint Julitta.

At about the end of the tenth century, the Armenians established a diocese of their rite; Saint Nerses of Lambroun was its most distinguished representative in the twelfth century.

A cave in Tarsus is one of a number of places claiming to be the location of the legend of the Seven Sleepers, common to Christianity and Islam.
ecoli

Trajan, RIC 577, Sestertius of AD 103-4 (Octastyle temple w. portico)Æ Sestertius (25.89g, Ø33mm, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 103-4.
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, laureate head of Trajan right
Rev. S·P·Q·R·OPTIMO PRINCIPI (around,) S C (in field below steps, l. & r. of altar), Octastyle temple on podium with steps with portico on either side, cult statue seated on pedestal in centre between the columns; architrave and roof adorned with figures; in front an altar adorned with guirlands
RIC 577 var. (without altar in front); Cohen 549 (one entry with or without altar); Strack 394; Banti 287/288; MIR 253 and pl. 50 (5 spec.); RCV 3210 var. (without altar in front); RHC 102:44; van Meter: 54/16.

Ex Soler y Llach auction 1083 (2014).

According to P. Hill, this is the temple of Jupiter Victor at the north-eastern corner of the Palatine. It was erected by Quintus Fabius around 295 BC. It was reconstructed by Domitian after it was destroyed by fire in AD 80 and rededicated by Trajan in 113. Strack believes it is most likely the temple of Divus Nervae. According to others (eg.. Clive Foss; David van Meter) it represents the temple of Venus Genetrix of the Forum of Julius Caesar with the fountain of Appiades in front. Woytek (2010) however concurs with Hill and tentatively identifies it as the temple of Jupiter Victor.Charles S

Turkey, Elaioussa Sebaste, Islands off Cilicia, TheaterElaiussa, meaning olive, was founded in the 2nd century B.C. on a tiny island attached to the the southern coast of Anatolia (in modern-day Turkey) by a narrow isthmus in Mediterranean Sea. During the reign of Augustus, the Cappadocian king Archelaus founded a new city on the isthmus. Archelaus called it Sebaste, which is the Greek equivalent word of the Latin "Augusta." The city entered a golden age when Vespasian purged Cilicia of pirates in 74 A.D. Towards the end of the 3rd century A.D. however its importance began to wane, due in large part to incursions by the Sassanian King Shapur I in 260 and later by the Isaurians. When its neighbor Corycus began to flourish in the 6th century A.D., Elaiussa Sebaste slowly disappeared from history.

The theater, dating to the 2nd century A.D., is small with only 23 rows of seats, whose steps and decorations unfortunately succumbed to centuries of plunder. Next to the theater is the agora, built in all great probability during the imperial period. At the entrance of the agora, which is surrounded by a semi-destroyed defense wall once rose two monumental fountains in the shape of lions. Inside the agora stands a large church, its floor is covered by sand to protect the mosaic pavement. Elaiussa's only temple stands outside the city on a hill overlooking the sea; only two of the Corinthian columns of this temple, which had 12 on the long and 6 on the short side originally, are standing today. A large bath complex among the lemon groves between the temple and the agora was built with a Roman technique little used in Anatolia. The necropolis is the richest and most impressive of cities of ancient Cilicia. The "Avenue of Graves," located on a hill to the north of the city, preserves close to a hundred graves of various shapes and sizes scattered among the lemon trees. The ancient aqueducts that carried water to the ruins from the Lamos ("Lemon") river also adorn the city’s two entrances. The aqueduct to the west of the city in particular is in relatively good condition. Centuries ago the aqueduct actually ran all the way to Corycus.Joe Sermarini

Turkey, Nymphaeum of PergeThe monumental fountain or nymphaeum of Perga consists of a wide pool, and behind it a two-storeyed richly worked facade. From its inscription, it is apparent that the structure was dedicated to Artemis Pergaia, Septimius Severus, his wife Julia Domna, and their sons. An inscription belonging to the facade, various facade fragments, and marble statues of Septimius Severus and his wife, all found in excavations of the nymphaeum, are now in the Antalya Museum.1 commentsJoe Sermarini

Turkey, Side, Pamphylia Temple of Apollo The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Side, Antalya, Turkey.

The great ruins of Side are among the most notable in Asia Minor. The well-preserved city walls provide an entrance to the site through the Hellenistic main gate (Megale Pyle) of the ancient city, although this gate from the 2nd century BC is badly damaged. Next comes the colonnaded street, whose marble columns are no longer extant; all that remains are a few broken stubs near the old Roman baths. The street leads to the public bath, restored as a museum displaying statues and sarcophagi from the Roman period. Next is the square agora with the remains of the round Tyche and Fortuna temple (2nd century BC), peripteral with twelve columns, in the middle. In later times it was used as a trading center where pirates sold slaves. The remains of the theater, which was used for gladiator fights and later as a church, and the monumental gate date back to the 2nd century. The early Roman Temple of Dionysus is near the theater. The fountain gracing the entrance is restored. At the left side are the remains of a Byzantine Basilica. A public bath has also been restored. The remaining ruins of Side include three temples, an aqueduct, and a nymphaeum.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunrise_apollo_side.jpg
Photo by Saffron Blaze, via http://www.mackenzie.co
Date: 21 October 2011
Authorization: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.enJoe Sermarini

Turkey, Side, Pamphylia The Commercial AgoraTurkey, Side, Pamphylia the Commercial Agora

The great ruins of Side are among the most notable in Asia Minor. The well-preserved city walls provide an entrance to the site through the Hellenistic main gate (Megale Pyle) of the ancient city, although this gate from the 2nd century BC is badly damaged. Next comes the colonnaded street, whose marble columns are no longer extant; all that remains are a few broken stubs near the old Roman baths. The street leads to the public bath, restored as a museum displaying statues and sarcophagi from the Roman period. Next is the square agora with the remains of the round Tyche and Fortuna temple (2nd century BC), peripteral with twelve columns, in the middle. In later times it was used as a trading center where pirates sold slaves. The remains of the theater, which was used for gladiator fights and later as a church, and the monumental gate date back to the 2nd century. The early Roman Temple of Dionysus is near the theater. The fountain gracing the entrance is restored. At the left side are the remains of a Byzantine Basilica. A public bath has also been restored. The remaining ruins of Side include three temples, an aqueduct, and a nymphaeum.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Side_Commercial_agora_panorama_2.jpg
Author, Date: Dosserman, 20 February 2015
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Joe Sermarini

[906a]Commodus, March or April 177 - 31 Dec 192 A.D.COMMODUS AR silver denarius. RSC 190. RCV 5644. 16.5mm, 2.3g. F. Obverse: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, bust of Commodus wearing lion skin in imitation of Hercules and Alexander the Great, facing right; Reverse: HER-CVL RO-MAN AV-GV either side of club of Hercules, all in wreath. RARE. Ex Incitatus.

This coin refers to Commodus' belief that he was Hercules reincarnated. According to the historian Herodian, "he issued orders that he was to be called not Commodus, son of Marcus, but Hercules, son of Jupiter. Abandoning the Roman and imperial mode of dress, he donned the lion-skin, and carried the club of Hercules..." (Joseph Sermarini).

De Imperatoribus Romanis:
An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors

Commodus (A.D. 180-192)

Dennis Quinn

Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, the son of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his wife-cousin Faustina, was born in Lanuvium in 161 AD. Commodus was named Caesar at the age of 5, and co-Augustus at the age of 17, spending most of his early life accompanying his father on his campaigns against the Quadi and the Marcomanni along the Danubian frontier. His father died, possibly of the plague, at a military encampment at Bononia on the Danube on 17 March 180, leaving the Roman Empire to his nineteen-year-old son.[[1]] Upon hearing of his father's death, Commodus made preparations for Marcus' funeral, made concessions to the northern tribes, and made haste to return back to Rome in order to enjoy peace after nearly two decades of war. Commodus, and much of the Roman army behind him, entered the capital on 22 October, 180 in a triumphal procession, receiving a hero's welcome. Indeed, the youthful Commodus must have appeared in the parade as an icon of new, happier days to come; his arrival sparked the highest hopes in the Roman people, who believed he would rule as his father had ruled.[[2]]

The coins issued in his first year all display the triumphant general, a warrior in action who brought the spoils of victory to the citizens of Rome.[[3]] There is a great deal of evidence to support the fact that Commodus was popular among many of the people, at least for a majority of his reign. He seems to have been quite generous.[[4]]. Coin types from around 183 onward often contain the legend, Munificentia Augusta[[5]], indicating that generosity was indeed a part of his imperial program. Coins show nine occasions on which Commodus gave largesses, seven when he was sole emperor.[[6]] According to Dio, the emperor obtained some of this funding by taxing members of the senatorial class.[[7]] This policy of munificence certainly caused tensions between Commodus and the Senate. In 191 it was noted in the official Actus Urbis that the gods had given Commodus to Populus Senatusque Romanus. Normally the phrase Senatus Populusque Romanus was used. [[8]] While the Senate hated Commodus, the army and the lower classes loved him.[[9]] Because of the bad relationship between the Senate and Commodus as well as a senatorial conspiracy,[[10]] Rome "...was virtually governed by the praetorian prefects Perennis (182-185) and Cleander (186-9)."[[11]]

Commodus began to dress like the god Hercules, wearing lion skins and carrying a club.[[12]] Thus he appropriated the Antonines' traditional identification with Hercules, but even more aggressively. Commodus' complete identification with Hercules can be seen as an attempt to solidify his claim as new founder of Rome, which he now called the Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana. This was legitimized by his direct link to Hercules, son of Father Jupiter.[[13]] He probably took the title of Hercules officially some time before mid-September 192.[[14]]

While the literary sources, especially Dio, Herodian, and the Historia Augusta, all ridicule the antics of his later career, they also give important insight into Commodus' relationship to the people.[[15]] His most important maneuver to solidify his claims as Hercules Romanus was to show himself as the god to the Roman people by taking part in spectacles in the amphitheater. Not only would Commodus fight and defeat the most skilled gladiators, he would also test his talents by encountering the most ferocious of the beasts.[[16]]

Commodus won all of his bouts against the gladiators.[[17]] The slayer of wild beasts, Hercules, was the mythical symbol of Commodus' rule, as protector of the Empire.[[18]]

During his final years he declared that his age should be called the "Golden Age."[[19]] He wanted all to revel in peace and happiness in his age of glory, praise the felicitas Commodi, the glorious libertas, his pietas, providential, his victoria and virtus aeterna.[[20]] Commodus wanted there to be no doubt that this "Golden Age" had been achieved through his munificence as Nobilissimus Princeps. He had declared a brand new day in Rome, founding it anew in 190, declaring himself the new Romulus.[[21]] Rome was now to be called Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana, as noted above, and deemed "the Immortal," "the Fortunate," "the Universal Colony of the Earth."[[22]] Coins represent the archaic rituals of city-[re]foundation, identifying Commodus as a new founder and his age as new days.[[23]]

Also in 190 he renamed all the months to correspond exactly with his titles. From January, they run as follows: Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Herculeus, Romanus, Exsuperatorius, Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, Pius.[[24]] According to Dio Cassius, the changing of the names of the months was all part of Commodus' megalomania.[[25]] Commodus was the first and last in the Antonine dynasty to change the names of the months.

The legions were renamed Commodianae, the fleet which imported grain from Africa was called Alexandria Commodiana Togata, the Senate was deemed the Commodian Fortunate Senate, his palace and the Roman people were all given the name Commodianus.[[26]] The day that these new names were announced was also given a new title: Dies Commodianus.[[27]] Indeed, the emperor presented himself with growing vigor as the center of Roman life and the fountainhead of religion. New expressions of old religious thought and new cults previously restricted to private worship invade the highest level of imperial power.[[28]]

If Eusebius of Caesarea [[29]] is to be believed, the reign of Commodus inaugurated a period of numerous conversions to Christianity. Commodus did not pursue his father's prohibitions against the Christians, although he did not actually change their legal position. Rather, he relaxed persecutions, after minor efforts early in his reign.[[30]] Tradition credits Commodus's policy to the influence of his concubine Marcia; she was probably his favorite,[[31]] but it is not clear that she was a Christian.[[32]] More likely, Commodus preferred to neglect the sect, so that persecutions would not detract from his claims to be leading the Empire through a "Golden Age."[[33]]

During his reign several attempts were made on Commodus' life.[[34]] After a few botched efforts, an orchestrated plot was carried out early in December 192, apparently including his mistress Marcia. On 31 December an athlete named Narcissus strangled him in his bath,[[35]] and the emperor's memory was cursed. This brought an end to the Antonine Dynasty.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alföldy, G. "Der Friedesschluss des Kaisers Commodus mit den Germanen," Historia 20 (1971): 84-109.

Aymard, J. "Commode-Hercule foundateur de Rome," Revue des études latines 14 (1936): 340-64.

Birley, A. R. The African Emperor: Septimius Severus. -- rev. ed.-- London, 1988.
________. Marcus Aurelius: A Biography. London, 1987.

Breckenridge, J. D. "Roman Imperial Portraiture from Augustus to Gallienus," ANRW 2.17. 1 (1981): 477-512.

Chantraine, H. "Zur Religionspolitik des Commodus im Spiegel seiner Münzen," Römische Quartalschrift für christliche Altertumskunde und für Kirchengeschichte 70 (1975): 1-31.

Ferguson, J. The Religions of the Roman Empire. Ithaca, 1970.

Fishwick, D. The Imperial Cult in the Latin West. Leiden, 1987.

Gagé, J. "La mystique imperiale et l'épreuve des jeux. Commode-Hercule et l'anthropologie hercaléenne," ANRW 2.17.2 (1981), 663-83.

Garzetti, A. From Tiberius to the Antonines. A History of the Roman Empire A. D. 14-192. London, 1974.

Grosso F. La lotta politica al tempo di Commodo. Turin, 1964.

Hammond, M. The Antonine Monarchy. Rome, 1956.

Helgeland, J. "Roman Army Religion," ANRW II.16.2 (1978): 1470-1505.

Howe, L. L. The Praetorian Prefect from Commodus to Diocletian (A. D. 180-305). Chicago, 1942.

Keresztes, P. "A Favorable Aspect of Commodus' Rule," in Hommages à Marcel Renard 2. Bruxelles, 1969.

Mattingly, R. The Roman Imperial Coinage. Volume III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. London, 1930.

Nock, A. D. "The Emperor's Divine Comes," Journal of Roman Studies 37 (1947): 102-116.

Parker, H. M. D. A History of the Roman World from A. D. 138 to 337. London, 1935.
________. and B.H. Warmington. "Commodus." OCD2, col. 276.

Raubitschek, A. E. "Commodus and Athens." Studies in Honor of Theodore Leslie Shear. Hesperia, Supp. 8, 1948.

Rostovtzeff, M. I. "Commodus-Hercules in Britain," Journal of Roman Studies 13 (1923): 91-105.

Sordi, M. "Un senatore cristano dell'éta di Commodo." Epigraphica 17 (1959): 104-112.

Speidel, M. P. "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army," Journal of Roman Studies 83 (1993): 109-114.

Stanton, G. R. "Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, and Commodus: 1962-1972." ANRW II.2 (1975): 478-549.

Notes
[[1]] For a discussion of the circumstances surrounding the death of Marcus Aurelius, see A. R. Birley, Marcus Aurelius: A Biography -- rev. ed. -- (London, 1987), 210.
Aurelius Victor, De Caes. 16.4, writing around the year 360, claimed Aurelius died at Vindobona, modern Vienna. However, Tertullian, Apol. 25, who wrote some seventeen years after Marcus' death, fixed his place of death at Sirmium, twenty miles south of Bononia. A. R. Birley (Marcus Aurelius, 209-10) cogently argues Tertullian is much more accurate in his general description of where Marcus was campaigning during his last days.
For the dating of Marcus Aurelius' death and the accession of Commodus, see M. Hammond, The Antonine Monarchy (Rome, 1956), 179-80.

[[2]] For the army's attitude toward peace, the attitude of the city toward the peace, and the reception of the emperor and his forces into Rome, see Herodian, 1.7.1-4; for Commodus' subsequent political policies concerning the northern tribes, see G. Alföldy, "Der Friedesschluss des Kaisers Commodus mit den Germanen," Historia 20 (1971): 84-109.
For a commentary on the early years of Commodus in the public perception as days of optimism, see A. Garzetti, From Tiberius to the Antonines. A History of the Roman Empire A. D. 14-192 (London, 1974), 530. For a more critical, and much more negative portrayal, see the first chapter of F. Grosso, La lotta politica al tempo di Commodo (Turin, 1964).

[[3]]The gods Minerva and Jupiter Victor are invoked on the currency as harbingers of victory; Jupiter Conservator on his coins watches over Commodus and his Empire, and thanks is given to divine Providence (H. Mattingly, The Roman Imperial Coinage. Volume III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus, [London, 1930] 356-7, 366-7). In 181, new coin types appear defining the new reign of Commodus. Victory and peace are stressed. Coins extol Securitas Publica, Felicitas, Libertas, Annona, and Aequitas (ibid., 357).
By 186 Commodus is depicted as the victorious princes, the most noble of all born to the purple. Herodian (1.5.5) describes how Commodus boasted to his soldiers that he was born to be emperor. See also H. Chantraine, "Zur Religionspolitik des Commodus im Spiegel seiner Münzen," Römische Quatralschrift für christliche Altertumskunde und für Kirchengeschichte 70 (1975), 26. He is called Triumphator and Rector Orbis, and associated with the Nobilitas of Trojan descent (Mattingly, RIC III.359; idem, Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum. Volume IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus, [Oxford, 1940], clxii).

[[4]] Dio tells us that Commodus liked giving gifts and often gave members of the populace 140 denarii apiece (Cass. Dio, 73.16), whereas the Historia Augusta reports that he gave each man 725 denarii (SHA, Comm., 16.3).

[[5]]Mattingly, RIC, III.358.

[[6]] Idem., CBM, IV.clxxiv.

[[7]]Cass. Dio, 73.16.

[[8]]M. P. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army," Journal of Roman Studies 83 (1993), 113.

[[9]]Mattingly, CBM, IV.xii. Commodus was also popular amongst the northern divisions of the army because he allowed them to wield axes in battle, a practice banned by all preceding emperors. See, Speidel, JRS 83 (1993), 114.

[[10]]Infra, n. 34.

[[11]] H. Parker and B.H. Warmington, OCD2, s.v. "Commodus," col. 276; after 189, he was influenced by his mistress Marcia, Eclectus his chamberlain, and Laetus (who became praetorian prefect in 191 (Idem.).

[[12]]Herodian, 1.14.8. Hadrian appears on medallions in lion skins; but as far as the sources tell us, he never appeared in public in them. See J. Toynbee, Roman Medallions,(New York, 1986), 208.
He would often appear at public festivals and shows dressed in purple robes embroidered with gold. He would wear a crown made of gold, inlaid with the finest gems of India. He often carried a herald's staff as if imitating the god Mercury. According to Dio Cassius, Commodus' lion's skin and club were carried before him in the procession, and at the theaters these vestiges of Hercules were placed on a gilded chair for all to see (Cass. Dio, 73.17). For the implications of the golden chair carried in procession in relation to the imperial cult, see D. Fishwick, The Imperial Cult in the Latin West, (Leiden, 1987-91 ), 555.

[[13]] H. M. D. Parker, A History of the Roman World from A. D. 138 to 337, (London, 1935), 34; For medallions that express the relationship between Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, and Lucius Verus extolling Hercules as a symbol of civic virtue, see Toynbee, Roman Medallions, 208. For a general statement on the symbolism of Hercules in the Antonine age, see M. Hammond, The Antonine Monarchy, 238.
For a discussion of Commodus' association with Hercules, see
Rostovtzeff, "Commodus-Hercules," 104-6.
Herodian spells out the emperor's metamorphosis in detail (1.14.8).

[[14]]See Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor," 114. He argues this general date because a papyrus from Egypt's Fayum records Hercules in Commodus' title on 11 October 192.

[[15]]For a preliminary example, Herodian writes (1.13.8), "people in general responded well to him."

[[16]]As Dio reports, Commodus, with his own hands, gave the finishing stroke to five hippopotami at one time. Commodus also killed two elephants, several rhinoceroses, and a giraffe with the greatest of ease. (Cass. Dio, 73.10), and with his left hand (ibid., 73.19). Herodian maintains that from his specially constructed terrace which encircled the arena (enabling Commodus to avoid risking his life by fighting these animals at close quarters), the emperor also killed deer, roebuck, various horned animals, lions, and leopards, always killing them painlessly with a single blow. He purportedly killed one hundred leopards with one hundred javelins, and he cleanly shot the heads off countless ostriches with crescent-headed arrows. The crowd cheered as these headless birds continued to run around the amphitheater (1.15-4-6; for Commodus' popularity at these brutal spectacles, see Birley, The African Emperor, 86) (and Dio tells his readers that in public Commodus was less brutal than he was in private [73.17ff]).

[[17]] According to Herodian (1.15-17), "In his gladiatorial combats, he defeated his opponents with ease, and he did no more than wound them, since they all submitted to him, but only because they knew he was the emperor, not because he was truly a gladiator."

[[18]]Webber, "The Antonines," CAH, XI.360.

[[19]]Cass. Dio, 73.15.

[[20]] Mattingly, RIC, III.361. For Commodus' propaganda of peace, see W. Webber, "The Antonines," CAH, XI.392.

[[21]] W. Webber, "The Antonines," CAH, XI.392-3. In 189 a coin type was issued with the legend Romulus Conditor, perhaps indicating he began the official renaming process during that year. For a discussion on Commodus as Romulus, see A. D. Nock, "The Emperor's Divine Comes," Journal of Roman Studies 37 (1947), 103.

[[22]] HA, Comm. 7.1; Cass. Dio, 73.15.

[[23]]Mattingly, RIC, III.361. See also, Webber, "The Antonines," CAH, XI.386.

[[24]]The title Felix is first used by the emperor Commodus, and is used in the titles of almost all successive emperors to the fifth century. See, D. Fishwick, The Imperial Cult in the Latin West (Leiden, 1987-91), 473.
HA, Comm., 12.315; Cass. Dio, 73.15; Herodian, I.14.9. These new names for the months seem to have actually been used, at least by the army, as confirmed by Tittianus' Altar. See M. P. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army," Journal of Roman Studies 83 (1993), 112.

[[25]] Cass. Dio, 73.15.

[[26]]Legions:Idem.; the Grain fleet: SHA, Comm., 12.7. For a further discussion of Commodus' newly named fleet, see, A. Garzetti, From Tiberius to the Antonines, 547. For coins issued extolling the fleet, see Mattingly, CBM, IV.clxix; RIC, III.359; the Senate: Cass. Dio, 73.15; the Imperial Palace: SHA, Comm., 12.7; the Roman People: Ibid., 15.5.

[[27]]Cass. Dio, 73.15.

[[28]]Mattingly, CBM, IV.clxxxiv.

[[29]]Eusebius, Hist.Ecc., 5.21.1.

[[30]]For a discussion of the treatment of Christianity during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus as well as persecutions during the reign of Commodus, see Keresztes, "A Favorable Aspect," 374, 376-377.

[[31]]Herodian, 1.16.4; Dio, 73.4. A Medallion from early 192 shows Commodus juxtaposed with the goddess Roma, which some scholars have argued incorporates the features of Marcia. See, Roman Medallions, "Introduction." Commodus was married, however, to a woman named Crispina. He commissioned several coins early in his rule to honor her.

[[32]]The Christian apologist Hippolytus tells that she was a Christian (Philos. 9.2.12), Dio tells that she simply favored the Christians (73.4). Herodian does not take a stand on the matter either way (1.16.4).

[[33]]Cass. Dio, 73.15. He pronounces Commodus' edict that his rule should be henceforth called the "Golden Age."

[[34]]H. Parker and B.H. Warmington note that Commodus..."resorted to government by means of favorites...which was exacerbated by an abortive conspiracy promoted by Lucilla and Ummidius Quadratus (182)." (OCD2, col. 276).

[[35]]Herodian, 1.17.2-11; Dio Cass., 73.22; SHA, Comm.,17.1-2.

Copyright (C) 1998, Dennis Quinn. This file may be copied on the condition that the entire contents, including the header and this copyright notice, remain intact. Used by Permission.

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