CAPPADOCIA S C

CAPPADOCIA, S. C. - On the reverse of a Hadrian, in large brass, this province is thus personified: - A young male figure, wearing a turreted crown, stands, with short tunic tightly girded. A lion 's skin is thrown over his shoulders, and tied in a knot by the claws, over the breast. In his left hand he holds a vexillum; in the right, a mountain, or cluster of rocks, allusive to Mount Arg�us, wich is the common symbol of Cappadocia. On the observe, HADRIANVS AVG. COS. III. P. P. with bare head of the emperor. - There is a second brass, with a similar reverse.

Hadrian, about 893 (A. D. 140), proceeding on his journey through pro-consular Asia, entered Cappadocia; and, as Spartian relates, "received from the inhabitants acts of submission and service, which would subsequently be advantageous to his military operations." The same writer adds, that the emperor had here an eye to the Parthian dominions, and to the maintenance of amicable relations with the neighbouring sovereigns.

The Abb� Greppo, in his valuable work, published at Paris, 1842, entitled "M�moire sur les Voyages de l 'Empereur Hadrien," &c. observes, that in the paucity of documents sufficiently precise on certain facts, it seems requisite to place the period of Hadrian 's visit to Cappadocia, after that of his Syrian travels. - "All (says the learned vicar-general of Belley), that is told us positively by Spartian, is that Hadrian visited the province in question, and took thercout slaves for the service of the armies: - Deinde a Cappadocibus servitia castris profutura suscepit. - Cappadocia (the Abb� adds in a note), furnished Rome with numerous slaves, renowned for they lofty stature, their vigour, and their scantiness of intelligence." And he refers, for his authorities, to the Epistles of Horace, the Satires of Persius, the Epigrams of Martial, and to the oration Post Reditum in Senatu of Cicero. "As to the slaves attached to the Roman legions, frequent mention is made among the old writers; as Saumaise shews in a commentary on this passage of Spartian." p. 189.

There is also a first brass of Antoninus Pius; on the reverse of which is the legend CAPPADOCIA COS. II. The personified province stands with Mons Arg�us at her foot; a frequent type on the numerous coins of C�sarea, the metropolis of Cappadocia. - See dr. King 's Plates, TAH, xiv

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