Transcript - Catalyst

ANCIENT COINS FROM GREEK CITIES
AND ROME
By Joseph Bringman
CLAS 435
Fall Quarter 2015
• Decadrachma (10 drachmas) silver
coin, Syracuse, 413 BC
• This coin was first issued after the total
Syracusan victory against the Athenian
invasion force in the Pelopenessian
war.
• The historical general Hermocrates
helped lead Syracuse to triumph.
• The head of Arethusa adorns the
obverse of the coin.
• The Chariot on the reverse alludes to
races that the Syracusans conducted
near the river Asinaro in celebration of
their victory.
• Athla are depicted under the chariot—
either sport prizes or war trophies.
• The victory coins themselves may have
been given as prizes in victory games.
• This is a silver tetradrachma (worth 4
drachmas) bearing the image of
Dionysius I (c.432-367BC), the
historical tyrant of Syracuse, who
Chariton alludes to in his novel with
his fictional Dionysius character.
• Syracuse Silver tetradrachma of Apollo
from approximately 415-404 BC.
Hellenistic litra (1/5 drachma) from Syracuse.
• On the right is a lyre and on the left a
strung bow
Four-horse chariot driven by Nike
• A silver decadrachma from
Athens, c.467-465BC.
• Depictions of Athena’s helmet
included the laurel leaves after
the Battle of Salamis (480BC).
• This coin contains an abbreviation
(ΑΘΕ, Athe) for “of the Athenians”
around the owl on the reverse.
• The owl is an animal sacred to
Athena, one of whose epithets is
Owl-Eyed.
• Unlike the coinage of most city
states, which varied their designs,
Athens almost invariably featured
the owl on it and an Athenian coin
without an owl was susceptible to
suspicions of forgery.
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Silver tetradrachma from Alexandria, c.99-88BC.
The obverse depicts Ptolemy XI wearing a diadem and aegis, a symbol associated with Zeus.
The reverse features an eagle of Zeus standing on a thunderbolt.
The image of Zeus’ eagle was on almost all silver coins.
Ptolemy I adopted a coin standard lighter than the Attic used throughout Alexander’s empire in
order to isolate Egypt economically from the Hellenistic world and develop an autarchy.
• A silver tetradrachma coin from Ephesus.
• A bee is represented on the obverse because Ephesian Artemis’ virgin
priestesses were called melissai (bees) and certain priests “king bees”.
• The letters epsilon and phi stand for the first two in Ephesus’ name.
• The reverse features a deer (an animal sacred to Artemis).
• To the right of the stag is the name of a magistrate, Demagores.
• This is a second century AD
coin from Mytilene on Lesbos.
• The poet Sappho is
represented on the obverse.
• The reverse appears to show a
ship.
• Electrum (gold and silver
alloy) coin c.480-440BC
from Lesbos depicting the
head of a lion.
Electrum coin c.480-440BC from
Lesbos featuring a calf’s head.
• A silver stater from Corinth c.515-500BC.
• The obverse of this, as of all other Corinthian silver coins, features Pegasus, who
was reputed to have been caught by Bellerophon at Corinth’s Peirene fountain.
• Below Pegasus is the obsolete Greek letter koppa (Ϙ) which was used as a
symbol for Corinth since before it was spelled Κόρινθος it was Ϙόρινθος.
• Despite Aphrodite being the chief goddess in Corinth, the reverse of the coin
depicts Athena because she was said to have given a magic bridle to Bellerophon
to kill the chimera.
• Athena was worshipped at Corinth as Chalinitis (“The Bridler”).
Rome
• A gold aureus (54AD) of the emperor Nero and his mother Agrippina the Younger.
• The coin includes the inscription “Mother of Nero Caesar”. While she wielded
influence over him, Agrippina appeared with Nero on coins for the first two years
of his reign (54-55AD). In 59AD Nero had her assassinated.
• The abbreviation “Ex. S. C.” on the reverse stands for Ex Senatus Consulto (by
decree of the Senate), indicating that the coin was sanctioned by the Senate.
• Gold aureus of the emperor
Nero from c.64-65AD.
• The Emperor Nero, for
monetary reasons, reduced the
weight of aurei (as well as
denarii) in 64AD.
• The original weight of the
aureus was 1/42 of a Roman
pound of gold before becoming
1/45.
• Silver denarius of Nero
from c.50-54AD.
• The weight of denarii at
the start of Nero’s reign
was 1/84 of a Roman
pound of silver; after
64AD, Nero reduced it to
1/96.
A few major divinities in the ancient novels
• Roman gold aureaus,
c.166-180AD, depicting
Venus.
• She is shown holding a
scepter and also the
Apple of Discord, which
Paris awarded to her after
she bribed him, an act
that resulted in the Trojan
war.
• Silver tetradrachma from
Macedonia during Roman
occupation, c.158-149BC,
depicting Artemis.
• The goddess of hunting is shown
with a quiver and arrow over her
left shoulder.
• The entire image of Artemis is
represented as encapsulated
within a Macedonia shield.
• Silver triobol (three obols or half
a drachma) of Megalopolis
(c.234-146BC) depicting Pan.
• Pan is holding a lagobolon
(hunter’s stick for striking hares)
in his left hand next to a hare.
• There is a monogram on the left
side of the coin.
• Silver tetradrachma from Aradus,
Phoenicia, c.137-46BC, depicting
Tyche.
• She is shown wearing a turreted
mural crown and veil.
• The mural crown symbolizes city
walls as the goddess was
believed to watch over the city’s
good fortune (Τύχη).
Images courtesy of ARTstor, the British
Museum, and Wikimedia Commons
REFERENCES
• Davis, Norman, and Seattle Art Museum. Greek Coins & Cities;
Illustrated from the Collection at the Seattle Art Museum. London:
Spink, 1967.
• Hill, George Francis. Ancient Greek and Roman Coins; a Handbook.
New and Enl. Ed. [1st American Ed.]. ed. Argonaut Library of
Antiquities. Chicago: Argonaut, 1964.
• Jenkins, G. K. Ancient Greek Coins. 2nd Rev. ed. Coins in History
(London, England). London: Seaby, 1990.
• Melville-Jones, John R. A Dictionary of Ancient Greek Coins. London:
Seaby, 1986.
• Sutherland, C. H. V. Roman Coins. World of Numismatics. New York:
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1974.