Lets talk about eagles

Considering how bad public education was by the time I went to school, you are probably right. History is no longer considered important compared to studying for whatever new standardized exam the bureaucrats dream of next. Classical history and the classical authors are no longer really taught in school. What you get is a basic watered down overview of the subject material.

 

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I have a few eagles. You can't have too many Ptolemaic eagles in an eagle thread.

Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy VI Philometor, Silver Tetradrachm

Obv:– Diademed head of Ptolemy I right wearing aegis
Rev:- PTOLEMAIOY BASILEOS, eagle standing left, head left, on thunderbolt, wings closed
Minted in Alexandria, B.C. 180-145
Reference:– Svoronos 1489, SNG Cop 262

14.031g, 27.3m, 0o

"Ptolemy VI became king in 180 B.C. at the age of about 6 and ruled jointly with his mother, Cleopatra I, until her death in 176 BC. From 170 to 164 B.C., Egypt was ruled by Ptolemy, his sister-queen and his younger brother Ptolemy VIII Physcon. In 170 BC, the Seleukid King Antiochus IV invaded and was even crowned king in 168, but abandoned his claim on the orders from Rome. In 164 Ptolemy VI was driven out by his brother. He went to Rome and received support from Cato. He was restored the following year. In 152 BC, he briefly ruled jointly with his son, Ptolemy Eupator, but his son probably died that same year. In 145 B.C. he died of battle wounds received against Alexander Balas of Syria. Ptolemy VI ruled uneasily, cruelly suppressing frequent rebellions."

 

I can attest to this, as someone who graduated from High School in 2007. I had 1 decent History teacher, who went through the review board process 4 times while I was in High School, for drifting from the State curriculum. Like Doug stated, the powers that be are more worried about "correct" single word/date answers. I recall several tests with dates/names/groups of people as answers, but finished without an understanding. I had to read classical texts in my free time, as they were not offered in school. The only person of the 40 I work with that even recognizes the name "Herodotus" went to a K-12 Catholic private school.

Providing a year, let alone a definition of the Fall of Rome is beyond me.

 

Still the best one I've seen.

 

(Detail pic so @Bing can see it... )
Ptolemy I
signed by the Designer / Artist with a Delta behind his ear (curl of his hair).
305-285 BCE
AR Tetradrachm
OBV: Ptolemy I facing r, Delta behind ear, punch marks
REV: Standing Eagle l, punch marks.
23.6mm x 4.5mm (thick)
13.8g

I have several other Ptolemy Eagles... just love the emblem...

 

Eagles huh? I can do more than and but how about these?

My latest:


My first:

 

I agree.....

 

Absolutely!!!

 

Domitian struck some really neat eagles in 82/83.



Domitian
AR Denarius
Rome mint, 82-83 AD
RIC 144 (R), BMC 52, RSC 320
Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG P M; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: IVPPITER CONSERVATOR; Eagle stg. front on thunderbolt, wings outspread, head l.

This coin was struck soon after his coinage reforms which raised the fineness of the denarius from 80% to nearly 99%.

 

That sure is a beauty. Love the portrait.

 

+1

 

I second that!

 

Well turns out I was wrong!!
I forgot I had a coin from Homo Neanderthal..... Oh, I meant Ptolemy X!
I'm shocked I forgot about this coin; I really do need to add a few more Egyptian tets to my collection.


Ptolemy X - Paphos Mint
Size: 26mm
Weight: 13.19 grams
Obverse: Diademed head right, wearing aegis
Reverse: PTOLEMAIOU BASILEWS, Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; L K (date) before; PA behind.
I suppose that I would have a head shaped like that if I was the product of 170 years of inbreeding!

 

All the sister loving gave him a Habsburg chin and neanderthal brow ridges on his forehead.

 

Kinda looks like someone's rather poor attempt to imitate the head of Michaelangelo's David...

 

This guy, like most of the later Ptolemies, was a walking screw up. He killed his own mother, fought a civil war against his brother, then was killed by said brother.
Also like most of the Ptolemies he was horribly obese and easily influenced by courtiers. At that point in time I think that the annexation of Egypt by Rome was the best thing to happen to the Egyptians in a long time!
As bad as he is, he isn't the worst of the Ptolomies, no not by a long shot!