“As distinct from the man-faced bull [see Part 1], there is a possibility that an ordinary bull was sometimes used as a coin-type to represent a river-god. This has been argued with special reference to the bull type of Thurii; and it is perhaps significant that the bull at Thurii is normally accompanied by a…fish [in the exergue],…that is often associated with other river-god types at other mints (e.g. Gela…Catana [see Part 1, coin 5], Camarina). Bull types [without fish in exergue] which may have a similar signification are found in the coinage of [several cities including] Poseidonia in Italy…” 1. Thurium, Lucania, AR stater, c 443-400 BC. Reverse: Bull standing left on exergual line; in exergue, fish swimming left. 2. Thurium, Lucania, AR Double Nomos or Distater, c 413-412 BC. Reverse: Bull butting right on double exergual lines; in exergue, fish swimming right. 3. Poseidonia, Lucania, AR stater, c 430-420 BC. Reverse: Bull walking left on two dotted exergual lines. From c 460 BC river-gods also appear on coins in human form, either as a full-length figure or the head only. Some exhibit no bull characteristics, but others have bull’s horns or ears. They first appear as youthful, naked figures on tetradrachms and didrachms of Selinus. 4. Selinus, Sicily, AR tetradrachm, c 460-440 BC. Reverse: Youthful, naked river-god Selinos, standing left, holding patera over altar and branch; rooster on altar, bull on pedestal and selinon (celery) leaf to right. 5. Selinus, Sicily, AR didrachm, c 460-440 BC. Reverse: Youthful, naked river-god Hypsas, standing left, holding branch and patera, pouring libation over altar around which a serpent twines; to right, heron walking right; above, selinon (celery) leaf. Herons are birds that live in or near water and are, therefore, an appropriate attribute of a river-god. Segesta issed a tetradrachm with a full-length figure of the river-god Krimissos with his dogs. Jenkins says “…there is a good basis in mythology for regarding the dog, both here and on the didrachms, where it alone forms the obverse type, as itself another form of the river-god.” 6. Segesta, Sicily, AR didrachm, c 412-400 BC. Obverse: Dog advancing right, on the scent; wheat stalk with three grain ears in background. There are many other examples of these human forms of river-gods, struck in both silver and bronze. Post your coins with full figures or heads of NON-MFB river-gods. Notes: - As in Part 1, all quotes and information are excerpted from Jenkins, G. Kenneth, The Coinage of Gela, 1970, “River Gods”, pages 165-175. - Nicholas J. Molinari and Nicola Sisci provide a comprehensive catalog of bronze, silver, and gold coins with man-faced bulls at these sites: https://manfacedbulls.wordpress.com/ https://manfacedbullsar.wordpress.com/ https://manfacedbullsau.wordpress.com/ - All coins, with the exception of 4, are in my collection.
Here is one with Orontes...non MFB Roman Empire Syria, Antiochia ad Orontem Augustus Octavian (r. BC 27 - AD 14) AR Tetradrachm 26 mm x 14.82 grams Struck 26 of the Actian Era and Cos. 12 (BC 5) Obverse: Laureate bust of Octavian right. Greek Legend - KAIΣOAPΣΣE BAΣTOY (Caesar Augustus) Reverse: Tyche of Antioch seated on a rock to right, holding a palm-branch, the river-god Orontes swimming at her feet, YΠA monogram, IB (Cos. 12) and ANT (in monogram) in field. Greek Legend - ETOVΣ - CK - NIKHΣ, CK ( 26 yrs After the Victory) Ref: RPC 4151
@ancientnut and @Ancientnoob you both have presented beautiful coins. I just looked through my catalog, and none of my river god coins compare.
Great post. I wonder if the bull from Lucania is a river god or Poseidon himself (as on the obverse), or if not him, just an associated symbol not representing a river?
I only have one youthful river god and it just so happens that it is paired with a man-faced bull: From Panormos, 5th-4th century BC. Youthful, horned river god (Eleutherios) to left/ Forepart of Acheloios Oreto as a man-faced bull to right. Isler used this type in his argument that all man-faced bulls were Acheloios, claiming that here we see the youthful river god Oreto on one side and Acheloios as a man-faced bull on the other. However, the youthful river god is probably Eleutherios, a minor river close to Panormos, and the man-faced bull Acheloios Oreto, in keeping with the theory that man-faced bull represent local embodiments of Acheloios.
I own a man-faced bull coin, but I have never associated it with a river god. GELA, SICILY AR Litra OBV: Naked horseman galloping left holding spear & shield REV: Forepart of man-headed bull right Struck at Gela, Sicily, 425BC 0.36g; 13mm SNG Cop 275, BMC 52, Jenkins 405; HGC 2 374
The youthful river god head on the Gela bronzes come in a variety of styles and hairdos, but this is the one I like best.
Cool thread and posts!!! It seems all the river god's, in whatever guise, have swum post my present abode
Here's a nonspecific non-MFB "river god" on a coin of Nikopolis ad Istrum. That city was located at the junction of two rivers, so the iconography isn't surprising. MOESIA INFERIOR. Nikopolis ad Istrum Elagabalus , CE 218-222 AE 26 mm, 11.1 gm Obv: AYT K M AYP ANTΩNEINOC. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev: VΠ NOBIOV POVΦOV NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠPOC ICTPON. River-god reclining right, holding branch; prow at side Ref: Varbanov 4055
Poseidon was normally associated with horses, but bulls were the animals most commonly sacrificed to him. As a student of Greek tragedy, I recall an instance of an association between Poseidon and a bull: In the play Hippolytus by Euripides, Phaedra, the wife of Theseus, leaves a suicide note falsely accusing her step-son Hippolytus of raping her. Theseus calls upon his father, Poseidon, to kill Hippolytus. Poseidon causes a monstrous BULL to rise from the sea, spooking the chariot horses of Hippolytus, and he dies as a result of the ensuing accident. Are there other ancient associations of Poseidon with bulls?
My example is not as nice but shows what I consider an interesting difference in dating ten years later. Instead of year 26 of the Actian era, mine is stigma lambda or year 36 but just in case you find that confusing we also have year delta nu or 54 of the Caesarean era now known as 5 AD. I still have the Antioch monogram but the consulship information is gone. Augustus took his last consulship in 2 BC so this coin considered that old news and dropped the listing. The reverse legend also changed the old 'year of the victory' to City of Antioch. This one has been harshly cleaned and is retoning so I hope it will look better in a decade or so.
I like Achelous... Campania AE Apollo-Achelous 275-250BCE SNG ANS 474 Sicily Gela AR Litra Horse-Achelous 0.63g 13mm 465-450 BCE HGC 2 p 373 Eyes without a face.... Italia Neapolis Campania AR Nomos 320-300BCE
I'm not sure. The first place to look would be LIMC. There is an online databases but it is difficult to navigate.
Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder, Noob and Doug! Here's Orontes in his curtain call, on tatty little bronzes from the Byzantine emperor Justin I Justin I CE 518-527 AE Pentanummium, Antioch. Diameter of each is ~13 mm. Obv: DN IVSTINVS PP AV; pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right Rev: Tyche of Antioch, turreted, seated left within columned shrine with half submerged figure of river-god Orontes swimming at her feet; retrograde epsilon to left Ref: SB 111, DOC 57 and a few centuries earlier on a provincial from Edessa: MESOPOTAMIA, Edessa Elagabalus, CE 218-222 AE27, 15 gm Obv: AVT K M A ANTΩNEINOC; radiate cuirassed bust left, holding shield and raising right hand. Rev: AVP ........ EΔECCA; Tyche seated left on rock, holding corn ears; to left a column surmounted by a statue of Marsyas, river god swimming right at feet Ref: Mionnet supplement 8, 26. Rare.
Great coins, TIF. It is really interesting to see a Christian emperor pay homage to Tyche and the local river god on his coinage!
Your first coin is a plate coin in Potamikon, number 343 in our catalog so Sambon 663; Taliercio IIIa.16; MSP I, 343, featuring Acheloios Sebethos as a man-faced bull. Taliercio cited three examples of this type, so yours is the fourth known of that particular variety.
Oh, wow, thank you! I reckon I lucked into that one! I was looking for an AE Achelous / Acheloios to complement my AR version. When I get home, I will look up my purchase info and provenance. You made my day!
