A new geoglyph, more than 2000 years old and representing a feline, was recently discovered in Peru which will reopen access in November to these mysterious giant drawings traced on the ground in the Nazca desert. This geoglyph of a pointy-eared cat, some 120 feet long, was recently brought out of oblivion, its lines having been spotted by drone flying over. The silhouette was barely visible, it was on the verge of disappearing due to its location, on a fairly steep slope, and the effects of natural erosion. A group of archaeologists cleaned and redrawn the contours of the geoglyph located on the hillside, the lines of which are 12-16 inches in width. About cats and the Romans : A common belief among historians is that cats were introduced to Europe as early as 5th century BC by Phoenician merchants who traded all over the Mediterranean. Romans particularly liked cats for their ability to catch mice and other rodents. Cats were so good at it that the Roman army brought cats with them to safeguard their food supply from rats. Rats also liked to chew on wood and leather, which meant they were a threat to Roman armor and equipment as well. To prevent loss of food, damage to equipment, and the spread of disease, the cat was an indispensable part of Roman forts. And it wasn’t long before cats were also appreciated as mascots and companions to the soldiers. A mosaic representation of a cat, Pompeii The Romans also regarded cats in terms of mythical symbolism. Cats were thought to embody independence and freedom. In fact, cats were the only animals allowed inside Roman temples. The Roman goddess Libertas is often shown with a cat. And there are several tales of the goddess Diana transforming herself into a cat. It seems being a cat had its privileges in the old Empire. A Roman tombstone of a young boy holding a cat, 2nd Century AD. We do not find cats very often on Roman coins. One of the only example I could find was this Provincial Hadrian from Alexandria. The reverse is described as " Bastet/ Bubastis holding cat in right hand" : British Museum. This is my only "cat", but please feel free to show me yours !
Wow @Broucheion ! I didn't expect to see a specimen from a CT member. Now I'm just looking forward to see @MeowtheKitty 's reaction to this thread !
My big cats, Ionia 1/12th stater but if you want something actually resembling a cat, then this Chola coin depicts what's supposed to be a tiger as a cute little cat eyeing on a couple of fish!
Lions both sides, sort of... Kings of Thrace, Lysimachos, 305-281 BC. AR Drachm (19mm, 4.09g). In the types of Alexander III of Macedon. Lampsakos mint, struck circa 299/298-297/296 BC. Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev: Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, holding scepter; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ to right, ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ upside down below, forepart of Pegasos left above forepart of lion left in left field, torch below throne. Ref: Price L11; Müller 24; Thompson 35.
Seriously, Cats are a Thing. Unlike dogs (where orders of magnitude more human, de facto genetic engineering happened), they make friends with you at Their Express Option, instead of as a literally innate compulsion. ...Like spiders and crows, two other kinds of beast for whom I harbor great, mostly unrequited affection. ...If you need cats, medieval coins are (metaphor, okay?) stinky with 'em. Especially by way of lions, rampant and passant, and, in the case of Baybars, the mid-13th c. Mamluk sultan of Egypt and Syria, maybe a tiger. (In contemporary European heraldry, a 'lion passant' (on all fours) is sometimes referred to as a 'leopard.' Effecting a cool transition to the tiger (or, depending on the interpretation, more literal leopard) of Baybars.) ...Meanwhile, Edward I's deniers and oboles as Duke of Aquitaine have unmistakable lions passant, with manes. Both before his coronation (and departure on what may have been the last 13th-century crusade), and afterward. While on crusade, Baybars was who Edward ran smack into. ...Including a nearly successful assassination attempt. The fact that there is a King Edward I was largely a matter of luck. ...I was about to find one, at random (with the luck of the draw as far as what .jpgs show up first). But I'm having only worse luck than usual with the prevailing chaos of the operant files. Surely, other people here could go that route (medieval lions), were they so moved.
Oh no, @Orfew, the video is showing up here as "unavailable." Hate it when that happens! Except, @desertgem, for a hypothetical indie band name (yep, used to do that), it's not resonating like 'the Cowboy Junkies' (and, I solemnly promise you, that name landed on me before I ever heard of the, Thank you, real, eponymous band). ...To get all Autism-spectrum literal (as might happen at any time), I'd rather not see a cat on crack. Catnip, Thank you, Having that. ...The time when somebody put a puppy's nose into a lit bong was the one memory of that particular dorm party that I'd rather forget.
@Orfew, now the video is showing up, with the vinyl 45 and the whole lot! Don't know this band, especially from back in the day, but the track is the kind of thing where, if I had a 45 of it (and a turntable), it would be a Solid keeper.