Show your Aegis :D

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Some sweet (aegises or aegides) posted. Had to look it up.


Lydia, Sala. Pseudo-autonomous AE19. Magistrate Moloxos
Time of Septimius Severus.
Sala, Lydia, pseudo-autonomous issue, ca. 193-211 AD. 2.8g , AE19.
Obv: CA LHNWN, helmeted bust of Athena right wearing crested Corinthian helmet and aegis.
Rev: EPIMOLO XOY, Kybele seated left, turreted, holding patera and resting arm on tympanum.
Magistrate Val. Moloxos (Archon).
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Very rare, may be unique, Philip V with Aegis on shield.


Macedonian Kings, Philip V. Bronze AE17. Aegis shield.
Macedonian Kingdom, Philip V, 221 - 179 B.C. Bronze AE 17, obverse laureate head of Zeus right; reverse B-A / Φ, Athena Alkidemos standing right, brandishing javelin in right, aegis in left hand, dolphin lower right. SNG Cop 1244-1246var.

 

When I hear aegis, I think Domitian!



Domitian AR Denarius AD 85
Domitian. AD 81-96. AR Denarius, 20mm, 3.50g. Rome mint. Struck AD 85
O: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P IIII; Laureate bust Domitian right with aegis
R: IMP VIIII COS XI CENS POT P P; Minerva standing right on capital of rostral column with spear and shield; aegis draped over back with snakes around; owl to right.
- RIC 334

Minerva was clearly the favorite goddess and patroness of Domitian, evidenced here by his wearing of her aegis.
In the Thebaid Minerva is represented as a terrifying battle goddess, entrusted with Jupiter's horrible aegis, that terrifies the Thebans. The popular perception of Domitian as cruel and capricious was entirely consistent with the wanton destructiveness of Minerva in the epic.

What scene is portrayed on the center of the capital?
From Dressel, Berlin Medallions (published 1973), p. 14, note 1: 'Cohen 237 note says, "a standing figure and a seated figure". Gnecchi, Medaglioni I, p. 43, 4 says "two small figures, the one on the left seated and the second one kneeling before the seated figure". As can be seen on many of the more carefully engraved specimens [Dressel continues], the first figure is shown seated right, while the second figure kneels before the first figure, with arms raised in entreaty.'

 

Superb Domitian @Nemo

 

Indo-Greek aegis, Antimachos II:

 

Pontos Amisos Gorgon Aegis-Nike AE21

 

It looks like a gorgon's face is presented Domitian's chest on your coin.

 

You know, the aegis is a confounding thing! In all honestly nobody really knows what it was or what it represented in its origins. I know, there are many writings about them (and by respected historians, like Robert Graves), but its origins are clouded in mystery. About all we can know is that by the Roman period it was reduced to a fibula, most often in the form of Medusa. But what did it mean to royalty? Unknown, but it certainly was associated with the emperors and royalty. The interesting thing about them is that they dont seem to survive to this day (I am not aware, but there may be one somewhere in a museum). As a component of royalty they were not worn by the common man or woman, and that would explain the lack of archaeological evidence. With regards to coins though, they can be hard to see and identify, but there are some awesome coins posted here which are excellent representations.

 

thank you for this extra info, intriguing it is

 

The detail on the face is what sealed the deal for me. I thought the reverse, showing Minerva wearing the aegis draped over her back with snakes around, was also finely detailed.

I recently read the Iliad where the aegis of Athena is referred to in several places. It has since been returned to the library but I got this quote off Wikipedia "It produced a sound as from a myriad roaring dragons (Iliad, 4.17) and was borne by Athena in battle ... and among them went bright-eyed Athene, holding the precious aegis which is ageless and immortal: a hundred tassels of pure gold hang fluttering from it, tight-woven each of them, and each the worth of a hundred oxen."

 

... am I warm?

 

... warmer, or colder?

 

... too late, I'm done

I'm zero percent sure whether I even posted one single aegis?!!

Oh well, I like you guys!!

cheers

 

@stevex6 You are never warm, Canada is always cold.

I'm wondering if any coin that depicts a shield is also considered an aegis? Technically that is what it is, just mentioning it because their are tons of Macedonia coins with shields on them.

 

Really? ... I didn't think that an aegis was a shield (is it?) ... I thought it was merely a part of the guys armour (more like an arm pad, or more like a breast plate?)

... geesh, why didn't you just ask for a shield?

 

This always is listed as an aegis, but it always has seemed more like part of the elephant's hide to me. One of my non RR keepers.

Ptolemy I Soter. As satrap, 323-305 BC. AR Tetradrachm (15.71 g). In the name of Alexander III of Macedon. Alexandreia mint. Struck circa 311/0-305 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, wearing elephant skin; small Δ on aegis / AΛEΞANΔPOY, Athena Alkidemos advancing right; to right, eagle standing right on thunderbolt. BMC 51; Svoronos 108

 

Steve-O (and everyone), you may find these pages helpful:

http://www.snible.org/coins/aegis2.html

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/aegis_coins.html

 

You have to be kidding me

 

Thanks ... hey, I posted all of the correct examples (and a few incorrect examples)



An aegis can be a shield and/or a breastplate as long as it has the ol' gorgon medusa head on it ...

These three examples have fairly obvious gorgon faces ...








... and this version has the gorgon face on Athena's shield ...




=> Interesting (thanks again for the info)