Deities and Personifications A-Z

I've got a Kushan/Hindu god that can go under 'O':


Kushan Empire
Karishka I, r. 128-158 A.D.
AE Tetradrachm, 24.73 mm x 16.8 grams
Obv.: Crowned, diademed king standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, Bactrian legend around: ϸΑΟ ΚΑ ... ΝηϸΚΙ (King Kanishka)
Rev.: Four-armed Oesho (Shiva?) standing facing, head turned to left, nimbate, holding various attributes, Bactrian legend right: ΟΚϸΟ, tamgha at left
Ex. @Parthicus

 

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It's on to P.

P is for Persephone!


Faustina Jr, AD 147-175
Roman provincial Æ 6.32 gm; 22.1 mm
Thrace, Pautalia, AD 147-175
Obv: ΦΑVCΤ ΕΙΝΑCΕΒΑCΤΗ, bare headed and draped bust, right
Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑCΠ Α VΤΑΛΙΑC, Persephone (BMC) standing left, holding patera over flaming altar, and holding long torch
Refs: BMC 8; Ruzicka 85; Varbanov 4470.


Julia Soaemias, AD 218-222
Roman provincial Æ 21.4 mm, 10.97 g
Samaria, Sebaste, AD 218-222
Obv: SVAMIAS AVGVSTA SEB, bare-headed and draped bust right
Rev: COL L SEBAS-TE, Hades in galloping quadriga right abducting Persephone, Eros above
Refs: Rosenberger 34; BMC 18.

 

PERSEPHONE


Sicily Syracuse Hieron II 275-269 BC AE 22 Persephone Bull LEFT


Sicily Syracuse Hieron II 275-269 BC AE 15 Persephone Bull RIGHT Rare


SICILY Kentoripai Æ Hexas 16mm 3.0g 344-336 BCE Persephone r grain ear plow w bird two pellets Calciati III BMC Sicily 12ff

 

P day? PAN DAY!!

Pan


THRACE, Hadrianopolis. Gordian III
AE 22 mm, 5.18 gm
Obv: AVT K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC; radiate head right
Rev: AΔPIANOΠOΛЄITΩN; Pan advancing left, holding syrinx and lagobolon
Ref: Varbanov 3945 corr. (cantharus in place of syrinx). Rare.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-fully-loaded-pan.287115/


ARKADIA, Arkadian League
340-330 BC, Megalopolis mint
AR Obol, 11 mm, 0.77 g
Obv: head of Pan left
Rev: large Arkadian League monogram; syrinx below
Ref: BCD Peloponnesos (Megalopolis) 1517-8; HGC 5, 930
ex BCD Collection. Ex Vinchon (11-13 April 1988), lot 463


KINGS OF MACEDON, Antigonos II Gonatas
277/6-239 BCE, struck after 270 BCE, Amphipolis mint
AR tetradrachm, 31mm, 17.06 g
Obv: head of Pan in center of Macedonian shield, lagobolon over shoulder; shield decorated with stars within crescents
Rev: BASILEWS ANTIGONOU, Athena Alkidemos walking left, brandishing thunderbolt and shield; helmet left, EMP monogram right
Ref: SNGCop 1200v, EMP (maybe); R. Martin, "A Third-Century B.C. Hoard from Thessaly at the ANS," ANSMN 26, 536 (same obv. die).
ex Demetrios Armounta Collection

 

Pudicitia...


HERENNIA ETRUSCILLA w. of Trajan D. AD 249-251 AR antoninianus.
Obv: HER ETRVSCILLA AVG, diademed, draped bust right.
Rev: PVDICITIA AVG, Pudicitia standing left holding sceptre &
drawing veil from her face. RIC IV 58b
21.45mm 3.8g


JULIA MAESA, grandmother of Elagabalus, AR denarius,
218-222 AD, Rome.
Obv: IVLIA MAESA AVG, draped bust right.
Rev: PVDICITIA, Pudicitia seated left, drawing out
veil from shoulder with right hand and holding
sceptre in left.
RIC IV 268
19.11mm, 2.9g


Pax


Probus 276-282 AD. AE Antoninianus Obv: IMP C M AVR PROBVS PF AVG - Helmeted and radiate bust left, cuirassed holding spear & shield. Rev: PAX AVG, Pax standing left holding olive-branch and transverse sceptre, V to right. Mintmark XXI. Siscia mint. 23.0 mm 3.0 g, RIC V 704

 

My only PAN:


Thrace Pantikapaion 4th C BC, AE 20 Pan head - Griffin forepart BMC 869

 

Pronoia

From theoi.com: In Greek mythology Hesione-Pronoea was the Oceanid-nymph wife of the Titan Prometheus. She was a minor goddess of foresight.

In the Byzantine era, "pronoia" was a system of granting dedicated streams of state income to individuals and institutions.

An interesting modern neologism is uses this word as the opposite of paranoia: sensing that a conspiracy exists to help the person. [This is not a feeling I've ever personally experienced ]

Here's an ugly example, an Alexandrian tet. It appears that someone tried to gild it in the past.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
year 22, CE 137/8
billion tetradrachm, 23 mm, 12.3 gm
Obv: AVTKAICTPAAΔPIANOCCEB; laureate head right
Rev: ΠPONOIA; Pronoia standing left, holding phoenix and sceptre; KB left
Ref: Emmett 881.22

 

PAX:


RI Carausius usurper in Britain CE 287–293 BI Ant 4.7g 24mm London radiate cuirassed - PAX AVG Pax stndg l branch scepter S—P RIC V 475


RI Allectus 293-296 CE AE Ant PAX


RI Victorinus 269-270 CE BI Ant Gallic Empire PAX

 

PUDICITIA


RI Lucilla 164-182 CE AR Denarius 18mm 2.8g Rome mint 166-169 CE Pudicitia RIC III 780


RI Julia Maesa AR Denarius Pudicitia 3.1g 19mm Sear 2183

 

A pretty Pudicitia on a charming denarius of Lucilla:


Lucilla
Empress CE 163-169, wife of Lucius Verus
AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.25 gm
Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA; draped bust right
Rev: PVDICITIA; Pudicitia, veiled, standing left, with right hand preparing to draw a veil across her face (or had she just drawn the veil off her face?), left hand at side
Ref: RIC III 780

 

Poseidon


KINGS of MACEDON. Antigonos III Doson, 229-221 BCE
struck 227-225 BCE, Amphipolis mint?
AR tetradrachm, 32 mm, 17.1 gm
Obv: wreathed head of Poseidon right
Rev: Apollo seated left on prow left, holding bow; monogram below.
Ref: Panagopoulou 50–3 var. (unlisted dies); EHC 436; Touratsoglou 52–3; SNG Saroglos 933; SNG Alpha Bank 1046; SNG Ashmolean 3266


PHOENICIA, Berytos
1st century BCE
Æ19.5, 5.9 gm
Obv: Turreted head of Tyche right
Rev: Poseidon standing left in quadriga drawn by four hippocamps Ref: SNG Copenhagen 83

 

POSEIDON

Started being cut for change, then an afterthought:
"OK, I will take both chickens..."


Lucania Paestum (Poseidoneia) 218-201 BCE AE Semuncia Poseidon-Dolphin (started cut for change) Craw 4-1

 

POSEIDON

MACEDONIAN KINGDOM. Time of Philip V and Perseus
AE Serrate. 10.0g, 25mm. Macedonian mint, circa 185-168 BC. SNG Cop 1294. O: Diademed head of Poseidon right, trident over shoulder. R: MAKE-ΔONΩN, club; monograms below left and right; all within oak wreath.

PERSEPHONE

PHRYGIA, Hierapolis. Pseudo-autonomous civic issue
AE29. 12.36g, 29.1mm. PHRYGIA, Hierapolis, circa AD 2nd-3rd centuries. RPC Online 2045; SNG Cop 428. O: IЄPAΠOΛЄI-TΩN, head of youthful Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath. R: The Abduction of Persephone: Hades in galloping quadriga right, carrying off struggling Persephone.

PAN

ELAGABALUS
Rare. AE27. 12.24g, 26.9mm. MOESIA INFERIOR, Nicopolis ad Istrum, circa 218-222. Novius Rufus, legate. Varbanov 3949 (same dies); AMNG 1933 corr. (2 specimens). O: AVT M AVP – ANTΩNINOC (NO ligate), laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from front. R: VΠ NOBIOV POVΦOV NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠPO, C ICTPΩ in exergue, Pan, with goats horns and legs, standing left, head right, draped in fawn skin, fawn hooves hanging from left arm, playing pipes (?), holding pedum in right hand, and placing left hoof on chest of panther which is lying on its back on the ground and raising its head.
Ex Dr. Rainer Pudill Collection, purchased from Majestic, Großostheim, on 24 Sep 1997

 

PROTESILAOS

MACEDONIA, Skione
AR Tetrobol. 2.28g, 13mm. MACEDONIA, Skione, circa 480-450 BC. SNG ANS 708-9 var. (ethnic). O: Head of the hero, Protesilaos, right. R: Apotropaic eye within incuse square.
From Wiki: "In Greek mythology, Protesilaus was a hero in the Iliad who was venerated at cult sites in Thessaly and Thrace. Protesilaus was the son of Iphiclus, a "lord of many sheep"; as grandson of the eponymous Phylacos, he was the leader of the Phylaceans. Hyginus surmised that he was originally known as Iolaus—not to be confused with Iolaus, the nephew of Heracles—but was referred to as "Protesilaus" after being the first to leap ashore at Troy, and thus the first to die in the war."

 

Imperial Rome
Victorinus, r. 269-271 A.D.
Southern Mint, BL Antoninianus, 18mm x 2.6 grams
Obv.: IMP C VICTORINVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirrased bust right.
Rev.: PROVIDENTIA AVG - Providence standing left, holding baton and cornucopiae, globe at feet.
Ex. YOC; Mossy Bottom Barn Hoard


Imperial Rome
Caracalla, r. 198-217 A.D. (211 A.D.)
Rome Mint, AR Denarius, 20.28mm x 2.8 grams
Obv.: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT. Laureate bust, right
Rev.: P M TR P XIIII COS III P P. Pax, draped, advancing left, holding branch in right hand and sceptre in left hand
Ref.: RIC IV-1 Caracalla 184, p. 238.


Provincial Rome - Thrace
Caracalla, r. 198-217 A.D.
Hadrianopolis, AE 26, 25.88 x 11 grams
Obv.: AVT K M AVR CE ANTΩNEINOC. Laureate bust right
Rev.: AΔRIANO-ΠOΛEITΩN. Pan standing right, with horns and legs of goat, holding crook next to head and lionskin fleece over left arm, left foot on panther lying on its back
Ex. DC Collections

 

Amphipolis, Macedonia, AE21, ca. 187-31 BC. Diademed head of Poseidon right / AMFIPO-LITWN above and beneath club; HD and S monogram above, AN monogram below; all within wreath. AMNG III/2 26; SNG ANS 95 var. (monograms); SNG Cop 52 var

 

River god Pyramos.


CILICIA, Mallos. 4th century BC. Æ 12mm (1.30g).
Obv: ΠΥ; Wreathed head of Pyramos right
Rev: ΜΑΛ; Facing gorgoneion.
SNG France 406-408; SNG Levante 172.
ex Classical Numismatic Group, e-auction 174, October 2007, lot 55.

Wikipedia tells us: In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Pyramus and Thisbe are two lovers in the city of Babylon who occupy connected houses/walls, forbidden by their parents to be wed, because of their parents' rivalry. The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet ultimately sprang from Ovid's story. ... As in Pyramus and Thisbe, the mistaken belief in one lover's death leads to consecutive suicides. While in Ovid's telling Pyramus and Thisbe lived in Babylon, the myth probably originated in Cilicia as Pyramos is the historical Greek name of the local Ceyhan River. The metamorphosis in the primary story involves Pyramus changing into this river and Thisbe into a nearby spring.

 

Cool!!

 

P is for Pan:

Kings of Macedon
Antigonus II Gonatas
AR Tetradrachm
B.C. 277-239(struck 271/0)
17.00 gms, 30.8 - 31.4 mm
Obv: Horned head of Pan left,
lagobolon (pedum) over shoulder,
in the center of a Macedonian
shield decorated with seven
6-pointed stars within crescents.
Rev: BAΣIΛΕΩΣ ANTIΓΟNOY Athena
Alkidemos advancing left
brandishing thunderbolt and
holding shield. Helmet symbol
below left and monogram below r.
Grade: aVF very well centered coin of
good silver w/ nice convex shape.
Other: Alpha Bank 987, Sear 6783. From Harlan J. Berk 9/2015 lot 400988327311.

 

I have G. O. Mattson's book The Gods Goddesses and Heroes on Ancient Coins of Bible Lands. It provides a nice alphabetical list of these and a page or two on each one. (It includes heroes which are not a part of this thread.) Anyway, to get everyone inspired, here are the Ps listed by Mattson:

The Palladium, Pallas, Pan, Pegasus, Perseus, "Persephone or the Roman Prospina", Phanebal, "The Philisto-Arabian and Egypto-Arabian specimens", Phoenix, Pluto, and Poseidon.

The book was printed in Sweden in 1969. It can still be found cheaply ($25). It doesn't always cover the gods that I would have covered.