Dear Friends! Beside the Silphion plant we have another interesting plant depicted on coins, typical for Selge in Pisidia: the Styrax tree. But in contrast to Silphion Styrax is not extincted and in use until today. I hope that this article may be of interest for you. 1st coin: Pisidia, Selge, 2nd-1st century BC AR - triobol, 2.40g, 15.23mm, 0° obv. Head of Herakles frontal, slightly r., wearing Styrax wreath, lion's skin knotted around neck, club on l. side rev. Club on l. side, holy Styrax tree on altar on r. side, between them ΣEΛΓEΩN top down, in r. field bukranion seen frontal ref. SNG France 1959; SNG Copenhagen 256; SNG von Aulock 5284 Rare, about VF, obv. a bit excentric Often Herakles is described as 'wearing oak wreath'. But actually it is a Styrax wreath! 2nd coin: Pisidia, Selge, 2nd-1st century BC AE 13, 2.46g, 12.71mm, 0° obv. Bearded head of Herakles, wreathed with Styrax leaves, club over l. shoulder rev. Stag kneeling r., head turned l. in l. and r. field ΣE - Λ below stag ΓEΩN ref. SNG France 1963; SG 5489 about VF Here the Styrax wreath is evident! Styrax tree (Storax, Styrax) is a genus of the Styrax plants with about 100 species in the tropics and subtropics (except Africa); indeciduous or deciduous shrubs or trees, whose twigs and leaves are full of star-shaped hairs. The blossoms are white, separate, growing from the leaf axil or in terminal grapes. Popular species are the Benjamin tree (benzoe) and the true Styrax (Styrax officinalis), the last one a small tree native in South-Europe and Asia Minor. By carving into the bark the resin formerly Storax was obtained. Storax was the collective name for several aromatic smelling resins, consisting particularly of cinnamic acid, cinnamic acid esters, alcoholes and vanillin. The most famous was the oriental Storax, obtained from the Oriental Sweetgum (Liquidamber orientalis). It was formerly used as remedy for asthma, catarrhs and skin deseases. Today it serves for the production of ethereal oils and a resinoid which were used in perfume industry. Strabo (xii. 7, §3) writes: 'The Styrax is found here (in the neighbourhood of Selge) in great abundance, a tree, not big, but grown upright. From the wood of this tree were made spears like those made from ash trees. In the stem of Styrax a worm is breeded who munched through the wood to the bark and in doing so ejects wooden grasps like strands or bran, a heap which accumulate at the root of the tree. Afterwards this changes to a liquid which quickly hardens to a gum-like mass. One part of the liquid rises up and mingles with the wooden grasps at the root of the tree and with earth; another part obtains its stability at the surface of the mass and stays pure. The part flowing vdown on the surface of the stem is pure too. From the impure part a mixture is made, a combination of earth and wood dust; this mixture has a greater flavour than the pure Styrax, but is inferior to him in all other qualities. That's not generally known. It is used in vast quantities as incense due to the superstition of those who worship gods.' The pic of Leaves, blossoms and fruits of Styrax officinalis from Leopold Dippel, Handbuch der Laubholzkunde, 1889. Selge was situated at the southern slopes of the Tauros mountains. The valley near Selge was fruitful of wine, olives, iris and Styrax. But the most important was the Styrax industry. Several thousands of people were busy in preparing the precious balsam. Styrax was the base of Selge's wealth, prosperity and power. Styrax not only was used as remedy but like frankincense in ritual acts too. Even today it is the most important incense of the Greek-Orthodox Church besides frankincense. At the river Eurymedon (today Köprücay river) you find still today Styrax shrubs from which the valuable resin is obtained. If you go along the Eurymedon sometimes the bright green of Styrax officinals glows through the darker leafage. The inhabitants of Selge hold this plant in such high veneration that they put it on their coins. Barcley Head (Historia Nummorum) writes; 'Coin types are - two Styrax trees in boxes (a altar before each), flanked by thunderbolt and club, or by a column carrying an eagle and Nike.' In the Bible too the Styrax tree is mentioned. Hosea 4, 13: They offer sacrifices on mountaintops, and they burn incense on the hills under oaks, poplars, and terebinths. They think that these trees provide good shade. That is why your daughters become prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. Poplar probably means Styrax tree. The Hebraic word livneh is used for both trees. So Styrax was not only economical important for Selge but because of its ritual relevance too. Are there more reasons to venerate this tree and to put it on the coins? At the end I want to show an enigmatic coin from Selge: 3rd coin: Pisidia, Selge, Geta, AD 209-212 AE 16, 4.13g, 15.70mm, 30° obv. AV K - CE ΓETAC Head, bearded, laureate, r. rev. CEΛ - ΓEΩN Dionysos, clad in nebris and wearing boots, stg. l., resting with raised l. hand on knotted thyrsos decorated with Styrax leaves(?) and holding in extended r. hand kantharos; at his feet the panther std. l. and looking back to him ref. not in SNG Copenhagen, SNG von Aulock, SNG Paris, BMC, Lindgren possibly unpublished VF, dark green patina For me the thyrsos looks like decorated with Styrax, take a look at the spiky leaves. What do you think? Sources: (1) Strabo (2) Bible, Old Testament (3) Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon (4) Der Kleine Pauly (5) Hellmut Baumann, Pflanzenbilder auf griechischen Münzen (6) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Styrax_officinalis (7) http://www.zum.de/stueber/dippel/band1/203.html Best regards
Thanks for another fabulous writeup, Jochen! The triobol is fantastic. Styrax is still an important plant. An alcohol tincture of benzoin (resin from a species of Styrax) is regularly used in doctors' offices, hospitals, and clinics. It is applied to the skin to help certain skin closure tapes adhere. In AMCC1 I picked up this teensy bronze snack: a Shrek-like Herakles sporting a Styrax wreath. PISIDIA, Selge 2nd - 1st century BCE AE; 1.89 gm, 13.4 mm. Obv: Three-quarter facing head of Herakles wreathed with styrax, head turned slightly right, lion-skin around neck, club over shoulder Rev: ΣΕ-Λ, stag kneeling right, head left, K below Ref: SNG Cop 257
As usual Mr. Jochen, I have learn new stuff from one of your instructive article. Shouldn’t we calling you Professor Jochen ?
Superb, Jochen!!! Live and learn. You have taught me so much! Again, one of the finest NUMISMATISTS alive today.....IMHO.
No idea on the thyrsos but here is my coin with a bearded Hercules with styrax: Pisidia, Selge. Æ12, 2.4g, 7h; 2nd-1st centuries BC Obv.: Laureate and bearded head of Herakles facing, lion-skin around neck; club to left. Rev.: Forepart of stag right, head left.
I am now wondering about the "winged thunderbolt" (as some describe it) on the reverse of the Selge coin below. Could it be possible that the thunderbolt is elaborated with the styrax tree branches? It appears to me that Jochen's thrysos on the reverse does include a styrax plant. PISIDIA, Selge. Circa 2nd-1st Century BC. Æ (13mm, 1.58 gm, 12h). Obv: Laureate head of Herakles right, club over shoulder. Rev: Thunderbolt, bow to right. SNG Copenhagen 263; SNG von Aulock 5288.
Hi Pete! The thunderbolt looks indeed designed as to remind of styrax. It is not real styrax but the rays are more spiky as usual. And I think that this was made intentionally.
