Dear friends of ancient mythology! I want to share once again a coin whose mythology originates in the eastern region. What most of you already know (at least should know!) the number of deities of Asia Minor and the Middle East exceeds the number of Greek gods by far. But often they are local deities whose names or meanings sometimes are unknown to us, because they change from one city to the next. This is not the case with this god. And he is connected to the Greek mythology what we have seen at other gods too. The coin: Phoenia, Berytos, Elagabal, AD 218-222 AE 23, 10.72g, 0° obv. IMP CAES M [AVR AN - TONINVS] AVG Bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, laureate, r. rev. COL IV - L - AVG FE[L] / [BER] Eshmoun, naked, with chlamys behind, stg. frontal, head r., holding wreath in raised r. hand, between two snakes, horned and bearded, erecting outwards ref. BMC 216; Lindgren II, 120, 2270; SNG Copenhagen 120 (same rev. die) very rare, VF, brown surfaces Pedigree: ex CNG Electronic Auction 179, 2. 1. 2008 Mythology: It is said that Eshmun has been a young man from Berytos who loved to hunt. The goddess Astarte fell in love with him, but to escape her advances he mutilated himself and died. Not to be outdone, Astarte brought him back to life by the warmth of her body, and changed him into a god (Photius). It is also said that the village of Qabr Shmoun, near Beirut, still preserves the memory of the young god's tomb. Known primarily as a god of healing, Eshmun's death and resurrection also gave him the role of a fertility god who dies and is reborn annually. As God Eshmun was equated with Asklepios the Greek God of Health. Therefore we see him as Eshmun-Asklepios together with snakes which stand for the healing power of nature. Background: Eshmun was a god of healing of the northwestern Semitics and the tutelary of Sidon. He was was known at least from the Iron Age period at Sidon and was worshipped also in Tyre, Berytos, Cyprus, Sardinia, and in Carthage, where the site of Eshmun's temple is now occupied by the chapel of Saint Louis. According to Sanchuniathon his father was Sydyk (i.e. the just man). First Sydyk was father of seven sons equated with the Greek Kabeiroi or Dioskuroi, no mother named, and then afterwards got an eighth son by one of the seven Titanides or Artemides. This was Eshmun and his name appears to mean 'the Eighth'. Pausanias (7.23.7–8) quotes a Sidonian saying that the Phoenicians claim Apollo as the father of Asklepios, as do the Greeks, but unlike them do not make his mother a mortal woman. This Sidonian then continued with an allegory which explained that Apollo represented the sun, whose changing path imparts to the air its healthiness which is to be understood as Asklepios. This allegory seems likely a late invention. Also Apollo is usually equated with the Phoenician plague god Resheph. This might be a variant version of Eshmun's parentage, or Apollo might also be equated with Sadyk, Sadyk might be equated with Resheph. The temple of Eshmun is found 1km from Sidon on the Bostrenus River, the modern River Awwali in a lush valley of citrus groves. Its building was begun at the end of the 6th centura BC during the reign of Eshmunazar II, and later additions were made up into the Roman period. It was excavated by Maurice Dunand in 1963-1978. . The site of his temple must have been chosen because of the nearby water source which was used in the healing rituals. It was the custom to offer statues to the god that bore the names of those who came for healing. The fact that most of these votive pieces depict children suggests that Eshmoun may have been regarded as the pediatrician of the times. Many of these votive offerings were found during the excavation. The temple of Eshmun, the only Phoenician side in Lebanon where more is found than only the foundation walls. Also found near the Sidon temple was a gold plaque of Eshmun and the goddess Hygieia, "Health," showing Eshmun holding a staff in his right hand around which a serpent is entwined. My coin from Berytos shows Eshmun together with two snakes. A similar depiction is found on a rare denarius of Geta where Asklepos-Eshmun is seen standing between two snakes in a temple. Wether this is the temple from Sidon I don't know. Other coins from Melita (todays Malta) show the head of Eshmun, sometimes winged. Denarius of Geta, unpublished in any reference work (Romae Aeternae Numismatics) Note: Sanchuniathon was a Phoenician historian, cited by Philon of Byblos (AD 64-141), who should have lived before the Trojan War. After new discoveries and deciphering of mythological texts in Ugarit he seems to be a reliable source of Philon. Philon himself was cited by Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 260/65-339/40). Sources: (1) Eusebius of Caesarea, Praeparatio Evangelica (2) Pausanias, Periegesis (3) Photios I, Biblioteka (AD 820-870) (4) Wikipedia (5) www.ikamalebanon.com Best regards
Dagnabbit, Jochen! You are killing me with these fantastic provincials!! Thanks for another wonderfully thorough exploration of an unusual deity.
Thank you, TIF! For my book about ancient mythology I was more than 5 years on the hunt for coins with rare mythological motives. I will show you some more.
Jochen, Thanks for an interesting post . Despite so many different names many of these ancient cults believed in the same gods & goddesses e.g. god of war, god of the underworld, goddess of fertility etc.
Ditto what @TIF said, always an enjoyable & informative read. I hope you don't mind me posting a coin from Berytos which shows the more common Reverse image. MACRINVS -Ae. 8.69g - 23mm. Reverse - COL - BER Poseidon holding Dolphin & Trident, Foot on Rock ? unpublished ?
