Marsyas is a satyr in Greek mythology who was one of the more popular statuary types in the realm. There were a variety of poses that he shows up as, but the most common one shows him strung up and flayed. The statues tend to be rather fragmentary, and modern principles tend to deny full restorations of the full figure. However, sometimes they are found largely intact, such as this one, in situ: Another popular pose is a statuary group of Athena and Marsyas. Athena was playing the pan flute, but was evidently displeased at the expression her face made while playing. Frustrated, she flung the pipes to the ground, much to the delight of Marsyas who was apparently really stoked at the free instrument. This group was originally bronze, but exists in a variety of fragmentary marble copies: This group is so popular that there are a great deal of modern bronze copies all over the world, such as below: Marsyas doesn't show up too much on coins, and those are often out of my price range. I managed to pick up this small AE16 from Iconium, modern Konya, Turkey. This statuary type with Marysas carrying the wine skin is very popular and shows up in the exact same pose since the Republican era, indicating that statues of this type survived all across the empire for hundreds of years. Oddly enough, I cannot find a single extant example of this statue in any material. Please post your Marsyases!
One Marsyas coin, with a design I really liked and one of the coins that made me say I WANT THIS ONE. Laureate head of Apollo right / L•CENSOR, Marsyas walking left, naked with right arm raised and holding wine-skin over left shoulder; behind, column bearing statue of Victory. Banker's mark on legend. Crawford 363/1d; Marcia 24; Sydenham 737
L CENSORINUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS MARCIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Laureate head of Apollo right REVERSE: L CENSOR, the satyr, Marsyas, standing left with wineskin over shoulder; behind him, column surmounted by draped figure (Minerva?) Rome 82 BC 3.66g, 17mm Cr363/1d, Marcia 24
Alexandria Troas, Time of Gallienus (cira 253-268 AD), 24.5 mm, 6.98 g Obv: COL ALEX TRO, Turreted and draped bust of Tyche right; to left, vexillum inscribed CO/AV in two lines SNG Cop 103 var; SNG von Aulock 1463 var; BMC -, RPC IX 508 Agora Auctions, auction 3, January 2014, Lot 080 Note: Roman Provincial coins depicting Marsyas typically had Latin--not Greek--inscriptions and were Roman colonies. Auctioneer's Note: “Neither reference cited list the COL on the obverse, however, this coin shares the same die as von Aulock 1464. The obverse may be a mule. Both references cite the reverse legend with TROAD, the D is not present on this coin.”
I have a well-worn example of the RR denarius featuring Marsyas: And a bronze of Elagabalus from Berytus (Beirut) featuring a statue of Marsyas standing in a temple (note the wineskin over his shoulder, and what looks like a flute or side-view of Pan pipes in his raised hand):
Æ Diassarion, Thrace, Deultum, 222 - 235 AD 23 mm, 7.487 g SNG Bulgaria 418-23; Draganov 418; Varbanov 2319; Youroukova 143 Ob.: IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXANDER AVG (AV ligated) laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Severus Alexander to right Rev.: COL FL PAC DEVLT Marsyas advancing to right, extending his r. hand in greeting and holding wineskin over his shoulder with his l. hand
Thanks! I knew I had seen that thread before, couldn't find it. I think that relief is the only extant version of that wineskin Marysas!
Ah, I can't resist the call of Marsyas...starting with my avatar (left), and these: A Censorinus denarius with a reverse die clash: Phyrgia Apameia - probably the cheapest-to-get Marsyas: Another Phyrgia Apameia with a Delutum Provincial of Severus Alexander: Troas, time of Gallienus (is this an obverse die match to the one @Ed Snible shared above? - this one confused me as I attributed it, as my notes indicate): Alexandreia, Troas Æ 22 Pseudo-autonomous (Gallienus era c. 253-268 A.D.) CO ALEX [TRO], Turreted, draped bust of Tyche r., vexillum w. CO/AV behind / COL AV[G]TROA(C?), Marsyas standing right on pedestal, wine-skin over shoulder, right hand raised. (4.41 grams / 22 mm ) eBay May 2019 Bellinger A497 var. (with CO ALEX TRO on obv.); SNG Cop 103 var (ditto) SNG von Aulock 1463 var (ditto) Severus Alexander again, Bostra in Arabia - a dumpy Marsyas (looking rather like Santa Claus, I think):
