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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;mithridates, post: 2063186, member: 73314&quot;]This is my only non-Roman ancient coin. Mithridates VI Eupator (of n[ATTACH=full]380686[/ATTACH] oble father) 134-63 BC of Pontus was the King of Pontus from 120-63 BC and was one of Rome&#039;s biggest adversaries. In 88 BC he orchestrated a massive massacre across Anatolia, in which cities all across the region rose up and slaughtered every Roman citizen living in their lands. An ingenious move that made all of these cities and it&#039;s people tied to him in his coming wars with Rome. He is also sometimes known as megas, or the great. His story is fascinating to me and one of my favorite historical figures. So when I came across this Bronze I simply couldn&#039;t pass it up and is one of my favorite coins. </p><p>Obv: Head of Mithridates VI as Dionysos r, wearing ivy wreath.</p><p>Rev: AMIEOY, Cista mystica on which rests panther skin and thyrsos, monogram upper left (htpk?).</p><p>Amisos mint, c.85-65 BC. 20.9mm 8.517g</p><p>From the little I know of the cult of Dionysus, the Cista mystica was a sacred chest that was used in the initiation ceremony for the cult of Dionysus. The thyrsos was a staff symbolizing prosperity &amp; fertility and also used in the ceremony. And the Panther was a sacred animal to Dionysus.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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