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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 7843431, member: 19463&quot;]Over the last 24 years, I have answered a number of questions for a number of people.&nbsp; Now I have one I would appreciate hearing answers from you.&nbsp; It is common knowledge that many Greek and Provincial coins express the name of the city in the genitive plural which translates &quot;of the Athenians&quot; rather than &quot;Athens&quot;.&nbsp; Which coins of which city were first to use this genitive plural format?&nbsp; Understand that abbreviations do NOT count for this purpose so ΑΘΕ can not be said to mean &#039;of the Athenians&#039;.&nbsp; I want it spelled out in all its grammar loving glory. </p><p><br /></p><p>For example, this bronze of Gordian III shows the reverse legend ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛEΙΤΩΝ (ΩΝ ligate in exergue) so it reads of the Hadrianopolitans (people of Hadrianopolis) rather than just the name of the city.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1349748[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This question hit me while watching an ANS video on YouTube where the speaker said that ΑΘΕ meant &#039;of the Athenians&#039; but the ΑΘΕ legend was used many years before most coins had any legend or, at least, more than a letter or two and certainly not something that would get you credit on a Greek grammar test if asked to translate &#039;of the Athenians&#039;.&nbsp; Gordian III lived about 800 years after the first ΑΘΕ legend coins.&nbsp; At some point the convention began. Where and when during those centuries do we legends spelled out using the genitive plural?&nbsp; Can anyone save me hours of research here?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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