CILICIA, Aegeae. Valerian I. 253-260 AD. Æ 27mm. Obv.: AV KAI ΠOV ΛIKI OVAΛEPIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, serpent-staff before Rev.: IEPOIKOVMENIKOC ACKΛHΠIOC / AIΓAIωN, prize-crown with two palms on table; amphora below, purse to either side, T in central field. Coins are almost all that is left of ancient Aegeae, (or Aigeai), an sea-port in Cilicia. It is today no more than Yumurtalik, a small Turkish town by the sea, where visitors can see the walls and towers of a medieval and ottoman citadel and have some good time at the beach. In the 19th c. the whole town was enclosed in the citadel, all the rest was vague ancient and medieval ruins. Ayas (ancient Aegeae) on a 1858 map Ayas (or Yumurtalik) today I don't think any systematic archaeological exploration has been undertaken, specialists just noted some Greek inscriptions and even a neo-hittite stela. Yumurtalik was called by the Italians Aiazzo or Laiazzo in the late Middle Ages. Marco Polo has been there on his road to China. This name was derived from the ancient Aigeai, and the citadel is still called Ayas. The city is mentioned by many ancient authors, among which Tacitus and Philostrates. In the Hellenistic and early Roman period it was a busy port, well connected by good roads to central Anatolia. Roman tombstones of sailors from Aegeae are known as far as North Africa. When Macrinus, defeated in Syria by Julia Soaemias, attempted to escape to Rome, he crossed the gulf of Alexandretta and passed through Aegeae. But the city was also well-known for her sanctuary of Asclepios, the god of Medicine. It had an Asklepeion as important as the ones in Pergamum or Epidaurus. Pilgrims from far away came there to be cured by the local priests who were doctors. Saints Cosmas and Damian were two Arab doctors who were working there, in Aegeae, before converting to christianity. They are said to have cured the patients for free : a kind of ancient free healthcare. The importance of Aegeae and her Asklepeion was such in the 3rd c. that the emperor Valerian, as soon as he arrived in Orient to fight the Persians, authorized Aegeae, who happened to be just celebrating the 300th anniversary of her refoundation by Julius Caesar, to organize lavish games in honor of Asklepios, open to contestants from the whole world. This coin commemorates the event : (ἀγὼν) ἱερὸς οἰκουμενικὸς Ἀσκληπιός means : "Holy worldwide Asclepian Games". The reverse type is the prize-table, like the ivory one that existed in Olympia for centuries. On the table there is the "agonistic crown" with two palms for the winners, flanked by two purses (you didn't win the glory only !). Under the table is the sorting urn in which athletes could pick the tablet with their starting rank. The letter T is the numeral for 300, year 300 of the local era, 253/4 AD.
I've got one coin from Cilician Aegeae, so it's very interesting to learn a bit more of the city's history. I've read a little of Florian Haymann's writing (who specializes in the city's coinage) -- what's online, anyway. Also, any Valerian Provincial is interesting for approaching the latest Provincial coins (outside of Egypt). ASKLEPEION (in EPIDAUROS in PELOPONESSOS): I was unaware of the Aesklepeion there or the Aesklepian Games. Here are some Aesklepios coins from another city with a famous Aesklepeion: Epidauros. Notice the dogs on the reverses of two. They were his companion animals and were thought to have healing properties of their own (both magical and physical, by allowing dogs to lick wounds). Pausanias wrote that dogs roamed the temple grounds both as holy animals and healers: HADRIAN & CILICIAN AEGEAE: From the silver coinage, scholars believe that Hadrian visited the city at least once, in 117 CE. (Others have proposed up to four visits, but one is likely.) From 117 to 133/4 the city struck dated Tetradrachms in the name of Hadrian. (As did other Cilician cities.) My example was struck in 130/1 (Caesarian Year 177): This coin was from the Mid-2005 Aegeae Hoard (No. 4.3.6), and illustrated in articles by Lorber & Michaels (Quaderni Ticinesi 37, 2007, Abstract) and Florian Haymann. Haymann's article is available from a couple of sources online and gives interesting background on what we know (or speculate) about Hadrian's visit: Haymann, Florian. 2014. "The Hadrianic Silver Coinage of Aegeae (Cilicia)" American Journal of Numismatics 26: pp. 143-186 + 20 plates. [Available from JSTOR ; or available from Haymann's Academia.edu page] See also his (unpublished? n.d.) "The silver coins of Aegeae in the light of Hadrian's Eastern Coinages." GAMES & NEOKOROS ISSUES: Here's another mid-3rd century "Games" issue. This is from Thessalonica, celebrating the 2nd Kabeiric Pythian Games (local, not the ones in Delphi). One thing to notice -- the reverse legend: ΘƐϹϹΑΛΟΝΙΚƐΩΝ ΝƐΩ / ·ΠΥΘΙΑΔΙ· / ·Β· [Thessalonians, Neo(korate) / Pythian Games / #2] The Neokorate part is interesting and important. A very important privileged relationship with Rome, almost always mentioned prominently on a city's coinage. (An important topic for Roman Provinces and their coins. A good intro is Barbara Burrell, 2004, Neokoroi Greek Cities and Roman Emperors [53 pp. preview on Google].) What I notice about the OP coin: There doesn't seem to be any mention of the city's Neokorate status? But Cilicia, Aegeae had been awarded Neokorate status. It's almost always mentioned on coinage, especially local Games coinage (holding them was a requirements for Neokoroi), at least an abbreviation (e.g., NE or ΝƐⲰ). Looking at RPC Online, I noticed a few others that leave it out (e.g., a few from Philip I & Trajan Decius) -- I wonder why? Was the status lost, or less important at that time, or if they just didn't include it in the ethnic here for some other reason? NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH... the other one -- Achaea, Achaia, among other spellings -- in which, even more confusingly, there is also a city, Aigai! This ACHAIA the great Province, more-or-less synonymous with Greece or Central Greece. This coin is from the veteran colony of Patras (Patraea) in Achaea:
Thank you @GinoLR and @Curtis Amazing and informative write-ups. I love history and learning new things, and I confess, I skimmed your posts, but will go back and re-read in a little while, when I have more time. Thank you both, very much, Blessings, Kenneth
That's a very interesting OP coin. As far as condition, it is certainly encrusted, but the detail is quite nice on both sides.
