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<p>[QUOTE="TIF, post: 2642733, member: 56859"]The Roman Provincial section of any auction has become the first place I browse when a new auction is posted. This coin stopped me in my tracks. Glorious Apollo, holding his kithara, posing like a... well... posing like a Greek god atop a mythical beast <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_f76e3a591954457d9da4c80c34eaeefa~mv2.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>TROAS, Alexandria. Trebonianus Gallus</b></p><p>CE 251-253</p><p>AE 21 mm, 4.76 gm</p><p>Obv: IMP VIB TREB GALVS AV; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right</p><p>Rev: COL AV / TROA; Apollo, head right and holding kithara, seated facing on griffin springing right, head left</p><p>Ref: RPC IX 407; Bellinger A403</p><p><i>Only three others found in ACsearch. Sure, T-Bone's portrait is messed up but who cares when glorious Apollo is riding on a griffin? <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></i></p><p><br /></p><p>Apollo...god of music, song and poetry, archery, healing, prophecy and oracles, plague and disease, and the protection of the young. He appears on countless ancient Greek and Roman coins, testament to his importance in those societies. I had trouble recognizing him at first, frequently mistaking his portrait for a goddess. He's always depicted as a beardless youth, usually with curled hair, often twisted around a taenia at the front, with long curlicues hanging on the sides. Very feminine. Even though it's small, you can see that hairstyle on this coin's Apollo.</p><p><br /></p><p>What's with the position of his right arm? Is it just a pose? His arm wouldn't be curved above his head after drawing his bow or throwing a dart. It looks more like ballet position #4 <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]583285[/ATTACH]</p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p><p>Googling for similar depictions, I thought there might be some statues with him holding his arm arched above his head but the closest I found was a 16th century marble by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pietro_Francavilla_-_Apollo_Victorious_over_the_Python_-_Walters_27302.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pietro_Francavilla_-_Apollo_Victorious_over_the_Python_-_Walters_27302.jpg" rel="nofollow">Pietro Francovilla, "Apollo Victorious over the Python"</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]583289[/ATTACH]</p><p style="text-align: right"><font size="3">a.k.a. "Subway Apollo" (she is not impressed)</font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p><p>Silliness aside, is this arm-over-head pose a "thing" in Greek and Roman art? It looks so familiar yet I'm not finding abundant examples in ancient art.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for griffins, I didn't realize Apollo had any association with them nor do I see a logical link but there are other depictions of him on a griffin, such as on this kylix:</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.theoi.com/image/K5.7Apollon.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><font size="3">Apollo riding Griffin, Athenian red-figure kylix C4th B.C., <a href="https://www.khm.at/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.khm.at/" rel="nofollow">Kunsthistorisches Museum</a></font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p><p>I'm too tired for a big "book report" project although this coin does generate many interesting questions and areas for research and learning.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>For now, please trot out your Apollos. Let's see just how pretty he can be <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="TIF, post: 2642733, member: 56859"]The Roman Provincial section of any auction has become the first place I browse when a new auction is posted. This coin stopped me in my tracks. Glorious Apollo, holding his kithara, posing like a... well... posing like a Greek god atop a mythical beast :). [IMG]https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_f76e3a591954457d9da4c80c34eaeefa~mv2.jpg[/IMG] [B]TROAS, Alexandria. Trebonianus Gallus[/B] CE 251-253 AE 21 mm, 4.76 gm Obv: IMP VIB TREB GALVS AV; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev: COL AV / TROA; Apollo, head right and holding kithara, seated facing on griffin springing right, head left Ref: RPC IX 407; Bellinger A403 [I]Only three others found in ACsearch. Sure, T-Bone's portrait is messed up but who cares when glorious Apollo is riding on a griffin? :D[/I] Apollo...god of music, song and poetry, archery, healing, prophecy and oracles, plague and disease, and the protection of the young. He appears on countless ancient Greek and Roman coins, testament to his importance in those societies. I had trouble recognizing him at first, frequently mistaking his portrait for a goddess. He's always depicted as a beardless youth, usually with curled hair, often twisted around a taenia at the front, with long curlicues hanging on the sides. Very feminine. Even though it's small, you can see that hairstyle on this coin's Apollo. What's with the position of his right arm? Is it just a pose? His arm wouldn't be curved above his head after drawing his bow or throwing a dart. It looks more like ballet position #4 :D [CENTER][ATTACH=full]583285[/ATTACH] [/CENTER] Googling for similar depictions, I thought there might be some statues with him holding his arm arched above his head but the closest I found was a 16th century marble by [URL='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pietro_Francavilla_-_Apollo_Victorious_over_the_Python_-_Walters_27302.jpg']Pietro Francovilla, "Apollo Victorious over the Python"[/URL]. [ATTACH=full]583289[/ATTACH] [RIGHT][SIZE=3]a.k.a. "Subway Apollo" (she is not impressed)[/SIZE][/RIGHT] [CENTER][/CENTER] Silliness aside, is this arm-over-head pose a "thing" in Greek and Roman art? It looks so familiar yet I'm not finding abundant examples in ancient art. As for griffins, I didn't realize Apollo had any association with them nor do I see a logical link but there are other depictions of him on a griffin, such as on this kylix: [CENTER][IMG]http://www.theoi.com/image/K5.7Apollon.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=3]Apollo riding Griffin, Athenian red-figure kylix C4th B.C., [URL='https://www.khm.at/']Kunsthistorisches Museum[/URL][/SIZE] [/CENTER] I'm too tired for a big "book report" project although this coin does generate many interesting questions and areas for research and learning. [B]For now, please trot out your Apollos. Let's see just how pretty he can be :)[/B][/QUOTE]
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