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<p>[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 7757401, member: 75937"]Glykon was an ancient snake god with a large and influential cult within the Roman Empire in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Almost everything we know about the cult comes from a work by the 2nd century satirist Lucian called Ἀλέξανδρος ἢ Ψευδομάντις (Alexander, or the False Prophet). Lucian claimed Glykon was created in the mid-2nd century by the Greek cult leader, Alexander of Abonoteichos. Lucian called Alexander a false prophet and denounced the whole cult as being based on a hoax: Glykon himself was supposedly a hand puppet made of linen.</p><p><br /></p><p>Alexander claimed that his god Glykon was an incarnation of Asklepios, the Greek god of healing. According to the cult's mythology, Alexander had foretold the coming of a new incarnation of Asklepios. When the people gathered in the marketplace of Abonoteichos at noon, when the incarnation was supposed to occur, Alexander produced a goose egg and sliced it open, revealing the god within. Within a week it grew to the size of a man with the features of a man on its face, including long blond hair. As an incarnation of Asklepios, Glykon was thought to have healing powers, especially to cure infertility. See also [USER=103829]@Jochen1[/USER]'s <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/glykon-the-snake-cult-of-alexander-of-abounoteichos.333661/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/glykon-the-snake-cult-of-alexander-of-abounoteichos.333661/">interesting thread</a> about Glykon.</p><p><br /></p><p>In short order Glykon worship spread throughout the area between the Danube and Euphrates. Beginning late in the reign of Antoninus Pius and continuing into the 3rd century, Roman provincial coins were struck in honor of the snake god, demonstrating his popularity. Here is my latest acquisition, purchased from [USER=99412]@PeteB[/USER] of <a href="http://akropoliscoins.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://akropoliscoins.com/" rel="nofollow">Akropolis Ancient Coins</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1329322[/ATTACH] </p><blockquote><p><font size="3">Caracalla, AD 198-217.</font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Provincial tetrassarion, 14.78 g, 29.6 mm, 1 h. </font></p><p><font size="3">Thrace, Pautalia, c. AD 198-205.</font></p><p><font size="3">Obv: AVT K M AVP ANTΩNEINOC, beardless, laureate head of Caracalla, right.</font></p><p><font size="3">Rev: OYΛΠIAC ΠAV | TAΛIAC. Asklepios cradling serpent-entwined staff, reclining left, head right, on winged, coiled, and bearded Glykon flying right.</font></p><p><font size="3">Refs: BMC 3.145,34; Ruzicka 612; Varbanov II 5008; Moushmov 4235, Mionnet Suppl. 2, p. 384, 1084; Vaillant n. Gr. 1074.</font></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>This coin overtly depicts the close relationship between Glykon and Asklepios. Asklepios rides astride the serpent god, who has wings, a fish-tail and a beard. The standard references do not identify the serpent on this coin as Glykon, however. For example, Mionnet, writing in 1822, describes it as "un serpent ailé" (a winged serpent). Similarly, Reginald S. Poole, writing in 1877 (BMC Greek 3), calls it a "winged dragon." Moushmov, writing in 1912, describes the creature simply as a "змия" (snake). Ruzicka, writing in 1933, describes it as a "geflügelten Drachen" (winged dragon). I have seen auction listings identifying the serpent with Ketos.</p><p><br /></p><p>Yet it's clear the serpent is to be identified as Glykon. On numerous other coins of the Balkan Peninsula, Glykon is depicted as bearded or bearing a fish tail. Moreover, the iconography is only understandable in the context of Glykon as an incarnation of Asklepios.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Let's see your coins depicting Glykon, Asklepios, and especially Asklepios and Glykon portrayed together!</i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 7757401, member: 75937"]Glykon was an ancient snake god with a large and influential cult within the Roman Empire in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Almost everything we know about the cult comes from a work by the 2nd century satirist Lucian called Ἀλέξανδρος ἢ Ψευδομάντις (Alexander, or the False Prophet). Lucian claimed Glykon was created in the mid-2nd century by the Greek cult leader, Alexander of Abonoteichos. Lucian called Alexander a false prophet and denounced the whole cult as being based on a hoax: Glykon himself was supposedly a hand puppet made of linen. Alexander claimed that his god Glykon was an incarnation of Asklepios, the Greek god of healing. According to the cult's mythology, Alexander had foretold the coming of a new incarnation of Asklepios. When the people gathered in the marketplace of Abonoteichos at noon, when the incarnation was supposed to occur, Alexander produced a goose egg and sliced it open, revealing the god within. Within a week it grew to the size of a man with the features of a man on its face, including long blond hair. As an incarnation of Asklepios, Glykon was thought to have healing powers, especially to cure infertility. See also [USER=103829]@Jochen1[/USER]'s [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/glykon-the-snake-cult-of-alexander-of-abounoteichos.333661/']interesting thread[/URL] about Glykon. In short order Glykon worship spread throughout the area between the Danube and Euphrates. Beginning late in the reign of Antoninus Pius and continuing into the 3rd century, Roman provincial coins were struck in honor of the snake god, demonstrating his popularity. Here is my latest acquisition, purchased from [USER=99412]@PeteB[/USER] of [URL='http://akropoliscoins.com/']Akropolis Ancient Coins[/URL]. [ATTACH=full]1329322[/ATTACH] [INDENT][SIZE=3]Caracalla, AD 198-217. Roman Provincial tetrassarion, 14.78 g, 29.6 mm, 1 h. Thrace, Pautalia, c. AD 198-205. Obv: AVT K M AVP ANTΩNEINOC, beardless, laureate head of Caracalla, right. Rev: OYΛΠIAC ΠAV | TAΛIAC. Asklepios cradling serpent-entwined staff, reclining left, head right, on winged, coiled, and bearded Glykon flying right. Refs: BMC 3.145,34; Ruzicka 612; Varbanov II 5008; Moushmov 4235, Mionnet Suppl. 2, p. 384, 1084; Vaillant n. Gr. 1074.[/SIZE][/INDENT] This coin overtly depicts the close relationship between Glykon and Asklepios. Asklepios rides astride the serpent god, who has wings, a fish-tail and a beard. The standard references do not identify the serpent on this coin as Glykon, however. For example, Mionnet, writing in 1822, describes it as "un serpent ailé" (a winged serpent). Similarly, Reginald S. Poole, writing in 1877 (BMC Greek 3), calls it a "winged dragon." Moushmov, writing in 1912, describes the creature simply as a "змия" (snake). Ruzicka, writing in 1933, describes it as a "geflügelten Drachen" (winged dragon). I have seen auction listings identifying the serpent with Ketos. Yet it's clear the serpent is to be identified as Glykon. On numerous other coins of the Balkan Peninsula, Glykon is depicted as bearded or bearing a fish tail. Moreover, the iconography is only understandable in the context of Glykon as an incarnation of Asklepios. [I]Let's see your coins depicting Glykon, Asklepios, and especially Asklepios and Glykon portrayed together![/I][/QUOTE]
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