Message:

Uploads are not available.

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 3238312, member: 75937&quot;]Python was a serpent who lived at Delphi, where he guarded the center of the earth, represented by a stone, the <i>omphalos</i> or navel. There are various versions of Python&#039;s death at the hands of Apollo. In Hyginus&#039; version of the myth, when Zeus lay with the goddess Leto and she became pregnant with Artemis and Apollo, Hera was jealous and sent Python to pursue Leto wherever she went, to prevent her from giving birth to the twin gods. Thus when Apollo was grown he wanted to avenge his mother&#039;s tormentor and pursued Python, chasing him to the oracle at Delphi, where he slew the serpent with arrows. Upon hearing of Apollo&#039;s sacrilege, Zeus ordered Apollo to purify himself by instituting the Pythian Games, over which Apollo presided as penance for his act.</p><p><br /></p><p>Apollo preparing to slay Python is the subject of the reverse design on this coin, a Pentassarion from Marcianopolis issued by Caracalla:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]848891[/ATTACH]&nbsp; </p><p>Caracalla, with Julia Domna, AD 198-217.</p><p>Roman provincial Æ Pentassarion, 10. 66 g, 27 mm, 1 h.</p><p>Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 215 under Quintillianus, <i>legatus consularis</i>.</p><p>Obv: ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟC ΑVΓΟVCΤΟC ΙΟV-ΛΙΑ ΔΟΜΝΑ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Caracalla and draped bust of Julia Domna facing one another.</p><p>Rev: VΠΑ ΚVΝΤΙΛΙΑΝΟV ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Apollo standing facing, head right, raising hand over head and holding bow; to left, Є (mark of value) above covered quiver; serpent-entwined stump to right.</p><p>Refs: AMNG I 660 ff; Moushmov 471; H&amp;J, <i>Marcianopolis</i> 6.19.7.1; Varbanov 1001; Mionnet --; BMC --; Sear --; Wiczay --.</p><p>Numismatic notes: Obverse and reverse die match to CNG e-auction 373, <a href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=311049" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=311049" rel="nofollow">lot 253</a>, April 20, 2016 and also to the <a href="http://wildwinds.com/coins/ric/caracalla/_markianopolis_AE28_Moushmov_471.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://wildwinds.com/coins/ric/caracalla/_markianopolis_AE28_Moushmov_471.jpg" rel="nofollow">Wildwinds specimen</a>, which happened to be <a href="http://wildwinds.com/coins/ric/caracalla/_markianopolis_AE28_Moushmov_471.txt" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://wildwinds.com/coins/ric/caracalla/_markianopolis_AE28_Moushmov_471.txt" rel="nofollow">sold</a> by our very own [USER=76086]@Ken Dorney[/USER] September 03, 2006.</p><p><br /></p><p>A very similar scene is the subject of a 17th century <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/old-master-british-drawings-l14040/lot.26.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/old-master-british-drawings-l14040/lot.26.html" rel="nofollow">chalk drawing</a>:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847065[/ATTACH]</p><p>Charles de la Fosse</p><p>PARIS 1636 - 1716</p><p>APOLLO AND THE PYTHON</p><p>Black, red and white chalk on light brown/buff paper;</p><p>bears numbering in pen and brown ink, <i>verso</i>:&nbsp; <i>1277</i></p><p>214 by 169 mm</p><p><br /></p><p>But the scene has been the subject of numerous works of art over the centuries. A famous sculptural rendition is &quot;Apollo Victorious over Python&quot; by Pietro Francavilla (1548-1615), now in the <a href="https://art.thewalters.org/detail/7866" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://art.thewalters.org/detail/7866" rel="nofollow">Walters Art Museum</a>, which depicts the dead serpent at Apollo&#039;s feet:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847066[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Post anything you feel is relevant![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>