Dear Friends of ancient mythology! It's useful also to take care of details of your coins. Often you will discover new myths that otherwise would have gone missing. Here I have found a local myth playing at the first day after Hermes' birth. The Coin: Moesia inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Gordian III, AD 238-244 AE 31, 13.6g, 30.41mm, 180° struck under governor Sabinius Modestus obv. AVT K M ANT Γ - OPΔIANOC AVΓ (VΓ ligate) Bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, laureate, r. rev. VΠ CAB MOΔECTOV NIKOΠOΛEITΩN ΠPOC ICTPON (ON ligate) Hermes, nude, standing bent forward, right arm with lowered Kerykeion supported on his raised knee placed on rock, l. arm with chlamys wrapped and l. hand with purse stemmed into the side. ref. a) AMNG I/1, 2057 (2 ex., Munich, Vienna) b) Varbanov 4202 (rock identified as helmet!) c) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2018) No. 8.36.10.2 rare, about VF/good F, brown patina, weakly struck lower left obv. Pick writes about this coin in a note: The object on which the god has placed his right foot looks like the right-facing head of a bearded man on all specimens; I believe I can see the eye and nose myself and consider coincidence to be out of the question. Argos is probably not to be thought of; but one could perhaps refer the representation to the little spread legend of Battos, whom Hermes turned into a rock because of his betrayal (Ovid). That the type probably goes back to a larger work of art, a statue or even a painting, was already said in the introduction. Detail of the rock Mythology: This myth belongs to Hermes' Cattle Theft. Battos, an Arcadian, had his stay near the Lykaian mountains on a high rock called Battos' Lookout. So he soon became aware of Hermes when he had stolen part of Apollo's cattle and driven them through Arkadia. But so that he would not betray such if someone were to come after him and ask for such cattle, Hermes was able, against a great reverence, to make him take an oath not to do so. Nevertheless, he did not trust him, and so he hid his cattle in the Prionic cave at the Messenian promontory Koryphasios, took another shape, contacted Battos again and promised him a chlaina, a dress, if he would tell him if he had not seen some cattle drift by. Because now Battos put up with such a dress, and thus said what he knew of the cattle, Hermes beat him with his stick, and turned him into a stone. (Nicander; Liberalis). According to Ovid, where Hermes drives away the herds of Apollo from Pylos, Battos was overseer over the woods, drifts and herds of horses of Neleus, king of Pylos. Hermes gave him a white cow as a reward for the vow of silence, and promised him in response, when he led him into temptation a pair of cattle. He had not turned to his oath, but had said where the oxen were going, so that the stone in which he was transformed received the name "Index" (= touchstone). However, some also want that Hermes has only muted him, so he went to Delphi to ask Apollo for advice and help (Euripides). Background: Battos was a Messenian shepherd in the service of the Pylian Neleus. He saw how Hermes drove Apollo's stolen cattle past him, and vowed to him against the gift of a cow to remain silent on oath against everyone: "rather the stone would betray it there". To put him to the test, Hermes soon came in a different form and promised him a bull if he would wise him the cattle. Battos broke his oath and was turned into a rock as punishment (Antiochos; Ovid). It is about a folk tale, which tied itself with playful etymology (βαττολεγειν = chatter) to Βαττου σκοπια ( Battos' Lookout). This was perhaps an echoed location. According to Homeric hymns an unnamed old man from Onchestos in Boiotia was the traitor. Notes: (1) Antiochos, Greek writer, cited by Ptolemaios Hephaistion (mythograph, 1st cent. AD), otherwise unknown (2) Antoninus Liberalis, rhetor in Rome, 1st cent. AD, has written "Metamorphoses" (3) Nicander, a Greek poet and doctor of Kolophon, c.150 BC Sources: (1) Homeric Hymns (2) Ovid, Metamorphoses (3) Benjamin Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon (4) Wilhelm Heinrisch Roscher, Ausführloíches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie (5) Der Kleine Pauly Best regards
Unfortunately, the head is not always well to recognize. As for example this coin, HrHJ (20018) 8.36.10.1 (plate coin), is also beautiful because of its patina, but the head is unfortunately not visible.
Wonderful Jochen! Your knowledge equals that of Patricia who could likewise take you on a tour through mythical Graecia. Thanks for this story. Frans
