Deities and Personifications A-Z

In the spirit of TIF's provincial cities thread, where participants post coins of cities in alphabetical order every few days, I thought we could have fun with a similar thread.

Do you find polytheism fascinating? I sure do! There are hundreds of deities and personifications which were honored and worshipped by ancient peoples. From minor river gods to the major Olympian deities, there's an ancient coin depicting them.

Let's see how many deities and personifications we can cobble together here. Like TIF's thread, let's do it by alphabet, allowing a couple of days per letter. As TIF says, "Inevitably there will be latecomers, omissions, or later purchases but that's okay-- just add them when you can if that letter's time has already passed."

Also, it's okay if you want to post a deity that someone has already posted. Go ahead and show it off! Feel free to include depictions of the deity in statuary, on vase paintings, mosaics or whatever else you think is appropriate or interesting.

I'll start with Annona.

Annona isn't some Hollywood actress on a "gluten-free" diet; Annona WAS gluten, the divine personification of the Roman grain supply, which flowed into Rome day after day from the provinces, especially from Egypt, on ships loaded with hundreds of baskets full of wheat and other grains. It's fitting Annona is depicted as standing between a modius (a bushel basket) and the prow of a ship, all the while holding ears of grain and a cornucopiae.


Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161
Roman orichalcum sestertius; 23.16 g, 29 mm
Rome, AD 142
Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right.
Rev: ANNONA AVG S C, Annona standing right, between modius and prow, holding corn ears and out-turned cornucopiae
Refs: RIC 597; BMCRE 1228; Cohen 37; RCV 4147; UCR 502

 

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Excellent thread idea! I love focusing on coins' reverses!

LOL, I'm going to post another of the one coin posted so far just because I love it so much. I'll be able to post it again in a few days too

Annona:

Nero
struck in Rome, CE 63
Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm
Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis
Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship
Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24

 

Amphitrite (wife of Poseidon)

Another coin I'll be able to post a second time later in the thread :

ROMAN REPUBLIC
Moneyer Q. Crepereius M.f. Rocus
69 BCE (revised from Crawford's 72 BCE)
AR serrate denarius; 3.99 gm
Obv: draped bust of Amphitrite seen from behind, with head turned r.; behind, sea anemone; horizontal I to right of right shoulder (only partly visible on this coin)
Rev: Neptune in biga of hippocamps right, holding reins and brandishing trident; above, I and below, Q·CREPER·M·F / ROCVS
Ref: Crawford 399/1b; Babelon Crepereia 1. Sydenham 796a. Rare.
from HJB BBS 200, October 2016
ex NAC 78 lot 1828, from the JD Collection of Roman Republican Coins




BRUTTIUM, the Brettii
216-214 BCE
Æ quartuncia, 13.5mm, 2.06 g
Obv: head of Amphitrite left, wearing crab headdress
Rev: crab; torch above, BPET-TIΩN above and below
Ref: Pfeiler p. 33, 4a; Scheu, Bronze 51; HN Italy 1944; SNG ANS 123–4; SNG Lloyd –; McClean 1579

 

Artemis


MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis
Macrinus and Diadumenian, CE 217-218
AE pentassarion, 27 mm, 12.3 gm
Obv: AYT K M OΠEΛ CEV MAKPEINOC K M OΠE ANTΩNINOC; Laureate head of Macrinus left and bare head of Diadumenian right, confronted
Rev: VΠ ΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛEITΩN; Artemis advancing right, reaching for an arrow in quiver at shoulder and holding bow, hound at foot, E in left field
Ref: Varbanov 1159 var. (obverse legend); Megaw MAR5.12d; Hristova/Jekov 6.24.13.1

 

Am I hogging this thread? (yes ). Okay... I'll pause after this one and let someone else post the other common A deities. Gotta get ready for work anyway.

Apollo


TROAS, Alexandria. Trebonianus Gallus
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

Apollo Sauroktonos


MOESIA INFERIOR, Nikopolis ad Istrum. Caracalla
Ovinius Tertullus, legatus consularis.
AE 28, 13.05 gm
Obv: AV K M AVP ANTΩNINOC; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VΠA OOVI TEPTOVΛΛOV ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ ΠΡΟC Ι; Apollo Sauroktonos standing right, holding laurel branch and leaning hand upon a tree stump with a lizard climbing up it.
Ref: H&J 8.18.7.1; Varbanov -.

 

Amazing coins!

@TIFF - Did you get that bottle cap (bottle top?) recently? It's gorgeous! I never get tired of looking at coins of this quality. A great idea for a thread. Thanks @Roman Collector.

 

I lied. I have to add one more right now, my favorite coin. Not sure why this wasn't the first one I posted in the thread. (Sorry for the slight, O Arethusa!)

Arethusa


SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles (317-289 BCE)
struck 310-305 BCE
AR tetradrachm, 17.40 g, 24 mm
Obv: head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing grain wreath, earring and necklace; around, three dolphins; under, monogram (NK?)
Rev: ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, fast chariot charioteer leads to left, holding reins and kentron; above, triskeles; in exergue, monogram
Ref: Ierardi 12 (O2-R8); SNG Copenhagen 573 var., SNG ANS 637

 

Hoo-boy - keeping up with this and the Provincials at the same time will be a challenge! Okay, here's what I've got:


Imperial Rome
Gordian III, r. 238-244 A.D. (241-243 A.D.)
Rome Mint, AR Antoninianus, 22.62mm x 4.6 grams
Obv.: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: PM TR P IIII COS II PP, Apollo, bare waist, seated left, holding branch and resting elbow on lyre


Sicily - Syracuse;
Dionysios I, r. 405-367 B.C.
AE Trias, 17.99 mm x 7.9 grams
Obv.: ΣΥΡΑ. Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian Helmet
Rev.: Hippocamp left


Mysia
Pergamon (after 200 B.C.)
AE19, 19mm x 5.9 grams
Obv.: ΕΠΙ ΠΕΡΓΑΜΟ[Υ] below Helmeted head of Athena right
Rev.: ΠΕΓΑΜΗΝΩΝ right. Nike walking right, holding wreath and palm branch


Mysia - Pergamon
Philetairos, r. 282-133 B.C.; AE14, 13.16 mm x 2.3 grams
Obv.: Helmeted head of Athena right
Rev.: ΦIΛE / TAIPOY. Strung bow


Kingdom of Bactria
Menander I r. c. 165/55-130 B.C.
AR Drachm, 15.71mm x 2.5 grams
Obv.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ / ΜΕΝΑΝΔΡΟΥ. Diademed bust of the sovereign right, coat fastened on the right shoulder
Rev.: (Maharajasa tratarasa / Menamdrasa). Athena Alkidemos standing left. Monogram 'H' in right field
Ref.: Bopearachchi, Ménandre (I) Sôter, 67


Imperial Rome
Gallienus, r. 253-268 A.D.
Rome Mint, Billon Antoninianus, 20.67mm x 2.5 grams
Obv.: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right
Rev.: AEQVIT AVG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales & cornucopia

 

Ahem.... I'm going to recycle the deity I just used for the provincial mints thread ...

ASTARTE



DIADUMENIAN
AE22. 11.08g, 22mm. PHOENICIA, Byblus, 217 AD, Cf. Rouvier 699; BMC 40-3. O: M OΠ ΔIAΔVMENIANOC KAI, bareheaded and cuirassed bust right. R: BYB - ΛOV IEPAC, Astarte wearing a polos standing facing, carrying a spear, foot on prow, being crowned by Nike on short column to right; all within distyle temple with a fancy arched roof.

 

great thread! awesome coins! tif, your fav coin is is a beauty! cant stop staring at it!


Philip I AR Antoninianus. IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed
bust right / AEQVITAS AVGG, Aequitas standing left with scales & cornucopia.
22.8 mm 4.5g
RIC IV 27b

 

ALEXANDRIA
One of my favorites, a pretty large coin with a personification of Alexandria.
Nero Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria. Year 12=65/6 AD. NERW KLAV KAIS SEB GER, radiate bust right, wearing aegis / AVTOKPA, draped bust of Alexandria right in elephant skin headdress, LIB to right. Köln 172-174; Curtis 36-54, Dattari 204, SGI 633, RPC 5289.

 

ARABIA, ARDenarius, Rome,103-111 AD, "IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PMTRP"laureate bust,/Aabi, standing, looking left, holding branch and bundle of canes,camel left "COSV PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC", BMC 474, RIC.245/6

 

Another great thread idea! I love the idea of Annona as the personification of gluten, lol! Here's Artemis in two different aspects, on coins of Acmoneia (Hadrian) and Anemurium (Gallienus)...

 

Very nice coins, charming portraits of Amphitrite.

 

THESSALIAN LEAGUE
AR Drachm
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right, ΓAYANA (magistrate) behind
Rev: Athena Itonia standing right, with shield and about to hurl spear, ΘEΣΣA - ΛΩN to sides, bunch of grapes on vine right, Π-O / Λ-Y (magistrate) across lower fields
Struck at Thessaly 196-146 BC
4.0g, 16 mm
BMC 36

 

APAMEIA, PHRYGIA
AE23
OBVERSE: Laureate head of Zeus right
REVERSE: APAME to the right, cult statue of Artemis Anaïtis standing facing, magistrate HRAKLEI EGLO to left
Struck at Pergamon 133-27 BC
8.38g, 22mm
SNGCop 183.1; BMC Phrygia p. 77, 48

 

M. HERENNIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS HERENNIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: PIETAS, diademed head of Pietas right
REVERSE: M•HERENNI, Amphinomus carrying his father right, control letter in right field (Dot over sideways D)
Struck at Rome 108-109 BC
3.8g, 18mm
Cr308/1b; Syd 567a

 

JULIUS CAESAR
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Diademed head of Venus right.
REVERSE: CAESAR - Aeneas advancing left, carrying Anchises and palladium
Carthage 47 to 46 BC
4.0g, 17mm
CRI 55, Sydenham 1013, RRC 458/1, S 1402

 

I'll toss in Asklepios:


Gordian and Tranquillina
Roman provincial AE 26.4 mm, 12.98 g
Thrace, Anchialus, AD 241 Obv: Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ CΕΒ-[...], laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian and draped bust of Tranquillina, wearing stephane, confronted.
Rev: ΟVΛΠΑΝW[ΑΝ]ΧΙΑΛΕWΝ, Asklepios standing facing, head left, with serpent climbing staff to left.
Refs: Moushmov 2936; AMGN II 665; Varbanov 672; SNG Copenh --; BMC Thrace --

 

Athena!

Aquitas!