Depictions of Serapis in antiquity

Adolf Michaelis* has classified the way Serapis has been depicted in a standing pose into the following groupings, using the evidence of statuettes, reliefs, and mainly Alexandrian coins of the earlier Imperial period:

FIRST TYPE: scepter and altar beside. While I don't have an example of this type in my collection, it is exemplified by this Æ Drachm of Caracalla from Alexandria sold by CNG:



SECOND TYPE: right hand raised and also with scepter. This figure, best exemplified by the bronze in the Museo Archeologico, Florence, was popular in the Empire, especially on coins of the third Century. I have a couple of examples of this type in my collection:


Gordian III, with Tranquillina, AD 238-244.
Roman provincial Æ Pentassarion; 26.1 mm, 13.33 g, 6 h.
Thrace, Odessos, AD 241-244.
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ CЄ | ΤΡΑΝΚVΛ|ΛЄΙΝΑ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Gordian III right, vis-à-vis diademed and draped bust of Tranquillina left.
Rev: ΟΔΗC - CЄΙΤΩΝ, Sarapis wearing kalathos, standing left, extending arm and holding scepter; E (denomination) in left field.
Refs: AMNG I 1696; Moushmov 1696; Varbanov 4599; SNRIS Odessus 15 (a9).


Philip I and Otacilia Severa, AD 244-249.
Roman Provincial Æ Pentassarion; 12.53 g, 27 mm, 7 h.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, Legate Prastina Messallinus, AD 244-246.
Obv: ΑVΤ Μ ΙΟVΛ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC ΑVΓ Μ | WΤΑΚ CЄΒ-ΗΡΑ CЄ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip I right, vis-à-vis diademed and draped bust of Otacilia left.
Rev: VΠ ΠΡΑCΤ ΜΕCCΑΛΛΕΙΝΟV ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟ | ΛΕΙΤΩΝ, Sarapis wearing kalathos, standing left, extending arm and holding scepter; E (denomination) in left field.
Refs: AMNG I 1194; Moushmov 852; Varbanov 2082 (die match); Hristova & Jekov 6.41.6.1; SNRIS Marcianopolis 75.

THIRD TYPE: left arm raised, right hanging down. While not found on coins, this type, known mainly from bronze statuettes in Dresden and Berlin, seems to be a variant of the first type and represents its statuary counterpart.

FOURTH TYPE: On a billion Tetradrachm of Tranquillina sold by Heritage auctions, Serapis holds the scepter in the right instead of the left hand, the left arm being enveloped in the cloak:



FIFTH TYPE: Serapis standing with patera in right hand, cornucopia in left, a type found in several media including paintings from Pompeii. I have one example in my collection:


Gordian III, AD 238-244, and Tranquillina.
Roman provincial Æ (tetrassarion?), 11.72 g, 25.5 mm, 7 h.
Thrace, Anchialos, AD 241-244.
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ꜸΓ CЄB | ΤΡΑΝΚVΛ | ΛEΙΝΑ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian, right, facing diademed and draped bust of Tranquillina, left.
Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑΝWΝ ΑΓΧΙΑΛΕWΝ, Serapis standing facing, head left, wearing kalathos and holding patera and inward-facing cornucopiae.
Refs: AMNG II (Strack) 650; Varbanov 726; SNRIS Anchialos 14; Moushmov --; SNG Cop --; BMC --; Lindgren --; Sear --.

Let's see your coins depicting Serapis!

~~~

*Adolf Michaelis, "Serapis Standing on A(n) Xanthian Marble in the British Museum", JHS VI, 1885, p. 287ff. Available online from JSTOR (subscription required) here.

 

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Nero, Roman Empire
Billon tetradrachm
Obv: ΝΕΡΩ ΚΛΑΥ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ ΓΕΡ, radiate head right
Rev: AYTO-KPA, draped bust of Serapis right, LI ([year] 10) before
Mint: Alexandria
Date: 63-64 AD
Ref: Milne 222

 

Okay... you asked for it.

Serapis seated, with his three-headed dog Fluffy Cerberus:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Julia Mamaea
year 13, CE 233/4
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 14.36 gm
Obv: IOVMAMAIACEBMHTECEKCTPA; Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: Serapis enthroned left, holding scepter, extending his right hand toward Cerberus seated at his feet; on throne back, Nike standing right, holding wreath and palm frond; L IΓ (date) to left, palm frond to right
Ref: Emmett 3226.13 (R4); Köln 2540; Dattari (Savio) 4517; K&G 64.119

Serapis standing, right hand raised, left hand holding vertical sceptre:

EGYPT, Antinoöpolis. Antinous
2nd-3rd centuries CE
PB tessera, 25 mm, 7.63 gm, 11h
Obv: draped bust of Antinous right, wearing hem-hem crown; crescent before, AN behind
Rev: Serapis standing right, head left, raising hand and holding scepter; to left, ЄYC/YBA/[...]
Ref: Peus 386 (26 April 2006), lot 759 (same dies); Milne –; Dattari (Savio) –; Köln –

Plain ol' Serapis bust:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
year 4, CE 119/20
tetradrachm, 25 mm, 13.3 gm
Obv: AVTKAITPAI AΔPIACEB; laureate bust right
Rev: draped bust of Serapis right; L - Δ
Ref: Emmett 889.4, R4; Dattari (Savio) 7462 var. (without crescent); K&G 32.124

Serapis-Ammon bust:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
year 8, CE 123/4
billion tetradrachm, 23 mm, 13.2 gm
Obv: ...TPAI AΔ... ; laureate bust right, slight drapery; crescent before
Rev: draped bust of Serapis-Ammon right; L-H across fields
Ref: Emmett 895.8, R5; Köln 858; Dattari (Savio) 1481; K&G 32.258
From a Hungarian Collection formed primarily in the 1930’s

Serapis-Helios-Zeus-Ammon-Poseidon

EGYPT, Alexandria. Lucius Verus
year 4, CE 163/4
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 13.51 gm
Obv: ΛAVPHΛI OVHPOCCEB; bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust left
Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident behind shoulder; ∆/L in right field
Ref: Emmett 2360 (4), R1; Köln 2148; Dattari (Savio) 9420; K&G 39.77

Serapis-Zeus-Ammon-Helios-Poseidon-Nilus:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 5, CE 141/2
AE drachm, 20 gm
Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right
Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident and cornucopia behind; L-Є in right field
Ref: Emmett 1676.5, R1

Serapis-Agathodaemon:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
Regnal year 17
AE drachm, 33mm
Obv: laureate bust right
Rev: Serapis-Agathodaemon standing erect right
Ref: Dattari 2829; Emmett 1678.17
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1982.1988, G.781)

Serapis-Agathodaemon on a horse:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
Æ drachm (32mm, 23.0 g, 12h); RY 23 (CE 159/60)
Obv: Laureate bust right, slight drapery
Rev: Serapis-Agathodaemon serpent erect right on horseback advancing right; L K Γ (date) across field. Only the K is visible on this coin but this is the only year of issue for the type
Ref: Cf. Köln 1852-3; Dattari (Savio) 8939; K&G 35.820; Emmett 1679
Ex X6 Collection.

Head of Serapis being held by the personification of Alexandria:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Maximian
potin tetradrachm, regnal year 1 (CE 285/6)
Obv: laureate bust right
Rev: Alexandria standing left, holding the head of Serapis and a sceptre; L-A
Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl. 285, 10657 (this coin); Emmett 4093.1
ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)

Head (and foot?) of Serapis:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius
AE diobol, 22.8 mm, 8.33 gm
RY 17 (176/7 CE)
Obv: MAVPHΛIOCANTωNINOC; laureate head right
Rev: right foot and ankle (of a statue of Serapis?), pointing right; draped bust right of Serapis above, wearing kalathos; LI[Z] in right field
Ref: Dattari (Savio) 3516; Emmett 2254.17 (this coin illustrated, p. 96); K&G 37.411 (this coin illustrated). Extremely rare. None in CoinArchives.
Ex WRG Collection
Ex Kerry K. Wetterstrom Collection (Part II, Classical Numismatic Auctions XIII, 4 December 1990), lot 130.

 

No standing Serapis but I have this one with busts of Gordian III and Serapis and then a standing Hercules

 

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian Drachm 134-35 AD Sarapis
Reference.
RPC III, 6031.5; Dattari-Savio Pl. 90, 1835 (this coin); Emmett 1046

Issue L ƐΝΝƐΑΚ·Δ = year 19

Obv. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙС ΤΡΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟС СƐΒ
Laureate head of Hadrian, left

Rev. L ƐΝΝƐΑΚ·Δ
Sarapis seated, left, holding sceptre; to left, Cerberus

25.32 gr
34 mm

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AE17 Assarion
OBVERSE: AV K L CEVHPOC, laureate bust right
REVERSE: NIKOPOL PROC IC, Draped bust of Serapis in modius, facing right
Struck at Nikopolis ad Istrum, 193-211 AD
2.6g, 15mm
Moushmov 927

ELAGABALUS5 Assaria
OBVERSE: AVT K M AVP ANTΩNEINOC AVΓ IOVΛIA MAICA AVΓ. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Elagabal right, facing draped bust of Julia Maesa left
REVERSE: YΠ IOYΛ ANT CEΛEYKOY MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN. Bust of Serapis right, wearing kalathos; E in right field
Struck 218-222 AD
11.15g, 27mm
Varbanov 1648 var

PHILIP II
Pentassarion
OBVERSE: M IOVLIOC FILIPPOC, KAICAP below, confronted draped busts of Philip II & Serapis
REVERSE: MARKIANOPOLEITWN, Aesklepios standing right, head left, leaning on serpent-entwined staff; E in right field
Struck at Markianopolis
9.8g, 27mm
Moushmov 858; Varbanov 2090

MAXIMINUS II DAIAAE Follis
OBVERSE: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: GENI-O-AVGVSTI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding head of Serapis and cornucopiae. X-A across fields; ALE in ex.
Struck at Alexandria 312 AD
4.83g, 21mm
RIC VI 149b Ex Spink

 

Serapis on an antoninianus of Postumus:





Type III I believe, right arm raised, left arm holding sceptre...

 

Great post, and a lot of appealing examples of Serapis. I just got an as of Caracalla with Serapis standing on the reverse, hand raised with scepter. It is my only Imperial AE of Caracalla - they seem to be rather hard to find, at least rummaging around on eBay:



Caracalla Æ As
(213 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[ANTONIN]VS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head right / PM TRP XVI COS IIII [P P] S C Serapis standing front, head to left, raising right hand, holding scepter in left hand.
RIC 505; BMC 257;
(9.33 grams / 22 mm)

 

Nice coins everyone. Here's a Titus tetradrachm with Serapis and a nice write up



AYTOK TITOY KAIΣO YEΣΠAΣIANOY ΣEB
laureate head of Titus right

ΣAPAΠIΣ
bust of Serapis right, wearing taenia, modius on head ornamented with branches of laurel, date LB (year 2) right

Alexandria mint, 29 Aug 79 - 28 Aug 80 A.D
12.254g, 25.4mm

Milne 456 - 457; Geissen 319; Dattari 426; cf. BMC Alexandria p. 34, 281 (year 3); Emmett 235

Ex-Forum

2011 Forum Best of Type winner

This is the Wildwinds example

Ptolemy Soter, wanting to integrate Egyptian religion with that of their Hellenic rulers, by promoted worship of Serapis as a deity that would win the reverence of both groups alike. This was despite the curses of the Egyptian priests against the gods of previous foreign rulers (i.e Set who was lauded by the Hyksos). Alexander the Great had attempted to use Amun for this purpose, but Amum was more prominent in Upper Egypt, and not as popular in Lower Egypt, where the Greeks had stronger influence. The Greeks had little respect for animal-headed figures, and so an anthropomorphic statue was chosen as the idol, and proclaimed as the equivalent of the highly popular Apis. It was named Aser-hapi (i.e. Osiris-Apis), which became Serapis, and was said to be Osiris in full, rather than just his Ka (life force). Ptolemy's efforts were successful - in time Serapis was held by the Egyptians in the highest reverence above all other deities, and he was adored in Athens and other Greek cities.

 

I wish I had a nicer example to show but here is mine- I actually have two from Stobi that have a Serapis reverse but the other is in much worse shape. (Caracalla version) So here is the nicer of the two:

Geta, Stobi Ae; 28mm; 8.71g

SEPTGETA-CAESPONT
Bare head, draped and cuirassed bust right

MVNICIPIVM-STOBENSIVM
Serapis standing facing, in long garment, calathos
on his head, right hand raised high, bent left arm holding
hems, serpent by his left hand

 

ANTONINUS PIUS
AE Drachm. 23.36g, 34.1mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 2 (AD 138/9). RPC Online Temp #14776 (6 spec.); Emmett 1652 (R5); Geissen 1299 . O: ΑVΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟС ƐVСƐΒ, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: L Β, draped bust of Sarapis wearing kalathos, facing front; on either side, the Dioskuroi, each crowned with star, standing, facing, heads turned towards bust, holding spears and whips.
Notes: Extremely rare type; unique to Antoninus Pius, and only struck in this year.

 

An unusual depiction of Serapis:

Moesia inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Elagabal, AD 218-222
AE 27, 11.70g, 26.58mm, 180°
struck under governor Novius Rufus
obv. AVT K M AVP - ANTΩNEINOC
bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from front, radiate, r.
rev. VΠ NOBIOV POVΦ - OV - NIKOΠOΛITΩ ΠPOC IC / TPΩ (left bottom)
Serapis, with kalathos and in himation, drapery over l. shoulder, with crossed legs StG. l., holding in l. arm long transversal sceptre and fold of drapery and has raised r. hand in greeting attitude.
ref. a) not in AMNG:
rev. AMNG I/1, 1901 (depiction only, legend not listed
obv. AMNG I/1, 1903
b) not in Varbanov (engl.)
c) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2018) No. 8.26.6.1 (plate coin)
rare, F+/about VF, black-green Patina


This type has the only Serapis stg. with crossed legs like Apollo. Never seen before!

 

SERAPIS


RI Didumenian and Macrinus 217-218 CE AE28 Markianopolis mint Serapis



RI Maximinus II Daia 305-308 CE Folles AE30 Trier mint GENIO POPV-LI Genius-Serapis stndg

 

Nice examples, everybody! I see there are several that don't adhere to Michaelis' classification scheme, such as those by @arizonarobin , @zumbly , and @Jochen . Here's another from my collection that doesn't fit into any of Michaelis' categories:


Caracalla, AD 198-217.
Roman AR denarius, 2.9g, 19mm, 6h.
Rome, issue 10, AD 217.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head right.
Rev: PM TRP XX COS IIII PP; Serapis, wearing polos on head, standing facing, head left, holding wreath and scepter.
Refs: RIC 289c; BMCRE 188; Cohen/RSC 382; RCV 6846; Hill 1586.

 

I believe this type is more accurately described as "Serapis, facing left, throwing Frisbee."

Wasn't Serapis a pre-Christian example of a God being resurrected from the dead? If I heard correctly, he was killed and his body dismembered, yet he somehow came back to life whole again. Could that be why he is often depicted as just a head?

Constantine I ("the Great"), A.D. 307-337
Cyzicus mint, A.D. 311-312
RIC 92, var.
Obv: IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS P F AVG
Rev: SOLE IN-VICTO - Sol, radiate, wearing long robe and holding head of Serapis
MKV in exergue; Γ in left field
22 mm, 5.4 g.

 

Serapis was an artificial imperial god, made from Osiris and Zeus, introduced by Ptolemaios I to melt Egyptian and Greek culture. The head is found on other coins too:

Hadrian, AD 117-138
AR- Denar, 3.33g, 17mm, 135
Rome AD 119-122
obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG
heroic bust, laureate, drapery on l. shoulder, r.
rev. P M TR P - COS III
Aeternitas, draped, standing facing, head l., holding head of Sol in raised r.
and head of Luna in raised l. hand
ref. RIC II, 81; C.1114; BMCR 162


Best regards

 

I love the story of Ptolemy and his priests/advisors creating Serapis from whole cloth, but I was under the impression that this version of events has been called into question. The mention of Serapis in chapter 76 of Plutarch's Life of Alexander would predate an invention of the god by Ptolemy I. There is supposedly a mention of Serapis in Arian's Anabasis but I haven't found it yet.

 

Awesome coin!

 

I can contribute this Titus Sarapis.

Titus
AR Tetradrachm, 12.70g
Alexandria mint, 79-80 AD
RPC 2464 (13 spec.).
Obv: AYTOK TITOY KAIΣ OYEΣΠAΣIANOY ΣEB; Head of Titus, laureate, r.
Rev: ΣAPA-ΠIΣ; bust of Sarapis, r., date LB before bust
Ex JW Harper Collection.