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<p>[QUOTE="Jochen1, post: 3320182, member: 103829"]Dear Friends!</p><p><br /></p><p>Sometimes it is worth to pay attention to Rome's enemies too. Here I share a drachm of the Sassanids, because I came across new and interesting historical stories being worth to be mentioned.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The coin:</b></p><p>Sassanid Empire, Hormizd II, AD 302-309.</p><p>AR - drachm, 3.8g, 27.2mm, 90°</p><p>obv. Legend in Pahlevi (abbreviated and bungled, from r. to l.):</p><p>.ly. .KLM n.KLM [ydzmrhw'] ygb nsd [y?]zm</p><p>(= The devotee of Mazdas, the devine Hormizd, the king of kings of Iran, who has descended from the gods)</p><p>Bearded bust r., crown with eagle r., carrying in beak a pearl, <i>above korymbos</i> (Göbl Kronentyp I)</p><p>rev. Fire altar, decorated with taenias, in the flames bearded bust of the Zoroastrian god Ahuramazda l.; at the l. side Hormizd with eagle crown and <i>korymbos</i> l., at the r. side bearded priest with mural crown, both wearing Turkish trousers and holding with both hands a sword (Göbl Revers 1a); on the base of the altar 3 globuli one above the other;</p><p>behind legend in Pahlevi (abbreviated and bungled, clockwise from upper r. to l.): [ydzmrhw'] 'LWN (= The Fire of Hormizd)</p><p>ref. cf. Göbl 83; cf. Mitchener ACW 867; cf. Paruck 176 (all with only 1 globulus)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]880243[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Notes:</b></p><p>(1) The translation of the obv. legend from Pahlevi I owe T. K. Mallon from grifterrec, thanks!</p><p>(2) This king appears too under the name of Hormuzd or Hormazd. I have decided to use Hormizd, because the Kleiner Pauly does it so.</p><p>(3) The <i>korymbos</i> (not globus!) was the typical hairdo of the Sassanian kings. It was a globular binding of the head hair which then was covered by a silk cloth. Each Sassanian king has had his own crown. So it is easily possible to distinguish him from another one.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now to the story for which the coin was the entry point:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>History:</b></p><p>We know that the Romans had problems on the northern border of the Empire with Germanic nations and on the south-east border with the Persians. The threat raised when the Sassanids take over the Persian Empire. Under their reign Persia not only grew militarily but it came to a cultural height too. You all know the low point of the Roman Empire when Valerian became captive of the Persian Greatking Shapur I. But like Rome which had to fight on different borders Persia too has enimies in the East, the Kushans and the Huns, which weakened the Empire so much that it became the booty of the Islamic Arabs at last.</p><p> </p><p>Hormizd was the name of five kings of the Sassanid dynasty - meaning 'given by Ormuzd (Ahuramazda)'. Hormizd II, son of Narseh, ruled seven years and five months, 302-309 AD. There is not much known about his reign. Aftrer his death, his son Adarnases soon was killed by the dignitaries of the Empire because of his cruel character; his second son, Hormizd, was captured and arrested and the throne was held free for one was his children with one of his concubines and who got the name Shapur II.</p><p><br /></p><p>Hormizd succeeded to fly from the prison by a trick of his wife and he fled to Constantine I the Great where he got asylum at his court (Zosim. II. 27, Johannes of Antiochia, Fr. r78; Zonar. 13.5). In Roman sources he appears as Hormisdas. Constantius II nominated him as leader of a cavalry regiment and he served in the campaign against the Persians. He accompanied Constantius AD 357 when he appeared in Rome. In AD 363 he was together with Julian II in Antiochia and it is said that Julian has wanted to make him king of Persia in place of his brother Shapur II. During Julian's Persian campaign Hormisdas accompanied him and by his language and the excellent geographical knowledge he was a big help for the Emperor.</p><p><br /></p><p>His son, named Hormisdas too, was made <i>Proconsul Asiae</i> by the usurper Procopius in 365 (Ammian. Marc. 26.8.12). He was assigned not only power but military power too and he fighted bravely against Valens. In 366 he was made Roman consul! About 380 he appears as general of emperor Theodosius (Zosim., Amm., Zonar., Joh. Ant., Liban.)</p><p> </p><p><b>Resume:</b></p><p>This short summary shall show that the relations between Rome and his Persian enemy were much more complex than usually suggested! The close connection of these 2 Hormisdas with Rome may explain too why a Pope of the 6th century has shared the same name, a name that is for a Christian somewhat unusual.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sources:</b></p><p>(1) Der Kleine Pauly</p><p>(2) Page of the Iranian Assembly on the Internet</p><p>(3) Wikipedia</p><p><br /></p><p>Best regards[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Jochen1, post: 3320182, member: 103829"]Dear Friends! Sometimes it is worth to pay attention to Rome's enemies too. Here I share a drachm of the Sassanids, because I came across new and interesting historical stories being worth to be mentioned. [B]The coin:[/B] Sassanid Empire, Hormizd II, AD 302-309. AR - drachm, 3.8g, 27.2mm, 90° obv. Legend in Pahlevi (abbreviated and bungled, from r. to l.): .ly. .KLM n.KLM [ydzmrhw'] ygb nsd [y?]zm (= The devotee of Mazdas, the devine Hormizd, the king of kings of Iran, who has descended from the gods) Bearded bust r., crown with eagle r., carrying in beak a pearl, [I]above korymbos[/I] (Göbl Kronentyp I) rev. Fire altar, decorated with taenias, in the flames bearded bust of the Zoroastrian god Ahuramazda l.; at the l. side Hormizd with eagle crown and [I]korymbos[/I] l., at the r. side bearded priest with mural crown, both wearing Turkish trousers and holding with both hands a sword (Göbl Revers 1a); on the base of the altar 3 globuli one above the other; behind legend in Pahlevi (abbreviated and bungled, clockwise from upper r. to l.): [ydzmrhw'] 'LWN (= The Fire of Hormizd) ref. cf. Göbl 83; cf. Mitchener ACW 867; cf. Paruck 176 (all with only 1 globulus) [ATTACH=full]880243[/ATTACH] [B]Notes:[/B] (1) The translation of the obv. legend from Pahlevi I owe T. K. Mallon from grifterrec, thanks! (2) This king appears too under the name of Hormuzd or Hormazd. I have decided to use Hormizd, because the Kleiner Pauly does it so. (3) The [I]korymbos[/I] (not globus!) was the typical hairdo of the Sassanian kings. It was a globular binding of the head hair which then was covered by a silk cloth. Each Sassanian king has had his own crown. So it is easily possible to distinguish him from another one. Now to the story for which the coin was the entry point: [B]History:[/B] We know that the Romans had problems on the northern border of the Empire with Germanic nations and on the south-east border with the Persians. The threat raised when the Sassanids take over the Persian Empire. Under their reign Persia not only grew militarily but it came to a cultural height too. You all know the low point of the Roman Empire when Valerian became captive of the Persian Greatking Shapur I. But like Rome which had to fight on different borders Persia too has enimies in the East, the Kushans and the Huns, which weakened the Empire so much that it became the booty of the Islamic Arabs at last. Hormizd was the name of five kings of the Sassanid dynasty - meaning 'given by Ormuzd (Ahuramazda)'. Hormizd II, son of Narseh, ruled seven years and five months, 302-309 AD. There is not much known about his reign. Aftrer his death, his son Adarnases soon was killed by the dignitaries of the Empire because of his cruel character; his second son, Hormizd, was captured and arrested and the throne was held free for one was his children with one of his concubines and who got the name Shapur II. Hormizd succeeded to fly from the prison by a trick of his wife and he fled to Constantine I the Great where he got asylum at his court (Zosim. II. 27, Johannes of Antiochia, Fr. r78; Zonar. 13.5). In Roman sources he appears as Hormisdas. Constantius II nominated him as leader of a cavalry regiment and he served in the campaign against the Persians. He accompanied Constantius AD 357 when he appeared in Rome. In AD 363 he was together with Julian II in Antiochia and it is said that Julian has wanted to make him king of Persia in place of his brother Shapur II. During Julian's Persian campaign Hormisdas accompanied him and by his language and the excellent geographical knowledge he was a big help for the Emperor. His son, named Hormisdas too, was made [I]Proconsul Asiae[/I] by the usurper Procopius in 365 (Ammian. Marc. 26.8.12). He was assigned not only power but military power too and he fighted bravely against Valens. In 366 he was made Roman consul! About 380 he appears as general of emperor Theodosius (Zosim., Amm., Zonar., Joh. Ant., Liban.) [B]Resume:[/B] This short summary shall show that the relations between Rome and his Persian enemy were much more complex than usually suggested! The close connection of these 2 Hormisdas with Rome may explain too why a Pope of the 6th century has shared the same name, a name that is for a Christian somewhat unusual. [B]Sources:[/B] (1) Der Kleine Pauly (2) Page of the Iranian Assembly on the Internet (3) Wikipedia Best regards[/QUOTE]
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