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<p>[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3238862, member: 75937"]A very fun thread because I am particularly interested in Cybele on coinage. Hopefully, the following discourse will not prove soporific.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>That is a lovely coin, [USER=44316]@Valentinian[/USER] , and one of several on coins of the Severan Dynasty featuring Cybele.</p><p><br /></p><p>Cybele was an Anatolian mother goddess. From an <a href="https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2016/09/09/2100-year-old-statue-of-cybele-the-anatolian-mother-goddess-unearthed-in-northern-turkey" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2016/09/09/2100-year-old-statue-of-cybele-the-anatolian-mother-goddess-unearthed-in-northern-turkey" rel="nofollow">article</a> about a 2,100-year-old statue of her found in Turkey's northern Ordu province located on the Black Sea coast.</p><p><br /></p><p>"In Anatolian mythology she was the personification of the earth. In Greek mythology in which she was equated to Earth-goddess Gaia, Cybele was mostly associated with fertile nature, mountains, town and city walls, as well as wild animals such as lions."</p><p><br /></p><p>Bill Welch has written an excellent <a href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_cybele.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_cybele.html" rel="nofollow">essay about Cybele as Magna Mater</a>, which I highly recommend.</p><p><br /></p><p>Once you realize that Cybele and Gaia were subjected to syncretism and assimilated with one another in Greco-Roman culture, it's easy to see why Cybele carries the epithet of "Mother of the Gods," for Gaia had a lot of offspring, indeed. The family tree at <a href="http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/greek-gods-mythology/gaia.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/greek-gods-mythology/gaia.htm" rel="nofollow">this website</a> is largely adapted from Hesiod's <i>Theogony</i>:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847302[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>She appears on several Julia Domna denarii. In addition to [USER=44316]@Valentinian[/USER] 's MATRI DEVM coin issued by Caracalla, in which the goddess holds a scepter and leans on a column, Severus issued one for Julia with the MATRI DEVM legend and Cybele standing reverse type, but she holds a branch and does not lean on a column (RIC 566). It is very rare and I don't have one in my collection. This was sold August 19, 2014 in Agora's <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3982399" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3982399" rel="nofollow">Sale 15</a>:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847311[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>In addition to the Cybele seated MATER DEVM type as exemplified by [USER=57495]@zumbly[/USER] 's lovely example, above, on which she is depicted holding a scepter as one of her attributes, an earlier issue of similar design but different style depicts her without a scepter:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847312[/ATTACH]</p><p>Julia Domna, AD 193-211.</p><p>Roman AR denarius, 2.84 gm, 17.5 mm, 6 h.</p><p>Rome, AD 198, issue 1.</p><p>Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.</p><p>Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele enthroned left, flanked by two lions, holding branch and resting elbow on drum; no scepter.</p><p>Refs: RIC 565; BMCRE 54-55; RCV --; RSC 126a; Hill 340; CRE --.</p><p><br /></p><p>I explored the significance of the presence or absence of a scepter on this issue in an <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/does-a-scepter-make-a-difference-maybe.320899/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/does-a-scepter-make-a-difference-maybe.320899/">earlier thread</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Oh, yes. Julia is depicted as Cybele on a coin with the unambiguous legend, MATER AVGG "Mother of the Augusti," so you have some evidence to back up this assertion:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847317[/ATTACH]</p><p>Julia Domna, AD 193-217.</p><p>Roman AR denarius, 3.30 g, 19 mm, 6 h.</p><p>Rome, 21st emission, AD 205.</p><p>Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.</p><p>Rev: MATER AVGG, Julia Domna, as Cybele, seated left in quadriga of lions and holding branch in her right hand.</p><p>Refs: RIC 562; BMCRE 48; Cohen/RSC 117; RCV 6592; Hill 759; CRE 354.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/quadriga-of-lions.324114/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/quadriga-of-lions.324114/">asked before</a> and shall ask again, "Is there anything cooler than Cybele riding in a quadriga pulled by lions?"</p><p><br /></p><p>Although Cybele appears on provincial coins from the Flavian period ...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847320[/ATTACH]</p><p>Titus and Domitian, Caesares, AD 69-81.</p><p>Roman provincial Æ 18.5 mm, 5.14 g, 5 h.</p><p>Lycaonia, Laodicea Combusta (Laodikeia Katakekaumene / Claudio-Laodicea).</p><p>Obv: TITOC KAI ΔOMITIANOC KAICAΡEC, bare head of Titus right, facing bare head of Domitian left.</p><p>Rev: KΛAYΔIO ΛAOΔIKЄѠN, Cybele, polos on head, seated left, holding patera and tympanum; lion beneath throne.</p><p>Refs: RPC II 1613; von Aulock <i>Lykaoniens</i> 151; SNG von Aulock 8416; Waddington 4779; SNG France III 2322.</p><p><br /></p><p>... the Cybele cult particularly flourished during the Severan period and the Anatolian mother goddess appears on several provincial issues:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847321[/ATTACH]</p><p>Septimius Severus, AD 193-211.</p><p>Roman provincial Æ 27.2 mm, 10.7 gm, 8:00.</p><p>Thrace, Anchialus, AD 193-211.</p><p>Obv: ΑV Κ Λ CЄΠ CЄVΗΡΟC, laureate and cuirassed bust, right.</p><p>Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑΝΩΝ ΑΓΧΙΑΛΕΩΝ, Cybele enthroned left, holding patera, resting left arm on drum, a lion reclines at each side of throne.</p><p>Refs: Moushmov 2817; AMNG III 469; Varbanov 213 var. (bust type).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847325[/ATTACH]</p><p>Julia Domna AD 193-217.</p><p>Roman provincial Æ 11.14 g, 25.1 mm, 7 h.</p><p>Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, legate Aurelius Gallus, AD 201-203.</p><p>Obv: IOVΛIA ΔOMNA CE, draped bust right.</p><p>Rev: VΠ AVΡ ΓAΛΛOV NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠΡOC ICTΡON, Magna Mater (Cybele) riding lion right, holding scepter and tympanum.</p><p>Refs: H&J, <i>Nikopolis</i> 8.17.31.1; Varbanov 2894 (same dies); AMNG --; Moushmov --; SNG Copenhagen --; BMC Thrace --; Lindgren --; Mionnet --.</p><p><br /></p><p>Cybele, in the local mythology of Phrygia, was considered to be the mother of King Midas and bears the name Mida. She is depicted on this issue of Geta, which I <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/geta-and-mida-ae-20-of-cremna.323117/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/geta-and-mida-ae-20-of-cremna.323117/">wrote about</a> a few months ago:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]847331[/ATTACH]</p><p>Geta, as Caesar, AD 198-209.</p><p>Roman provincial AE 19.4 mm, 5.42 g, 7 h.</p><p>Pisidia, Cremna, AD 198-209.</p><p>Obv: L SEP G-ETAC N(?)C, bare-head of Geta to right.</p><p>Rev: MIDAE DE-AE COL CRE, Mida seated on chair to left, with patera in right hand.</p><p>Refs: BMC 19, p. 302, 9A; Von Aulock <i>Pisidiens II</i> 1243; SNG France 1502.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3238862, member: 75937"]A very fun thread because I am particularly interested in Cybele on coinage. Hopefully, the following discourse will not prove soporific. That is a lovely coin, [USER=44316]@Valentinian[/USER] , and one of several on coins of the Severan Dynasty featuring Cybele. Cybele was an Anatolian mother goddess. From an [URL='https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2016/09/09/2100-year-old-statue-of-cybele-the-anatolian-mother-goddess-unearthed-in-northern-turkey']article[/URL] about a 2,100-year-old statue of her found in Turkey's northern Ordu province located on the Black Sea coast. "In Anatolian mythology she was the personification of the earth. In Greek mythology in which she was equated to Earth-goddess Gaia, Cybele was mostly associated with fertile nature, mountains, town and city walls, as well as wild animals such as lions." Bill Welch has written an excellent [URL='http://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_cybele.html']essay about Cybele as Magna Mater[/URL], which I highly recommend. Once you realize that Cybele and Gaia were subjected to syncretism and assimilated with one another in Greco-Roman culture, it's easy to see why Cybele carries the epithet of "Mother of the Gods," for Gaia had a lot of offspring, indeed. The family tree at [URL='http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/greek-gods-mythology/gaia.htm']this website[/URL] is largely adapted from Hesiod's [I]Theogony[/I]: [ATTACH=full]847302[/ATTACH] She appears on several Julia Domna denarii. In addition to [USER=44316]@Valentinian[/USER] 's MATRI DEVM coin issued by Caracalla, in which the goddess holds a scepter and leans on a column, Severus issued one for Julia with the MATRI DEVM legend and Cybele standing reverse type, but she holds a branch and does not lean on a column (RIC 566). It is very rare and I don't have one in my collection. This was sold August 19, 2014 in Agora's [URL='https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3982399']Sale 15[/URL]: [ATTACH=full]847311[/ATTACH] In addition to the Cybele seated MATER DEVM type as exemplified by [USER=57495]@zumbly[/USER] 's lovely example, above, on which she is depicted holding a scepter as one of her attributes, an earlier issue of similar design but different style depicts her without a scepter: [ATTACH=full]847312[/ATTACH] Julia Domna, AD 193-211. Roman AR denarius, 2.84 gm, 17.5 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 198, issue 1. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele enthroned left, flanked by two lions, holding branch and resting elbow on drum; no scepter. Refs: RIC 565; BMCRE 54-55; RCV --; RSC 126a; Hill 340; CRE --. I explored the significance of the presence or absence of a scepter on this issue in an [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/does-a-scepter-make-a-difference-maybe.320899/']earlier thread[/URL]. Oh, yes. Julia is depicted as Cybele on a coin with the unambiguous legend, MATER AVGG "Mother of the Augusti," so you have some evidence to back up this assertion: [ATTACH=full]847317[/ATTACH] Julia Domna, AD 193-217. Roman AR denarius, 3.30 g, 19 mm, 6 h. Rome, 21st emission, AD 205. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: MATER AVGG, Julia Domna, as Cybele, seated left in quadriga of lions and holding branch in her right hand. Refs: RIC 562; BMCRE 48; Cohen/RSC 117; RCV 6592; Hill 759; CRE 354. I have [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/quadriga-of-lions.324114/']asked before[/URL] and shall ask again, "Is there anything cooler than Cybele riding in a quadriga pulled by lions?" Although Cybele appears on provincial coins from the Flavian period ... [ATTACH=full]847320[/ATTACH] Titus and Domitian, Caesares, AD 69-81. Roman provincial Æ 18.5 mm, 5.14 g, 5 h. Lycaonia, Laodicea Combusta (Laodikeia Katakekaumene / Claudio-Laodicea). Obv: TITOC KAI ΔOMITIANOC KAICAΡEC, bare head of Titus right, facing bare head of Domitian left. Rev: KΛAYΔIO ΛAOΔIKЄѠN, Cybele, polos on head, seated left, holding patera and tympanum; lion beneath throne. Refs: RPC II 1613; von Aulock [I]Lykaoniens[/I] 151; SNG von Aulock 8416; Waddington 4779; SNG France III 2322. ... the Cybele cult particularly flourished during the Severan period and the Anatolian mother goddess appears on several provincial issues: [ATTACH=full]847321[/ATTACH] Septimius Severus, AD 193-211. Roman provincial Æ 27.2 mm, 10.7 gm, 8:00. Thrace, Anchialus, AD 193-211. Obv: ΑV Κ Λ CЄΠ CЄVΗΡΟC, laureate and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑΝΩΝ ΑΓΧΙΑΛΕΩΝ, Cybele enthroned left, holding patera, resting left arm on drum, a lion reclines at each side of throne. Refs: Moushmov 2817; AMNG III 469; Varbanov 213 var. (bust type). [ATTACH=full]847325[/ATTACH] Julia Domna AD 193-217. Roman provincial Æ 11.14 g, 25.1 mm, 7 h. Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, legate Aurelius Gallus, AD 201-203. Obv: IOVΛIA ΔOMNA CE, draped bust right. Rev: VΠ AVΡ ΓAΛΛOV NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠΡOC ICTΡON, Magna Mater (Cybele) riding lion right, holding scepter and tympanum. Refs: H&J, [I]Nikopolis[/I] 8.17.31.1; Varbanov 2894 (same dies); AMNG --; Moushmov --; SNG Copenhagen --; BMC Thrace --; Lindgren --; Mionnet --. Cybele, in the local mythology of Phrygia, was considered to be the mother of King Midas and bears the name Mida. She is depicted on this issue of Geta, which I [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/geta-and-mida-ae-20-of-cremna.323117/']wrote about[/URL] a few months ago: [ATTACH=full]847331[/ATTACH] Geta, as Caesar, AD 198-209. Roman provincial AE 19.4 mm, 5.42 g, 7 h. Pisidia, Cremna, AD 198-209. Obv: L SEP G-ETAC N(?)C, bare-head of Geta to right. Rev: MIDAE DE-AE COL CRE, Mida seated on chair to left, with patera in right hand. Refs: BMC 19, p. 302, 9A; Von Aulock [I]Pisidiens II[/I] 1243; SNG France 1502.[/QUOTE]
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