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Mesomedes' "Hymn to Nemesis" numismatically illustrated
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<p>[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 7497485, member: 110350"]I decided to revive this wonderful thread by [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER] from 2019, rather than starting a new one, because the ancient Greek Hymn to Nemesis that he presents -- with his own translation! -- explains better than I ever could several of that goddess's attributes depicted on my new Roman Provincial coin of Philip I and Otacilia Severa.</p><p><br /></p><p>Philip I & Otacilia Severa, AE 26, 244-249 AD, Mesembria, Thrace [Nessebar, Bulgaria]. Obv. Confronted busts of Philip I, right, laureate, draped, and cuirassed, and Otacilia Severa, left, wearing diadem (or stephane), ΑΥΤ Μ ΙΟΥΛ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC Μ WΤ; in exergue (in two lines) ϹƐΒΗΡΑ-ϹƐ / Rev. Nemesis standing facing, head left, holding marked cubit rule with extended right hand and bridle with left hand, wheel at her feet left, ΜΕ-ϹΑΜ-ΒΡΙΑΝΩΝ. RPC [<i>Roman Provincial Coinage</i>] Vol. VIII Online 48407 [temporary ID number] (see <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/48407);" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/48407);" rel="nofollow">https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/48407);</a> SNG Cop. 664 [<i>Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Part 6: Thrace 1: The Tauric Chersonese-Thrace (Mesembria)</i> (Copenhagen 1942); Varbanov 4254 [Ivan Varbanov, <i>Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Volume II: Thrace (from Abdera to Pautalia) </i>(Bourgas, 2005)]. [<i>Obv. Die match: Naumann Auction 49, Lot 354, Jan. 8, 2017 (RPC VIII Online ID 48407, Specimen 17; see <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/obv/333697/high" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/obv/333697/high" rel="nofollow">https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/obv/333697/high</a>.</i>] 26 mm., 10.5 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1295647[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Before one gets to the symbolism of what Nemesis holds, it's necessary to identify the objects. The dealer described her as holding a “cubit rule and ribbon.” It's easy enough to tell that the object she holds in her extended right hand must be the "cubit rule" -- especially because one can see the ruled markings on it, like on a modern ruler -- but even I can see that the diamond-shaped object in her left hand isn't a ribbon! Some examples of similar types I looked at were described as Nemesis holding a “cubit rule and rod,” which makes no sense at all, because they're the same thing, except that the former has markings for measurement. RPC describes Nemesis as holding a cubit rule and (horse) bridle on this type, so that's what I went with, even though it was strange-looking for a horse bridle and wasn't shaped much like any bridle I've seen on other coin types.</p><p><br /></p><p>But then I found this thread, and saw that the bridle on [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER]'s Nemesis coin of Gordian III and Tranquillina from Tomis is shaped in exactly the same way. In fact, the design of the two reverses is very similar in general, and both have the conjoined busts of the reigning emperor and empress on the obverse. Note that Mesembria [now Nessebar, Bulgaria] and Tomis [now Constanta, Romania] were in different provinces, one in Thrace and the other in Moesia Inferior, but a map shows that Mesembria was right on Thrace's northern border with Moesia Inferior, and both were on the Black Sea coast. According to Google Maps, if one drives up the coast, Tomis is 247 km. north of Mesembria. So perhaps the similarity in the two coins shouldn't be surprising.*</p><p><br /></p><p>As for the symbolism of the objects shown with Nemesis -- the bridle, the cubit-rule, and the wheel -- the explanation is provided by the following lines from [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER]'s translation of the ancient hymn, as elaborated in the rest of his post:</p><p><br /></p><p>"... dark-faced goddess, daughter of Justice</p><p>who <b>bridles</b> with an adamantine bit</p><p>the vain whinnying of mortals, . . .</p><p><br /></p><p>By your unceasing <b>torture-wheel</b>, leaving no tracks,</p><p>mankind's grim fortune turns . . .</p><p><br /></p><p>With your <b>cubit-rule</b> you always measure the lifespan . . . ."</p><p><br /></p><p>* My coin showing a griffin representing Nemesis -- complete with wheel -- is also from Tomis. See the discussion of griffins as Nemesis at <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/griffins-as-representations-of-nemesis.374292/#post-5581847" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/griffins-as-representations-of-nemesis.374292/#post-5581847">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/griffins-as-representations-of-nemesis.374292/#post-5581847</a>:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1295858[/ATTACH]</p><p>***</p><p>This isn't my thread, of course, but I hope that [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER] won't mind if I suggest that people post their own coins depicting Nemesis, their coins from Mesembria or Tomis, and/or any other Roman Provincial coins with confronted busts of an emperor and empress (or an augustus with his caesar). My only other one showing a confronted emperor and empress is my coin of Gordian III and Tranquillina, also from Thrace, specifically from Anchialus [now Pomorie, Bulgaria]. also on the Black Sea coast, just 19.3 km south of Mesembria/Nessebar:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1295863[/ATTACH]</p><p>Plus I have a Pentasssarion with confronted busts of Macrinus and Diadumenian from Moesia Inferior, specifically Marcianopolis (now Devnya, Bulgaria, about 25 km. from the Black Sea coast):</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1295867[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Almost all the Roman Provincial confronted emperor and empress busts (or other confronted busts) I've seen are from that region (Thrace, Moesia Inferior, etc.). As is true for the "lathe dimples" visible on all four of my coins in this post, as well as [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER]'s Gordian III & Tranquillina/Nemesis coin from Tomis. See the discussion in the thread at <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-a-diadumenian.361348/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-a-diadumenian.361348/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-a-diadumenian.361348/</a>. See also Butcher, Kevin, <i>Roman Provincial Coins: An Introduction to the Greek Imperials</i> (Seaby, London, 1988) at p, 67: "The coins [of Moesia Inferior] frequently have a small circular depression in the centre of the obverse and reverse, possibly the result of being clamped in a sort of lathe device used to smooth off the edges of the coin."[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 7497485, member: 110350"]I decided to revive this wonderful thread by [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER] from 2019, rather than starting a new one, because the ancient Greek Hymn to Nemesis that he presents -- with his own translation! -- explains better than I ever could several of that goddess's attributes depicted on my new Roman Provincial coin of Philip I and Otacilia Severa. Philip I & Otacilia Severa, AE 26, 244-249 AD, Mesembria, Thrace [Nessebar, Bulgaria]. Obv. Confronted busts of Philip I, right, laureate, draped, and cuirassed, and Otacilia Severa, left, wearing diadem (or stephane), ΑΥΤ Μ ΙΟΥΛ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC Μ WΤ; in exergue (in two lines) ϹƐΒΗΡΑ-ϹƐ / Rev. Nemesis standing facing, head left, holding marked cubit rule with extended right hand and bridle with left hand, wheel at her feet left, ΜΕ-ϹΑΜ-ΒΡΙΑΝΩΝ. RPC [[I]Roman Provincial Coinage[/I]] Vol. VIII Online 48407 [temporary ID number] (see [URL]https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/48407);[/URL] SNG Cop. 664 [[I]Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Part 6: Thrace 1: The Tauric Chersonese-Thrace (Mesembria)[/I] (Copenhagen 1942); Varbanov 4254 [Ivan Varbanov, [I]Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Volume II: Thrace (from Abdera to Pautalia) [/I](Bourgas, 2005)]. [[I]Obv. Die match: Naumann Auction 49, Lot 354, Jan. 8, 2017 (RPC VIII Online ID 48407, Specimen 17; see [URL]https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/obv/333697/high[/URL].[/I]] 26 mm., 10.5 g. [ATTACH=full]1295647[/ATTACH] Before one gets to the symbolism of what Nemesis holds, it's necessary to identify the objects. The dealer described her as holding a “cubit rule and ribbon.” It's easy enough to tell that the object she holds in her extended right hand must be the "cubit rule" -- especially because one can see the ruled markings on it, like on a modern ruler -- but even I can see that the diamond-shaped object in her left hand isn't a ribbon! Some examples of similar types I looked at were described as Nemesis holding a “cubit rule and rod,” which makes no sense at all, because they're the same thing, except that the former has markings for measurement. RPC describes Nemesis as holding a cubit rule and (horse) bridle on this type, so that's what I went with, even though it was strange-looking for a horse bridle and wasn't shaped much like any bridle I've seen on other coin types. But then I found this thread, and saw that the bridle on [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER]'s Nemesis coin of Gordian III and Tranquillina from Tomis is shaped in exactly the same way. In fact, the design of the two reverses is very similar in general, and both have the conjoined busts of the reigning emperor and empress on the obverse. Note that Mesembria [now Nessebar, Bulgaria] and Tomis [now Constanta, Romania] were in different provinces, one in Thrace and the other in Moesia Inferior, but a map shows that Mesembria was right on Thrace's northern border with Moesia Inferior, and both were on the Black Sea coast. According to Google Maps, if one drives up the coast, Tomis is 247 km. north of Mesembria. So perhaps the similarity in the two coins shouldn't be surprising.* As for the symbolism of the objects shown with Nemesis -- the bridle, the cubit-rule, and the wheel -- the explanation is provided by the following lines from [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER]'s translation of the ancient hymn, as elaborated in the rest of his post: "... dark-faced goddess, daughter of Justice who [B]bridles[/B] with an adamantine bit the vain whinnying of mortals, . . . By your unceasing [B]torture-wheel[/B], leaving no tracks, mankind's grim fortune turns . . . With your [B]cubit-rule[/B] you always measure the lifespan . . . ." * My coin showing a griffin representing Nemesis -- complete with wheel -- is also from Tomis. See the discussion of griffins as Nemesis at [URL]https://www.cointalk.com/threads/griffins-as-representations-of-nemesis.374292/#post-5581847[/URL]: [ATTACH=full]1295858[/ATTACH] *** This isn't my thread, of course, but I hope that [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER] won't mind if I suggest that people post their own coins depicting Nemesis, their coins from Mesembria or Tomis, and/or any other Roman Provincial coins with confronted busts of an emperor and empress (or an augustus with his caesar). My only other one showing a confronted emperor and empress is my coin of Gordian III and Tranquillina, also from Thrace, specifically from Anchialus [now Pomorie, Bulgaria]. also on the Black Sea coast, just 19.3 km south of Mesembria/Nessebar: [ATTACH=full]1295863[/ATTACH] Plus I have a Pentasssarion with confronted busts of Macrinus and Diadumenian from Moesia Inferior, specifically Marcianopolis (now Devnya, Bulgaria, about 25 km. from the Black Sea coast): [ATTACH=full]1295867[/ATTACH] Almost all the Roman Provincial confronted emperor and empress busts (or other confronted busts) I've seen are from that region (Thrace, Moesia Inferior, etc.). As is true for the "lathe dimples" visible on all four of my coins in this post, as well as [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER]'s Gordian III & Tranquillina/Nemesis coin from Tomis. See the discussion in the thread at [URL]https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-a-diadumenian.361348/[/URL]. See also Butcher, Kevin, [I]Roman Provincial Coins: An Introduction to the Greek Imperials[/I] (Seaby, London, 1988) at p, 67: "The coins [of Moesia Inferior] frequently have a small circular depression in the centre of the obverse and reverse, possibly the result of being clamped in a sort of lathe device used to smooth off the edges of the coin."[/QUOTE]
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