The story of Glycon, the sock puppet snake god with a bearded humanoid head, snake body, and fish tail, is so outlandish and interesting that I couldn't help but acquire a couple of new coins portraying the deity. To offer a brief background, the cult was established in the second century A.D. by Alexander of Abonoteichos (born in Asia Minor circa 105). He was a swindler who settled in Macedonia and took advantage of the fact that snake cults had been established there for centuries. After prophesizing the impending arrival of Glycon, a manifestation of the Greek healing god Asklepios, he staged the birth of the baby snake god from a goose egg, which rapidly "grew" in size under his care. The head was likely a puppet, while the body of the god possibly leveraged a live, tame snake that was already in Alexander's possession. The sale of prophesies, which were issued through Glycon and of course interpreted by his chief priest, made the cult quite profitable. It was also popular, allegedly garnering attention even from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Glycon was worshiped for a century or more after the death of Alexander circa 170 A.D. Much has been written about Glycon already, so I won't attempt to say more than I have. I found an interesting article on the History of Yesterday website, and also several good threads here on CoinTalk: An Interesting Representation of Glykon by Roman Collector The Snake Cult of Alexander of Abounoteichos The first coin I'll share is a chunky bronze from the city of Pautalia in Thrace, showing Asklepios atop a winged representation of Glycon. Some older references call this a "winged serpent," but most contemporary interpretations assert that contextually this could only be Glycon. Thrace, Pautalia, Caracalla Æ 30 198-217 AD Obverse: AYT K M AY CEY ANTΩNEINOC; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Caracalla right, seen from the front with aegis. Reverse: OYΛΠIAC ΠAYTAΛIAC; Asklepios cradling serpent-entwined staff, reclining left, head right, on winged, coiled, and bearded Glycon flying right. References: Varbanov 5007; Moushmov 4235; Ruzicka 618. 30mm; 18.94g The next two coins are from Moesia Inferior, a Roman province that was situated in modern-day Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and the northern parts of North Macedonia. Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, Macrinus with Diadumenian, Æ Pentassarion 217-218 AD Issued under Pontianus, legatus consularis. Obverse: AVT K OΠEΛ CEV MAKPEINOC K M OΠEΛ ANTΩNEINOC; Confronted heads of Macrinus, laureate, and Diadumenian, bare-headed. Reverse: VΠ ΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛEITΩN; Serpent Glycon coiled right; E (mark of value) in field to left. References: Varbanov 1286 var. (obv. legend). Size: 27mm Weight: 11.39 g I've shared this coin before, which was struck in the city of Tomis, known as the place where the Roman poet Ovid was banished during the reign of Augustus. It was one of the last types minted there preceding gothic invasion and the resulting decline of the city. Moesia Inferior, Tomis, Philip II (as Caesar) Æ tetrassarion Struck circa 247 AD Obverse: M IOVΛ ΦIΛIΠΠOC KAI / CAP AVΓ; Bareheaded, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip II right and draped bust of Serapis left, wearing kalathos. Reverse: MHTPOΠONTOV / TOMЄΩC; Serpent-shaped Glycon coiled, bearded head left. References: Varbanov 5803. 27mm; 12.87g Just for fun, here's a coin from Pergamon portraying Asklepios on the obverse. It was stripped at some point, but I actually rather like the bare surfaces, which I think resemble how it might have looked when still in circulation. Mysia, Pergamon Æ 22mm Circa 133-27 BC Seleucus, magistrate Obverse: Laureate head of Asklepios right, ΣΕΛΕΥΚΟΥ below. Reverse: ΠΕΡΓΑΜΗΝΩΝ above and below eagle standing left on thunderbolt, head turned right and wings open, Γ-Α in fields. References: SNG France 1866; SNG Cop 378. 22mm; 8.63g Feel free to post any coins you feel are relevant -Jeremy
Thanks for posting! That Caracalla Æ 30 is really cool! Here's my only serpent reverse Roman provincial, an AE 30 of Caracalla, from what I think is Pautalia: 15.30 grams From Johnny Hart, long gone and sorely missed!
Here is my only Serpent reverse. Septimius Severus 193-211 AD AE30 Pautalia, Thrace Obverse: AVT Λ CEΠTI CEVHPOC ΠEP, laureate head right Reverse: OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛIAC, Agathodaimon serpent, with forked tail to left and head radiate and erect to right @robinjojo I think this is the dad coin to your Caracalla coin. Perhaps one time, many many years ago, they were in the same coin pouch.
Fascinating. How does one know when a bearded serpent is supposed to represent Glycon when it does not have a human head? For example, the two coins from Marcianopolis in the OP. I would raise the same question about this coin, but it was issued well before the Glycon "myth" was invented. But I'll post it anyway! Mysia, Pergamon (under Roman Republic from 133 BCE, Province of Asia), AE 19 mm., 133-27 BCE. Obv. Laureate head of Asklepios right / Rev. Bearded serpent coiled around oval Omphalos covered by net [agrenon],* AΣKΛHΠIOY downwards to right, ΣΩTHΡOΣ downwards to left [ = Asklepios Sothros or Soter, meaning “the Savior”]. BMC 15 Mysia 158 (p. 129) & PL. XXVII no. 4 [Wroth, Warwick, A Catalogue of the Greek Coins of the British Museum, Vol. 15, Mysia (London 1892)]; Sear, Greek Coins 3967 (p. 369) (ill.) [Sear, David, Greek Coins and their Values, Vol. 2: Asia & Africa (Seaby 1979)]; SNG Von Aulock I 1377 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Deutschland, Sammlung Hans Von Aulock, Vol. 1: Pontus, Paphlagonia, Bithynia, Mysia, Troas, Aiolis, Lesbos, Ionia (Berlin, 1957)]; SNG BnF 1803-1827 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France, Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothéque Nationale, Vol. 5, Mysia (Paris 2001)]. 19 mm., 9.91 g., 11 h. [Footnotes omitted.]
I don't think that all serpents are Glykon but rather that the earlier serpents and their iconography were coopted as Glykon after the cult gained traction in Thrace-Macedonia and Asia ca. 160-190 and afterwards.
That's a great question, @DonnaML. I suppose the presence of the tail fin (more prominent on some issues than others) might offer a clue. Hopefully someone has some insight on that. This surviving statue of Glycon shows humanoid features on a head that is otherwise shaped like a snake head. Perhaps the facial details escaped the celators engraving the dies.
I also think that local coinage from Moesia and Thrace in the 3rd century with the serpent theme was somewhat inspired by local cult statues, some of Glykon as the one from Tomis-Constanta some earlier relating directly to Asklepios. Perhaps there's a level of syncretism there that allows different people to see different things in certain representations, depending on their religious inclinations. A bearded snake wearing something on its head, in a pose similar to a cult statue that probably most people residing in a certain area find familiar could be both the regular serpent of Asklepios, the new-age Glykon or even the old Agathodaemon. A follower of Alexander would see in any of the representations shown above Glykon. And this was probably fine by the local authorities who minted these coins.
This is one of my least favorite coins in my collection, but if this is Glykon on the reverse, that's a cool enough story to give this Sev Alex a few point bumps.
Thanks for the shout-out, @jb_depew! Fun thread! I'll contribute this old Franklin's World comic: And, of course, a Glykon: Gordian III, AD 238-244. Roman provincial Æ 27.1 mm, 12.33 g, 9 h. Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, Sabinius Modestus, legatus consularis, AD 241-244. Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: ΥΠ CΑΒ ΜΟΔЄCΤΟV ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛЄΙΤ | ΩN ΠPOC ICTP, Nimbate figure of snake-god Glycon, coiled in two coils, rising up, head right. Refs: RPC VII.2, 1307; Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2018) 8.36.22.4 (same dies); Varbanov 4146; Moushmov 1488; Mionnet Suppl. 2, 708; AMNG 2104 var.; BMC --; Lindgren --; Sear --.
MACRINUS Pentassarion AE28 OBVERSE: AVT K OPEL CEVH MAKREINOC K M OPEL ANTWNEINOC - confronted busts REVERSE: VP PONTIAN-OV MARKIANO/ POLIT, Coiled serpent with radiate head Struck at Markianopolis, Moesia Inferior, Magistrate Pontianus; 217 - 218 AD 12.6g, 28mm Hr & J (2012) 6.24.22.6
