For the first 'Off the Beaten Path' thread of 2022, I would like to present a Domitian provincial with an exquisite portrait. Domitian as Caesar [Vespasian] Æ22 5.41g Ancyra, Galatia-Cappadocia mint, undated Obv: ΑΥΤΟ ΔΟΜΙΤΙΑ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΣΕΒΑΣ ΥΙΟΣ; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗΝΩΝ ΤΕΚΤΟΣΑΓΩΝ; Three corn-ears in bundle RPC 1623 (3 spec.). Acquired from Praefectus Coins, January 2022. Late in Vespasian's reign, and possibly extending into the fist few months of Titus's, Ancyra struck a small issue of brass coins for all three Flavians. Domitian Caesar shows up on the smaller denomination paired with a stylish three grain ears reverse. The symbolism behind the design possibly is just a simple allusion to abundance and prosperity. The portrait itself is quite fine. Interestingly, the same engraver's handiwork can be detected in neighbouring Tavium's issues. Please share any coins from Ancyra or those that feature grain.
That's a nice addition to your collection of Flavian provincials. Imperial issues are important, of course, but they tell less than half the story. The lion's share of money in circulation, of course, were the provincial bronzes. There are two Ankyras: one in Galatia, such as yours. The other Ankyra was in Phrygia. I have none from Galatia, so I'll show a pair of coins from Phrygian Ankyra. Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman provincial Æ 19.1 mm, 4.17 g; 7 h. Phrygia, Ankyra, AD 138-140. Obv: ΦΑΥϹΤЄΙΝΑ ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΑΝΚΥΡ-ΑΝΩΝ, cult statue of Ephesian Artemis standing facing, wearing kalathos, arms resting on supports and flanked by two stags. Refs: RPC IV.2, 1732 (temporary); SNG Cop 139. Notes: The Greek obverse inscription, ΦΑΥϹΤЄΙΝΑ ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ, makes no mention of the empress' deified status and corresponds to FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, used on imperial issues from AD 139-140. Accordingly, RPC dates the coin to "early in the reign of Antoninus Pius," and suggests "c. 138-140." Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman provincial Æ 19.1 mm, 3.81 g, 7 h. Phrygia, Ankyra, AD 147-165. Obv: ΦΑΥϹΤЄΙΝΑ ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΑΝΚΥ-ΡΑΝΩΝ, cult statue of Ephesian Artemis standing facing, wearing kalathos, arms resting on supports and flanked by two stags. Refs: RPC IV.2, 1727 (temporary); BMC 25.64,35-36; RG 5644; Sear 1774; SNG Cop 142-143; SNG von Aulock 3436; SNG Munich 99-100. Notes: Dating this is difficult. The empress is depicted in a hairstyle used on imperial issues from 147-c. 150, but the obverse inscription corresponds to one used on imperial issues after 158. Accordingly, RPC is uncertain whether it was issued under Antoninus Pius or Marcus Aurelius.
I have no coin from Ancyra (either in Galatia or Phrygia) Your Ancyra, in Galatia, is an old city dating back to the Bronze Age. In Roman times there was a local legend saying the city had been founded by the famous king Midas, the king who had the dangerous power of turning everything he touched into gold. But it's a mere legend, the city was much older. In the 3rd c. BC it has been occupied by Gauls, a branch of the nomadic Tectosage tribe, while the other branch settled in Tolosa (Toulouse, South France). According to St Jerome there were still people in Galatia, around Ancyra, speaking some kind of Celtic tongue in the 4th c. AD. Ancyra is now Ankara, the capital of Turkey. I have no coins of Ancyra/Ankara. When I visited the old citadel in the centre of Ankara, I noticed just at the gate a stone re-used by medieval builders which was covered with Latin writing. I abandoned my fellow-tourists for half an hour, trying to decipher the stone.
Nice addition @David Atherton . Ancyra struck some really nice coins. One of these days I would like to add an example that has an anchor on the reverse as a homonym for the city name. Here is an example that shows the Temple of Augustus. It was this building that allowed us to read the full version of the Res Gestae. Galatia, Ancyra Caracalla (AD 198-217) AE Tetrassarion, Ancyra mint, struck after AD 212 Dia.: 28 mm Wt.: 16.59 g Obv.: ANTΩNINOC AYΓOYCTO-C; Laureate head of Caracalla right Rev.: MHTPOΠOΛEΩC ANKYPAC •; Octastyle temple with shield in pediment Ref.: BMC 33 var Ex Lanz 163, 7 December 2016, 378
That's really cool!!! I believe that I can make out some of the writing. LEG III AVG(3rd Legion Augusta?) CVNISTORI(Customer?) AE DIII(503?) PLEBII(Common People) PRAETORI(Commander-In-Chief) PRO COS(Proconsul) PONTIFF(Priest) LEG LEG VI FERRATAE(Legate - 6th "Ironclad" Legion) BITHYNIAE PRAEFECTOERVM(Bithynia Provincial Magistrate) DANDI(Giving?) LEG AVGVSTORVM(Legatus Augusti - Governors) PROVINC GALATIIEM(Of Galatia) PROVINC CILICIAE(Of Cilicia) RAROFI(Rarely?) SANTICISSIM(Most Holy) Were you able to decipher it all of the way, and get the gist of the posted message?
Yes, I could decipher it (... obviously there were lines of text before) LEG III AVG QVAESTORI AEDILI : ... 3rd Legion Augusta, Quaestor, Aedile PLEBEI PRAETORI PROCOS PONTI : of the plebe, Praetor, Proconsul of Pontus ET BITHYNIAE PRAEFECTO FRVM : and Bithynia, Prefect "Frum(enti) DANDI LEG LEG VI FERRATAE : dandi", Legate of the 6th Legion Ferrata, LEG AVGVSTORVM PR PR PRO : Legate of the two Augusts propraetor of the pro- VINC. GALAT. ITEM PROVINC : vince of Galatia, also of the province CILICIAE RARO ET SANCTISSIMO : of Cilicia, rare and dearest (... the end of the inscription is lost) This inscription is written in the dative form, it is a dedication to somebody. His name was in the beginning of the text, which is lost. It is his resume, the Romans called this his cursus honorum, in the chronological order. These careers always followed a legal order : first you served as a military tribune (junior officer) in a legion, then you could be quaestor, then tribune or aedile, then praetor, and finally consul. When you had been praetor, you were qualified to command a legion or govern a province as Legate of the emperor. This man was of senatorial rank, because this kind of career is only for senators. He started serving as a military tribune at the 3rd Legion Augusta which was based in North Africa (today's Algeria). Back to Rome, he was made quaestor, after which he was plebeian aedile (he must have belonged to a family considered plebeian, but this means nothing in the imperial period). Then he was made praetor and qualified to be sent as Legate of the emperor in distant provinces. His first provincial affectation was Proconsul (= governor) of the province of Pontus and Bithynia (Western Turkey, East of Istanbul). Back to Rome, he was made Prefect of the distribution of corn (distribution of food to the Roman plebe). After this, he was sent again as legate (= commander) of the 6th Legion Ferrata, which was based in Syria-Palaestina, today Israel. He was very probably made Consul by that time, but in a Roman cursus honorum the consulate is always mentioned just after the name at the beginning of the inscription, so it does not appear at its normal place in the chronological list of charges and dignities. After commanding the 6th Legion in Palestine, he was made Legate propraetor of the Emperors (Augustorum, plural!) of the Province of Galatia. This plural means there were 2 or more Augusti reigning together. It can be Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, or Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, or Septimius Severus and Caracalla, etc. It tells us this inscription cannot be older than 161 AD, because there were no associate emperors before this date. When he was governing Galatia he was residing in Ancyra, the capital of this province, the very city in which this inscription is found. After this charge he was made legate (= governor) of the neighbouring province of Cilicia. Then, no more governorships or magistratures are mentioned: it means that this inscription was written while he was still governor of Cilicia. The last preserved words obviously mean "rare and dearest (governor)"... and the lost end must have said who dedicated this inscription: probably the local senate or officials of Ancyra, paying homage to their former governor and saying how much he has been appreciated. No doubt a copy of this official appreciation by the locals was sent to Rome, and added to the former governor's personal records. Good for the future of his career...
Awesome!!! I was suspecting that it was a 2nd century inscription. Also, so cool that it references the famous and storied 6th 'Ironclad' Legion.
As read by Carl Georg Brandis: trib. mil.] leg. III Aug. quaestori. aedili plebei. praetori. procos. Ponti et Bithyniae. praefecto frum. dandi leg. leg. VI. ferratae leg. Augustorum pr. pr. provine. Galat. item provinc. Ciliciae raro et sanctissimo [praesidi]
When I retire I am going to make a stab at learning Latin - I printed this out as perhaps an exercise
