Sigeion, Troas - Facing Athena and Owl - AE12

AnemicOak · Apr 13, 2009

Here's a neat tiny little Greek coin I picked up last night from David Hendin @ Amphora Coins...

Sigeion, Troas
c. 350 BC

12.5 mm
2.01 grams.

Obv: Facing head of Athena in crested Athenian helmet
Rev: Owl stands rt. head facing.

Cf. Sear 4145.
RARE

from Wikipedia...

Alexandria Troas ("Alexandria of the Troad", mod. Eski Stambul) is an ancient Greek city situated on the Aegean Sea near the northern tip of Turkey's western coast, a little south of Tenedos (modern Bozcaada). It is located in the modern Turkish province of Çanakkale.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, this site was first called Sigia; perhaps about 310 BC Antigonus refounded the city as Antigonia Troas. In it's early years, Troas was a port city that supplied the Dorians with recources and trade. The city was conquered by the Helladic people and was nearly destroyed. It was rebuilt arly in the next century and the name was changed by Lysimachus to Alexandria Troas, in memory of Alexander III of Macedon (Pliny, N.H. 5.124 merely states that the name changed from Antigonia to Alexandria). As the chief port of north-west Asia Minor, the place prospered greatly in Roman times, and the existing remains sufficiently attest its former importance. Strabo mentions that a Roman colony was created at the location in the reign of Augustus, named Colonia Alexandria Augusta Troas (called simply Troas during this period). Augustus, Hadrian and the rich grammarian Herodes Atticus contributed greatly to its embellishment; the aqueduct still preserved is due to the latter. Constantine considered making Troas the capital of the Roman Empire.

In Roman times, it was a significant port for travelling between Anatolia and Europe. Paul of Tarsus sailed for Europe for the first time from Alexandria Troas (Acts, 16:8-11) and returned there from Europe (and there occurred later the episode of the raising of Eutychus (Acts 20:5-12). Ignatius of Antioch also paused at this city before continuing to his martyrdom at Rome (Ad Philad. 11.2; Ad Smyrn. 12.1).

Several of its later bishops are known: Marinus in 325; Niconius in 344; Sylvanus at the beginning of the fifth century; Pionius in 451; Leo in 787; Peter, friend of the Patriarch Ignatius, and adversary to Michael, in the ninth century. In the tenth century Troas is given as a suffragan of Cyzicus and distinct from the famous Troy (Heinrich Gelzer, Ungedruckte ... Texte der Notitiae episcopatuum, 552; Georgii Cyprii descriptio orbis romani, 64); it is not known when the city was destroyed and the diocese disappeared. The city remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church, Troadensis; the seat is vacant following the resignation of the last bishop in 1971. [1]

The site as of 1911[update] was covered with vallonea oaks, and has been much plundered (for example Mehmed IV took columns to adorn his new Valideh mosque in Istanbul), but the circuit of the old walls can be traced, and in several places they are fairly well preserved. They had a circumference of about ten kilometres, and were fortified with towers at regular intervals. Remains of some ancient buildings, including a bath and gymnasium, can be found within this area. Trajan built an aqueduct which can still be traced. The harbour had two large basins, now almost choked with sand.
Click to expand...

I know the pics a slight bit blurry, I hope to get a better pic once I have it in hand (tough on coins this small).

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

stainless · Apr 14, 2009

very awesome piece :kewl:

stainless

Drusus · Apr 15, 2009

A beauty...cant wait to see the better pics!

randygeki · Apr 15, 2009

wow, very cool

byrd740 · Apr 15, 2009

WOW that is cool! I haven't really been into ancients but that is beautiful. I would like to see it a little less blury.

De Orc · Apr 15, 2009

That realy is lovely :bow:

Log in or Sign up

Sigeion, Troas - Facing Athena and Owl - AE12

AnemicOak Coin Hoarder

Guest User Guest

stainless ANTONINIVS

Drusus Pecunia non olet

randygeki Coin Collector

byrd740 Numismatist

De Orc Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Sigeion, Troas - Facing Athena and Owl - AE12

AnemicOak Coin Hoarder

Guest User Guest

stainless ANTONINIVS

Drusus Pecunia non olet

randygeki Coin Collector

byrd740 Numismatist

De Orc Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches