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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;nicholasz219, post: 3050258, member: 75641&quot;]We are not going to Sun City, Arizona to retire.&nbsp; But Heliopolis, Coele-Syria!&nbsp; Heliopolis, or modern day Baalbek, Lebanon, not to be confused with the city in Egypt.&nbsp; Heliopolis is about 50 miles to the northeast of Beirut (ancient Berytus).&nbsp; Berytus controlled the city as it sat along important trade routes to the north.&nbsp; Settlers from the 5th and 8th Legions under Caesar or Augustus most likely settled the Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Heliopolitana sometime before 15BC. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Semitic god Ba&#039;al was worshipped extensively in this area and appears in the names of people and places as well as in temple settings.&nbsp; Septimius Severus would marry Julia Domna whose father was the chief priest of Ba&#039;al worship at Emesa.&nbsp; Elagabalus would also be promoted from chief priest of the cult of Ba&#039;al to emperor not long after.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>So let us give you a feel for where Heliopolis is located.&nbsp; First we go to the eastern end of the Mediterranean.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]763176[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Then the province of Coele-Syria.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]763177[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Then zoom in to see Heliopolis, located in the foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range.&nbsp; (I had to read that mountain range three times before I realized that to the west there is the Lebanon mountain range so this is the eastern counterpart.)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]763178[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Ziad Sawaya, in his book, &quot;Histoire de Berytos et D&#039;Heliopolis,&quot; describes Heliopolis as a subsidiary town of Beirut given to similarities in coinage types and style.&nbsp; Heliopolis did not break away from Beirut until 193AD when Septimius Severus granted the colony ius italicum rights and coinage appears in its own name.&nbsp; If you are interested, the book is divided into ten parts and available free for download on academia.edu.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.academia.edu/4895736/SAWAYA_Ziad_Histoire_de_Bérytos_et_d_Héliopolis_d_après_leurs_monnaies._Ier_s._av._J.-C._IIIe_s._apr._J.-C._All_parts_available_now_with_permission_of_the_editor_" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.academia.edu/4895736/SAWAYA_Ziad_Histoire_de_Bérytos_et_d_Héliopolis_d_après_leurs_monnaies._Ier_s._av._J.-C._IIIe_s._apr._J.-C._All_parts_available_now_with_permission_of_the_editor_" rel="nofollow">https://www.academia.edu/4895736/SAWAYA_Ziad_Histoire_de_Bérytos_et_d_Héliopolis_d_après_leurs_monnaies._Ier_s._av._J.-C._IIIe_s._apr._J.-C._All_parts_available_now_with_permission_of_the_editor_</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I have found a modest piece in my search for coins of Heliopolis.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]763187[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Septimius Severus, Heliopolis, Coele-Syria, AE25, COL HEL</b></p><p>AE25</p><p>Roman Provincial Heliopolis, Coele-Syria</p><p>Septimius Severus</p><p>Augustus: 193 - 211AD</p><p>Issued: 196 - 198AD</p><p>25.0 x 22.5mm 8.16gr 0h</p><p>O: [IMP] L SEPT SE-V PERT AV[G]; Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.</p><p>R: COL HEL; Turreted, draped and veiled bust of Tyche, facing left, palm branch and cornucopiae behind.</p><p>BMC 1; SNG Cop 428; Samaya 80 var. (obv. legend).</p><p><br /></p><p>I am a big fan of Tyche wearing the turreted or &quot;mural&quot; crown.&nbsp; The crown was meant to symbolize the walls and battlements of a city as Tyche was their protector much like the towers and city wall were.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you have any coins of Heliopolis, please share!&nbsp; Coins of the Severans and Tyche or turreted crowns always welcome![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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