Ever since I purchased a Domitian Minerva denarius from @Ken Dorney , I have wondered, "What kind of bizarre garment is that on Minerva's back?" Domitian, AD 81-96 Roman AR denarius; 3.43 g, 18 mm Rome, AD 91 Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR XI (error; should read TR P XI), laureate head, right Rev: IMP XII COS XV CENS P P P, Minerva advancing right, brandishing a javelin and holding a shield Refs: RIC 156; RIC² 724; BMCRE p. 336, note; Cohen 269; RCV -- Here's a closeup: Well, thanks to a tip from @Nemo , who describes the figure of Minerva on a similar coin in @Orfew 's Domitian denarius thread as "Minerva standing right ... aegis draped over back with snakes around," and some googling, I now have a much better understanding of the iconography of this coin. Now, aegis (αἰγίς) literally means "goatskin" in ancient Greek, and that's what Zeus' aegis was made of, and at first I thought the spiky things on the garment on Minerva's back might be the legs of the goat used for the skin. But Nemo's coin description says "snakes around," so I checked the online version of Liddell & Scott's Greek Lexicon, which goes into more detail: That clearly states that Athena/Minerva's aegis is bordered "with a fringe of snakes." So, a bit of googling found these images, front and back, on pottery in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, respectively: So, snakes they are! Post anything you feel is relevant, of course!
Excellent write-up! A number of years ago I did similar research and came to the same conclusions - aegis adorned with snakes. You have illustrated and explained it very thoroughly in your post!
Here's her Greek counterpart sporting a lovely shawl aegis: KINGS OF MACEDON, Antigonos II Gonatas 277/6-239 BCE, struck after 270 BCE, Amphipolis mint AR tetradrachm, 31mm, 17.06 g Obv: head of Pan in center of Macedonian shield, lagobolon over shoulder; shield decorated with stars within crescents Rev: BASILEWS ANTIGONOU, Athena Alkidemos walking left, brandishing thunderbolt and shield; helmet left, EMP monogram right Ref: SNGCop 1200v, EMP (maybe); R. Martin, "A Third-Century B.C. Hoard from Thessaly at the ANS," ANSMN 26, 536 (same obv. die). ex Demetrios Armounta Collection Athena looks very, uhm... physically fit on this coin . Look closely though... it's like an Escher drawing. Is her aegis draped across her back or across her front? Is she throwing the thunderbolt with her right arm or left? I think it is mean to be on her back, right arm throwing, but the way her elbow is shown looks like her left arm.
How true... The nicest Aegis I can contribute with (the only one I guess ) Domitianus, As Rome mint, AD 85 IMP CAES DOMITIAN AVG GERM COS XI, Laureate bust of Domitian right, with Aegis on left shoulder MONETA AVGVSTI, Moneta standing left, holding cornucopia and scales. SC in field 11.08 gr Ref : Cohen #325, RCV #2807v Q
Here's Minerva's aegis on the reverse of a Cordius Rufus denarius. Are those tasselly things around the fringe of the aegis supposed to be snakes, or just ties?
Long before the Roman emperors took up the practice of wearing the aegis the Baktrian Greeks used this mysterious concept for their own fashion. On this drachm of Menander we see Athena wearing a medium-sized aegis about her chest. Notice that the same style of dot is used on her shield and on Menander's helmet. Yes, he has an aegis-themed helmet! Although I don't have any there are some very impressive Baktrian tetradrachms with hats that are more obviously made of aegis material. Later he goes full heroic. On this drachm Athena drapes the aegis over her arm while throwing a lighting bolt. Menander has taken off that stodgy hat and is in full "beast mode" with spear and an aegis covering his left shoulder.
No most of them use a scootmobile these days, Domitian was one of the first who used one, according to this picture:
Hadrian Denarius Antioch 119-22 AD Aequita standing EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian Tetradrachm 123-24 AD Eagle standing
