The Gigantomachy

This coin was acquired in April at CICF. I had previously seen a couple of others at auction but was either unsuccessful in my bids or had money committed elsewhere at the time.


CILICIA, Seleucia ad Calycadnum. Gordian III
238-244 CE
Æ 27 mm, 11 gm
Obv: ...ΓOPΔIANO radiate and draped bust right; C/M dot within triangle (Howgego 670?)
Rev: CEΛEVKEΩN; Athena advancing right, holding her shield with her extended left arm & preparing to hurl a spear at an anguipede giant (Enceladus?) who is throwing stones at her.
Ref: c.f. SNG Levante 763

This reverse type was struck in Seleucia ad Calycadnum (Cilicia) during the reign of several emperors in the Crisis and Decline period. What I didn't notice until studying the coin later is that the ethnic is different than all others I've seen-- Calycadnum is not written on the coin as it is on others. So far I've not been able to access any old references which clarify the matter. On other coins with this reverse, Calycadnum is abbreviated behind Athena (see comparisons at the end of this post). At first I was worried that my coin had been aggressively smoothed or tooled, removing that part of the legend. That is not the case, nor does the coin appear to be inauthentic. Maybe the die engraver was in a hurry or just forgot to add the full city name?

If I correctly understand the naming of ancient cities in this area, the "ad Calycadnum" means roughly "at the river Calycadnum (Calycadnus)", so the addition of "ad Calycadnum" just helps clarify the location of this Seleucia. Founded by Seleukos Nikator in ~296-280 BCE, Seleucia remained independent despite many surrounding conquests until CE 72. Its current name is Silifke, marker 9 on this map:



As for the reverse scene, I'm still trying to sort out the myth of the Gigantomachy. Various books and online resources tell the story differently, sometimes confusing it with the Titanomachy, which took place some time before the Gigantomachy. Accounts vary; you may find slightly different versions from what I've outlined below.

The Gigantes' origin is, like much Greek mythology, confusing to me. In a nutshell, the Giants sprung forth from the blood which spilled upon and impregnated earth-goddess Gaia when Cronus castrated his father, sky-god Uranus. (Nice, huh?)

The Gigantomachy was an epic battle for cosmic supremacy pitting the Giants against the Olympian gods. The Olympians prevailed with the assistance of Herakles. Athena personally took on Enceladus, throwing the island of Sicily at him, burying him under Mount Etna. Other giants were similary entombed under the earth. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes were attributed to their movement in these subterranean tombs.

Vivid statue of Enceladus, showing him partly buried under rocks (park of Versailles; image from Wikipedia):


Mosaic featuring anguipede (serpent-footed) giants, Villa Romana del Casale, c. 3rd century CE (image from www.theoi.com):



Frieze of the Gigantomachy on the Pergamon Altar (image from Wikipedia):


...

Here's my coin's reverse shown with a similar Gordian III coin from CNG's archives. The comparison coin has the "full" legend (although the extent of the legend and placement varies a bit from coin to coin), with KAΛV behind Athena. If any of you have a reference or more information about my coin's legend variation, please let me know. Perhaps it's an unimportant detail but lack of "Calycadnum" on my coin is curious.



As usual, please post anything you feel is related to this coin

 

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Fantastic coin and write up. Thanks and congrats.

 

That's a very cool and imaginative mythological explanation for earthquakes!

 

Wow, Granger => that's an amazingly cool reverse (well played)

I need to go buy some groceries, but I'll stop-by in a bit and pretend that I have something relevant for your cool new thread (I like you)

 

Super coin and post! Amazing the information from one coin! Looks like they fit the city name anywhere they could on these.



Cilicia, Seleucia ad Calycadnum. Gallienus. Æ27. Athena/anguipede Giant
Obv: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: Athena advancing right, brandishing spear and shield at anguipede Giant, raising both hands.
27mm, 7.9 gm.
SNG Levante 789

 

My only coin from Cilicia:

CILICIA, KORYKOS CITY COINAGE
AE 19
OBVERSE: Turreted head of Tyche right; A behind. Circle of dots
REVERSE: ΚΩΡΥΚΙΩΤΩΝ, Hermes standing left, holding caduceus, ΕΥ/ΕΠΙ/ΕΡ in left field
Struck at Cilicia 1st century BC (100-30 BC)
5.87g, 19.42
SNG Levante 792; SNG France 1075

 

Okay, I'm back from groceries ... snagged some sweet snacks!!



Well, Bing went straight for the Cilicia thing ... ancientone was a bit more specific with Cilicia, Seleucia (both amazingly well played!!)

Ummm, I'm gonna try and encompass both strategies ...

=> here is my example from Cilicia, Seleucis and Pieria ...

SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria, Philip I
Æ 8 Assaria
AD 244-249
Antioch mint
Diameter: 30 mm
Weight: 16.39 grams
Obverse: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip I right
Reverse: Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right; above, ram leaping right, head left; Δ-Є and S-C across field
Reference: McAlee 990




Oh, and here are my other sweet examples from Cilicia ...







Sadly, I have zero coins associated with giants emerging from the earth (maybe I'm forgetting something in my collection?)

Either way, I like you Hermione ... congrats again on scoring that super-cool OP-winner!!

 

Very nice write up and coin @TIF!

This is my only Cilicia that I can contribute... And I have no coins depicting any of this Epic Battle Myth...


Cilicia - Tarsos turret counterstamped Bow Pompei Pirates AE 19 164 BCE Tyche-Zeus seated

 

Very nice! I've been looking out for one of these too. What's not to like about serpent-legged giants?

 

what a great provincial...and good write up. had no clue what the "gigantomachy" was!

i don't really have any closely matching coins, but i do have my coins that closely matches alegandrons..

 

Some of my coins from Cilicia

 

Awesome coin a write-up TIF.

Here is my only Cilician coin:

 

And such a fantastic coin it is! I'd love to have this coin, or @icerain's, or the similar coin posted by @stevex6. On the list

 

Great post TIF. As a child I experienced some big earthquakes. Now I know what caused them.

Here are my coins of Cilicia. All three are 2016 purchases.

 

Another from Calycadnum.

Cilicia, Seleukeia ad Calycadnum. AE18. Athena/Helios
Obv: Helmeted and cuirassed bust of Athena r. with shield and spear.
Rev: Bust of Helios ? r. / SELEYKEWN EPI DHMIORGOY DHMH.
SNG LEVANTE 0702(1)

 

Very nice write-up. I enjoyed the mythology lesson.

I have a newspaper from December 1755 (written a month after the great Lisbon quake) that had the current hypothesis as to the cause of earthquakes. It wasn't too much different.

 

So it took awhile for me to play catch-up here, but Leu 1 allowed me to finally check this box off .

I'm tagging it on to this thread because of @TIF's excellent write-up about the reverse scene, to which I have zip to add except to note the degradation of style that occurred in the 15-20 years between TIF's Gordian III and my Gallienus. Hmpf!

GALLIENUS
AE27. 8.77g, 27.2mm. CILICIA, Seleucia ad Calycadnum, circa AD 253-268. SNG Levante 789 (same obv die). O: AY K Π ΛΚ (sic!) ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝ/ΟC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. R: CEΛΕVKEΩΝ K/AΛVΚA/ΔN, Athena advancing right, holding shield and brandishing spear at snake-legged giant advancing left and raising both arms.

 

Stretching the theme a little bit, the greatest rendition of the battle between giants and gods is Giulio Romano's amazing, freaky fresco in the Palazzo Te in Mantua. It was commissioned in the sixteenth century by Federico II Gonzaga, scion of a family greatly interested in Roman history.

 

TIF, super cool new coin. I really injoyed your write up on it.

~Doug

 

Awesome stuff