I have lately been studying the book Water in the Cultic Worship of Isis and Sarapis, by Robert Wild. It is not particularly thrilling reading, but has immensely enhanced my understanding of the cult of Isis during Roman times, and I think an understanding of his study is an absolute necessity to understanding the iconography on the Roman coinage of Alexandria. Whereas other references give only vague descriptions for some of the more obscure objects depicted on those coins (‘jars,’ ‘pitchers,’ ‘canopic jar,’ etc.), Wild’s synthesis of the extant evidence gives more satisfying answers for what the iconography on these coins meant. I think it is worth reproducing some of what he wrote here, specifically as it relates to the coinage. In the process I will share some of my favorite coins exemplifying this iconography, and I really hope that others will feel inclined to highlight their own coins as well. (An image of Horus, Osiris, and Isis from Pharonic times) The Osiris myth was at the center of Egyptian religious practice by Roman times, and had spread throughout the Roman Empire. At the same time, the figure of Sarapis had become conflated with that of Osiris in his role as the spouse of Isis. Although the course of the Osiris myth is well known (Osiris is murdered by the evil god Set, his body dismembered, he is revived briefly by Isis and impregnates her with Horus, who eventually avenges Osiris by killing Set; Osiris in turn becomes the god of the underworld), its symbolic representation in Roman times is less well understood. Osiris’ resurrection became associated with the annual flooding and retreating of the Nile, which enabled the birth, death, and resurrection of Egypt’s agriculture. In turn, the waters of the Nile became associated with the afterlife for some, assuming a central part of their religious practice. It was Isis who revived Osiris, and it was Isis who “brings back the Nile over the whole land.” A procession of Isis devotees, as depicted in a fresco at Pompeii; the figures on the far sides hold urnulae, while the three men in the center each hold a sistrum and situla For worshippers in late Ptolemaic to Roman times, the waters of the Nile became spiritually essential, and tended to be held in different types of small, portable vessels, as opposed to the larger, fixed position vessels of the Hellenistic period. The significance and meaning of the Nile water by Roman times is up for debate, but it certainly held great meaning to adherents, and may have been associated with the prospect of eternal life. In Pharonic times, and in some Roman period inscriptions, Osiris offers the prospect of ‘cool water’ for the deceased. For others, it may have been that the power of Osiris, resurrectory or otherwise, was literally in the Nile water. Isis is shown here (RPC 5815) nursing the infant Harpocrates (Horus); she is flanked on the left by a urnula, and on the right by a palm branch; the palm branch in the right field was also used in Isiac processions, according to Apuleius, probably associated with the afterlife, and is often an attribute of Hermanubis Apuleius describes a pitcher containing Nile water as the image of Osiris, which is taken to mean a vessel in which his essence – the Nile water itself – was contained. It was “a small vessel,” Apuleius wrote, “hollowed out with considerable craftsmanship, with a quite round bottom… adorned with marvelous images of Egyptian objects. Its mouth was not raised very high but in extending forth to form a channel, it jutted out in a long spout. On its other side was fastened a handle which goes out some distance from the vessel in a sweeping curve. On top of this sat, entwined like a knot, a uraeus serpent.” The vessel he was describing is sometimes called an urnula, and is a common motif on Alexandrian coinage, which seems to have been the central object of adoration in Isiac processions. Nile water from this vessel was also used in libations, perhaps transferred to a situla (less commonly seen on Alexandrian coinage, but appearing with Isis on some Imperial issues) first. The situla is less commonly portrayed on Alexandrian coinage; here it is seen on an Imperial issue of Claudius Gothicus, held in the left hand of Isis (right side of the coin) along with a sistrum in the other – it ain’t pretty but it’s mine More perplexing is the figure often described as ‘Osiris Canopus’ or simply as a ‘canopic jar,’ which takes the form of a large urn terminating in a human head. Wild refers to this form as ‘Osiris Hydreios’ (Osiris jar). These figures may wear various crowns and have different details (such as funerary iconography on their body, or the presence or absence of a beard). These have often been interpreted as canopic jars, used to hold the viscera of the mummified dead, or as their ritual descendants; others have considered them a peculiar form of Osiris worshipped at Canopus, or perhaps different forms of Osiris worshipped in this form (to account for the varied details). By the late 1st century AD, these figures were being depicted on Alexandrian coinage, and appears earlier in the century on other media, and probably originated in Egypt. Like the urnula, these figures were carried in Isiac processions, often rested on pillows, and were garlanded around their base with flowers. In some iconography, their position appears to be interchangeable. This 'Osiris-Canopus' statue was found at Hadrian's Villa, and demonstrates in great detail the typical iconography of these pieces. Wild refers to these figures by the more neutral term of Osiris Hydreios (Osiris jar). Some have interpreted this image as originating from depictions of Osiris as a mummy, although it is usually interpreted as a vessel, even if statues of this type are almost invariably hollow. Following Wilhelm Weber’s theories, Wild interprets Osiris taking the form of a vessel as being related to his association with the sacred Nile water, while the iconography often depicted on the figure is taken to resemble that placed on mummy cases, reflecting Osiris’ position as lord of the dead. This image may have been drawn from the figural viscera jars used in earlier times, but for Hellenistic audiences it had lost this function and meaning. Wild divides this form into three types, Type A (with bodies decorated by reliefs) and Type B (with a U-neck garment and an open neck) and Type B’ (body decorated with spiral fluting). The significance of these different types, as well as the different crowns they wear, is obscure, but both appear simultaneously on some coin types and in some temples. Two Osiris-Hydreios type jars are shown here (RPC 5917) within the confines of an Egyptian temple (note the domed roof and lotus-type pillars). The one on the left is Wild's Type B, while the one on the right is Type A, closely mirroring the above example from Hadrian's villa. Osiris Hydreios often appears in funerary contexts, along with inscriptions beseeching that Osiris deliver ‘cool water’ to the deceased. The urnula, on the other hand, never appears in funerary contexts. Wild therefore proposes that Osiris Hydreios was used as a symbolic representation of the cool Nile water that Osiris would provide the deceased with in the afterlife, while the urnula was a functional implementation of the same concept for use in ritual by the living. Grave goods, after all, are often symbolic, as opposed to functional, but may mimic objects used in life. This explanation is perhaps not entirely satisfactory, but it is certainly better than that provided in some other sources I’ve seen. The important point to be made is that imagery on ancient coins communicated things which were, generally, understood and meaningful to their intended audiences. While this iconography was sometimes motivated by personal gain (such as some of the obscure types seen on Roman Republican coinage, depicting individuals or favored subjects from the moneyer’s family), it was also sometimes motivated by popular iconography reflective of the religious customs of its users, as is the case here. Understanding this context, rather than making assumptions, will lead to a much deeper appreciation of our coins when we realize the complex layers of meaning present on them.
Thanks for that write-up. It's always been fascinating to me how ancient Egyptian religion and iconography not just persisted, but evolved through the ages, even being disseminated far beyond the lands of its origin. Here's a Festival of Isis issue, with Isis depicted much the same as on the Claudius II type, but in the time of Valens some 100 years later. VALENS. Festival of Isis. AE4. 1.11g, 12.7mm. Rome mint, circa AD 364-378. Festival of Isis issue. Vagi -; Cohen VIII -; Alföldi -; Tesorillo online 6/29 (this coin illustrated). O: D N VALEN S P F AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: VOTA PVBLICA, Isis standing left, holding sistrum and situla. Unpublished in the standard references and possibly unique. I think the jar depicted on this next one would be a Wild Type B? ANTONINUS PIUS Billon Tetradrachm. 11.83g, 24.7mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 2 = AD 138/9. Dattari 2179; Emmett 1373.1; RPC Online 13409 (14 spec.). O: Bare head right, with trace of drapery on shoulder. R: ETO-VC B, Osiris-Canopus, crowned with horns, disk, plumes and uraei, standing on cushion, right. Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1981.445) Another Isis, in the "ain’t pretty but it’s mine" category. ANTONINUS PIUS AE Drachm. 25.0g, 35.4mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 12 = AD 148/9. Emmett 1592.12; Dattari 2678 (2676?); RPC Online 14907. O: Laureate head right. R: Isis Pharia standing right, holding sail and sistrum; before, Pharos of Alexandria; L (below) DWDEKATOV (around). Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1982.1960)
Fantastic!! I look forward to reading that book and appreciate the expanded information about urnulae. We had fun hypothesizing about what they are when discussing the reverse of this coin: EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero Regnal year 14 (CE 67/8) AE diobol; 27 mm, 10.9 gm Obv: NEPΩKΛAVK[AIΣΣEBΓEPA]; laureate head right Rev: L - IΔ; "vase" (Emmett), or "oinochoe" per others (others are probably correct) Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl. 1, 2 (this coin); Dattari cf 286; RPC 5322; Emmett 153.14; Poole (BM, 1892) cf 188? https://www.cointalk.com/threads/more-to-this-than-meets-the-eye.309276/ We were disappointed to learn it isn't a bong Nero used for smoking Silphium The "canopic jar" depictions are interesting. Apparently they are not truly jars or vessels with accessible interior but rather statues mis-labeled in modern times. Here's a Hadrian tetradrachm with very detailed canopic "jar" which looks like it may have been modeled after the Osiris-Canopus from Hadrian's villa, although the headdress is slightly different: EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian year 11, CE 126/7 billon tetradrachm, 26 mm, 12.6 gm Obv: AVTKAITPAI AΔPIACEB; laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind Rev: L ENΔ EKATOV: Canopus of Osiris right Ref: Emmett 827.11, R3; Milne 1205 Another canopus reverse: EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian year 18, CE 133/4 Æ drachm, 26.4 gm Obv: AYT KAIC TPAIAN (A∆PIANOC CEB), laureate and draped bust right Rev: Canopic jars facing; L I H across fields Ref: Emmett 933.18, R1 Canopus was a city on the Nile delta. In that city, Ptolemy III built a temple to Osiris and in that city Osiris was depicted as a vase-like or jar-like sculpture. I don't know more about this temple or the artifacts, but that general style of lidded funerary vase (jar topped by an animal or human head) was dubbed "Canopic" jar by modern Egyptologists because of the resemblance to these artifacts of Osiris found in the town of Canopus. Here are the standard four funerary canopic jars, with heads of the four sons of Horus:
Various portrayals of Isis: Plain Isis: EGYPT, Alexandria. Vespasian year 4, CE 71/2 diobol?, 25.4 mm, 5.45 gm Obv: AVTOKKAIΣΣEBAOVEΣΠAΣIANOV; laureate head right Rev: bust of Isis left; LΔ in right field Ref: Emmett 217.4 (diobol) EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian Year 9, CE 89/90 AE diobol, 25 mm, 9.13 gm Obv: laureate bust right Rev: bust of Isis right Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl 19, 6747 (this coin); Geissen 329; Emmett 296.9, R5 ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923) Isis in her role as overseer of seas and harbors: EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian year 18, CE 133/4 Æ drachm, 32 mm, 23.3 gm Obv: AYT KAIC TPAIAN A∆PIANOC CEB, laureate and draped bust right Rev: Isis Pharia right holding a billowing sail with both hands and left foot, sailing toward the Lighthouse of Pharos, which is surmounted by a statue and two Tritons, each blowing a buccinum (sea shell trumpet); L IH (year 18) above center Ref: Emmett 1002(18), R1 Another Isis Pharia, a rare version of tetradrachm which somehow escaped @Okidoki's clutches Hadrian tet, year 9, Isis Pharia. Emmett 868.9 (R5) Isis head with serpent body (Isis Thermouthis), one of my favorite provincials despite its lackluster condition: EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian AE obol, 20 mm, 5 gm regnal year 10, CE 90/91 Obv: laureate head right Rev: AVTKAIΣAPOMITIANOΣΣEBΓEPM; Isis-Thermouthis standing right; LI in right field Ref: Emmett 321.10, R5; RPC 2593; Geissen 376 Isis-Sothis: EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius AE drachm, regnal year 21 Obv: laureate bust right Rev: Isis-Sothis, seated facing and holding a cornucopia and scepter, riding a dog (Sirius?) right; the dog is looking back at Isis Ref: Dattari 2680; Emmett 1593.21 Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago Isis as mother of Horus: EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius AE drachm, RY 8 Obv: laureate bust right Rev: Isis seated right on throne, nursing the infant Harpokrates, all within arched temple with solar disc and uraeus on pediment; L-H Ref: Dattari 3044; Emmett 1587.8, R4 Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago A Ptolemaic Isis: Ptolemy V-VI 204-145 BCE Æ 27mm, 18.4g; Alexandria mint. Obv: diademed head of Isis right Rev: ΠTOΛEMAIOΥ BAΣIΛEΩΣ; eagle on thunderbolt. Ref: Svoronos 1234 and SNG Cop 247 (as Ptolemy IV)
TIF, That's a great selection of Egyptian coinage ! I love that cartoon creation of Nero copping a buzz . And an interesting article by Septimius T .
That's a fascinating article, @SeptimusT . I wish I had more examples of Alexandrian coinage with Egyptian iconography (but @TIF gobbles them all up!). I do, of course, have some Roman imperial issues depicting Isis. This one is common, but depicts the sistrum and situla well: Claudius II Gothicus, AD 268-270. Roman billon antoninianus, 4.07 g, 22.4 mm, 5 h. Antioch, officina 5, issue 1, end 268-end 269. Obv: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: SALVS AVG, Isis standing left, holding sistrum and situla; Є in exergue. Refs: RIC 217A; MER/RIC temp 1024; Cohen 256; RCV 11370; Huvelin 1990, 10; Normanby 1109. I think your example is interesting in that it has a left-facing bust of Claudius II. I also have a denarius depicting Isis and baby Horus/Harpocrates: Julia Domna, AD 193-217. Roman AR denarius, 3.07 g, 18.2 mm, 12 h. Uncertain Eastern mint (Antioch?; formerly attributed to Laodicea), AD 196-202. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: SAECVLI FELICITAS, Isis standing right, left foot on prow, holding infant Horus on left arm, right hand on breast; on left, rudder. Refs: RIC 645; BMCRE 618; Cohen 174; RCV --; CRE 353.
This thread reminds me just how few of the Alexandrian coins used old 'Egyptian' types as opposed to the Hellenized ones. We see a lot of Serapis and Isis but the religion of Phaeronic times was not as popular by this period. I have almost none. Hadrian obol Harpocrates (non-infant) Antoninus Pius drachm Sar-Agathodaemon
Very happy to see so many people interested in these types. Some beautiful coins posted here; going to have to add Isis Thermouthis and other reptile-hybrid types to the research list (and the want list...). @zumbly's festival of Isis coinage is especially fascinating, seeing as it was issued under a Christian emperor. The fact that the image is so similar to the Claudius II type shows the staying power of ancient iconography. As for the 'Canopus' types, I am astounded by the amount of detail shown in the decoration on some of the coins. As @TIF's example shows, they closely parallel the actual statues (which were indeed solid) which they depict. Here is Wild's example for the Type B style, which closely parallels Zumbly's coin; these are a distinct iconography, not a poorly executed representation of Type A: Since we're sharing, here are a couple other interesting Alexandrians that I haven't shown before, which didn't fit into the thread: AE Drachm of Hadrian, Alexandria, AD 134/5; 34mm, 24.27g, RPC 6001 Obverse: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙC ΤΡAIAN ΑΔΡΙΑNOC СƐΒ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Reverse:L ENNEAK • Δ , Harpocrates of Heracleopolis facing,head l., raising finger to lips and holding club; to l., altar AE Drachm of Trajan, Alexandria, AD 111/2; 35mm, 19.75g, RPC 4624 Obverse: ΑΥΤ ΤΡΑΙΑΝ СƐΒ ΓƐΡΜ ΔΑΚΙΚ, Laureate bust right Reverse: LIE, Draped bust of Serapis wearing kalathos and laurel wreath right, on globe held by two Nikes with palm-branches
Cool reverse! I need to look out for that type. It reminds me of this one with the Dioskuroi, which is apparently unique to A-Pi. ANTONIUS PIUS AE Drachm. 23.36g, 34.1mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 2 (AD 138/9). RPC Online Temp #14776; Emmett 1652 (R5); Geissen 1299 . O: ΑVΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟС ƐVСƐΒ, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: L Β, draped bust of Sarapis wearing kalathos, facing front; on either side, the Dioskuroi, each crowned with star, standing, facing, heads turned towards bust, holding spears and whips.
Really neat coin, @zumbly! I definitely see the parallels. Both of them remind me of Pharonic iconography depicting Nephthys (the sister of Isis) and Isis flanking the mummified Osiris, and perhaps originated from that; we see variants of this on some coins, such as this one from Sicily. Here is a Pharonic version:
Thanks for the excellent writeup! Egypt, Alexandria, Hadrian, AD 117-138, BI Tetradrachm, dated RY 10 (AD 125/6) Obv: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: Canopus of Osiris (canopic jar) right; L ΔE-KATOV (date) around Ref: RPC III 5578; Dattari (Savio) 1325-6
I too was disappointed this outstanding article was never given FEATURED status . Admittedly the object I'm posting has nothing to do with ancient Egyptian coinage, but it does illustrate the pride & veneration modern Egyptians have with their past. The object is a coin silver snuff box (or box meant to hold other natural substances ) that depicts Isis on the top cover surrounded by hieroglyphics. The box is in the shape of a Roman sarcophagus, & the inside bottom of the box has a tiny hallmark in Arabic characters too small for me to photograph accurately. The box dimensions are 47 mm X 23.9 mm X 23.2 mm. I bought this box many years ago at a special Exhibition of Egyptian Art at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, NY.
Not Alexandrian, but a nice depiction of Isis...and Serapis: LYDIA. Saitta. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Æ (18mm, 2.96 gm, 6h). Time of Septimius Seveus to Gallienus. Obv: Draped bust of Serapis right, modius on head. Rev: CAITTHNΩN, Isis standing left, holding sistrum and situla. SNG Cop 394.
Here is one of Hadrian from a recent CNG auction (477). I haven't actually held it in my hand yet but it is apparently waiting in my office for me. As noted above, this representation of Isis is very Greek looking. Hadrian hemidrachm, 28.5mm 13.2g regnal year 18 Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Isis enthroned left, holding sistrum and scepter, Emmett 1090.18
