Dear Friends of ancient mythology! Even the corona virus should not stop our hobby. I would like to present here an object whose meaning is still not quite clear today. On my coin it was called a 'beehive', which is complete nonsense, as a bee expert who is also historically familiar with beekeeping assured me. But first, the coin. It's an AE20 from Deultum in Thrace by Maximinus I: 1st Coin: Maximinus I 235-238 AD. AE 20, 4.79g, 20.11mm, 180 Av.: IMP MAXIMINVS AVG (Lat.) Bust, draped and cuirassed, laurel, n.r. Av.: P-C-F-D so-called omphalos with point on foundation Ref: Yurukova 204; Varbanov 2425; SNG Bulgaria 756-760 SS, nice green Patina, on rev. trace of excavation Greek omphalos is navel, Latin umbilicus. This picture is only available from Deultum. What is this strange thing? Yurokova calls it a beehive. But that's nonsense, as we already know. It's sometimes called a shrine. And the new SNG Bulgaria calls it a well of the 'Meta Sudan' type! This is what I researched first, because I have not heard anything of this term before. (1) Meta Sudan New excavations in the 1990th in Colosseum Square brought to light some interesting foundations in the immediate vicinity of the Arch of Constantine. First, the remains of a portico that was part of Nero's Domus Aurea. The portico ran along the artificial lake, which was later drained and into which the Colosseum was built, and connected the palace on the Velia (where the temple of Venus and Roma now stands) with the valley. When Nero was dead and the Flavians had takenover power in Rome, most of the Domus Aurea was demolished and the valley was radically transformed. As part of this construction work, a monumental fountain, the Meta Sudans, was also created. The fountain had the shape of a huge cone (hence the name Meta Sudans, "sweating cone"). The height of the cone was 17 meters, its diameter at the base was 7 meters. It stood in a round water basin of 16 meters in diameter. When Mussolini built his imposante Via dell' Imperi (now Via dei Fori Imperiali), the Meta Sudans was levelled. The original appearance of the fountain can be reconstructed from contemporary coins. (2) Baetyl Baetyls are meteoric stones, like the stone of Emesa of Elagabal, the Baetyl of Sidon or the Kaaba in Mecca.. The shape of these baetyls is sometimes a bit ovoid. Here is a picture of the baetyl of the Pergaean Artemis. What makes it especially interesting is that according to Marvin Tameanko the upper 'egg' of this monument or a similar one is apparently depicted on coins, sometimes in a temple. See "Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum collection of Aulock. No. 4759" and "Description des Medailles Antiques, Greques et Romaines, Mionnet, vol.3, no. 93, p. 463" and of course Marvin Tameanko's own book "Monumental Coins, p.213". (3) The Apollonian Omphalos On a series of Seleucid coins Apollo is depicted sitting on an omphalos. The omphalos is often covered with a net-like wickerwork (Agrenon) as can be seen on this coin. Maybe this is where the name 'beehive' comes from. 2nd Coin: Babylonia, Seleukeia ad Tigris, Antiochos I Soter, 324-361 BC AR - Tetradrachm, 16.92g, 29.04g, 315 Seleukeia ad Tigris, 264-263 BC Obv.: Head of Antiochos I. with Taenia r. Rev.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ - ANTIOΧOV (each from top to bottom) Apollo Delphios, naked, sitting on an omphalos l., chlamys over thigh and hanging down over the omphalos hanging holding with his l. hand the bow, leaning behind him against the omphalos, and checking arrow, which he is holding forward right with tip pointing diagonally downwards in left and right field each a monogram Ref:: Newell ESM 166, pl. XV, 2; Gülnar 2/2928, pl. 87; SC. 379, 6a VF So the Omphalos has a relationship to Apollo and therefore to Delphi. It is the seat of the prophet and is also called the Delphic Omphalos. It is said to stand at the place where the eagles met, which Zeus had sent from the extreme east and extreme west. Therefore, this place was considered the center of the world. Below it is said to be the tomb of Dionysus. The omphalos of Asclepius is probably a transmission. Note: Gülnar = Gülnar hoard, found 1980, now called Meydancikkale hoard. (4) The "navel of the world" In later times the meaning of the navel was extended into the esoteric. Especially by the Orphans. In this time there are also transitions to the so-called world egg, which for example reappears in modern times in pictures by Salvadore Dali. It is said to contain all secrets of the cosmos. It also played an important role in hermeneutics and alchemy in the Middle Ages. Salvadore Dali, O Ovo Filosofico, 1943 (5) Back to the facts Now what does the 'Kleiner Pauly' say to this navel? Omphalos, = navel, hump. It is an ovoid or beehive-shaped cairn. uncertain meaning; sometimes depicted with bird attributes and covered with net-like wickerwork. The best known example is the Delphic Omphalos, an oracle seat belonging first to Gaia, then to Apollo; according to the Ninnion-Pinax it is also represented in the sanctuary of the Earth Mother of Eleusis. Replicas of the original omphalos were found in Delphi. Today the Delphic omphalos is no longer regarded as a meteorite object of the Aniconian stone cult, but as a pre-Hellenic sacrificial monument to the earth goddess in synthesis of tymbos (= vaulted tomb) and altar (for chthonic blood casts). Concepts of the earth navel are secondary; attempts to classify it in oriental symbolic references are questionable; a connection with Aegean, Near Eastern or Celtic stone formations of similar form, interpretation within the framework of fertility symbolism remains controversial. The omphalos which is today in Delphi is a Hellenistic copy after an archaic stone model. In ancient times it was crowned by 2 golden eagles (M. Andronicos, Delphes, Athenes, Ekdotike Athenon, 1998, p. 49) Navel of today (Rama, Wikipedia) Note: The Ninnion-Pinax is an ancient clay tablet discovered in Eleusis in 1895. It is covered with paintings depicting scenes of the Eleusinian mysteries. The original is in the Archaeological Museum in Athens. Best regards
Thanks for writing this Jochen! As for knowledge, you are the omphalos of the Classical part of Cointalk!
Antiochos III Ar Tetradrachm 223-206 B.C. Rv Apollo seated left on omphalos. 16.96 grms 28 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Thanks for the article Jochen. Very interesting reading. I have been reading up on baetyls recently, and the meaning of ELA GABAL, "God's mountain" so perfect timing. What I wonder about is how these concepts made it into Islam in the 7th century, where Muhammad received the Qu'ran while sitting on a mountain.
Dear @ancient coin hunter! About the history of the Black Stone in the Kaaba you can read here a lot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Stone But there is nothing about the reason why the veneration is incorporated into the Islam. I am not a theologian and therefore the following statement is not scientifically confirmed: Some religions have, in addition to their "revealed" ledger, popular traditions of the faithful that run alongside the Orthodox beliefs. In the Catholic Church, for example, the veneration of Mary, and miracles, with the veneration of the saints, are not found in the Bible itself, and are therefore rejected by the Protestants. In Islam, it is next to the main book, the Koran, the Hadith, which has collected words of the Prophet Mohammed and instructions for daily life. But even here there are theologians who do not believe all parts of the hadith to be true, or even reject all of them. I believe that the black stone belongs in this context. Perhaps it is the case that believers often find their main doctrine too anaemic and they long for the contents of faith that are part of their profane daily life and that they can look at or touch. Best regards
Thanks @Jochen1 great information and interesting/impressive coins, now I see what Mithradates I's archer is sitting on: AR Drachm, Parthian Kingdom, Mithradates I, ca. 171-138 BC Mint: Hekatompylos Obv: Diademed and draped bust of Mithradates I left Rev: Archer seated right on omphalos, holding bow Size: 3.92g, 19.2mm Ref: Sellwood 11.1; Shore 24
...O kool..where's @TIF with her's?!?.....i've been after a coin with the stone riding for awhile. ( and i dig Dali too..^^)
omphalos Parthia 177-138 BCE AR Drachm Diademed draped Mithradates I left bashlik - archer seated on omphalos Sellwood 10.1 I agree it is an Omphalos. However, I am a Beekeeper, and have seen, read, and have been presented with Bee Hives that are very similar to omphalos... Honey Bee Ancient 3000 year old beehives in Israel Ancient Beehives in Musem However, bees will make hives in ANY type of structure that they can limit access to protect themselves, has free flow of air, and has room to build their combs. Fascinating creatures, and incredibly useful to Humans.
Seleukid Kings, Demetrios II (First reign, 146-138 BC). Æ Antioch on the Orontes, c. 146-145 BC. O/ Laureate head of Zeus r. R/ Apollo Delphios seated l. on omphalos, holding arrow and grounded bow SC 1912.1; HGC 9, 992. Tan earthen deposit, About VF
I’ve been eating a spoonful of local honey once a day for about 6 years now. No more allergies, I rarely get sick, and when I do, it is very mild. About a year ago there was a massive collection with a bee theme, covering all periods and regions. I can’t remember who sold it but you could find it on sixbid.
Honey, and other bee products have incredible medicinal values, as you have experienced. When you get your honey, get local honey. The local honey has more allergy protective values against local pollens and irritants that causes your allergies.
I do—a sixth generation bee keeper lives on my block! He supplies the whole town. I also have a friend who is a bee keeper so I also get his. His early summer batches are the best I’ve ever tasted. I keep telling him to enter a contest!
Here's a couple of my pix of "The Belly Button of the Earth". Pic1: Copper of Uranius from a CNG sale Pic2: My bride at Delphi Greece
