This is a coin from a recent @John Anthony auction. It has a wonderful patina and very good 3D feel, including thickness; better than a picture can convey (reusing John's picture, my phone camera doesn't do the coin any justice). I like the detail and sharpness around Commodus' eye, too. Æ23, 9.6g, Syria, Cyrrhestica Obv: ΑΥΤΟ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑΥΡΗΛ ΚΟΜΜΟΔΟΣ ΣΕΒ Rev: ΔΙΟΣ ΚΑΤΕΒΑΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΡΗΣΤΩΝ There is something else interesting related to this coin: Aristophanes & the 'scatological pun' (see this link for a good summary). I imagine the ancient folks pronouncing ΔΙΟ ΣΚΑΤΕΒΑΤΟΥ and getting a good laughter. Oh, btw, is that a pile of poop on the reverse? Please post if you have coins with katebatou/kataibatou legend.
Neat coin! I know you're joking, particularly as you mention a pile of poop on the reverse, but it's unlikely a native Greek speaker would ever make a bracketing error such as you propose. This is because Διός is the genitive case form of Ζεύς and there is no word Διo without the final sigma that would make any sense in context,* so it's next to impossible to take καταιβάτης as σκαταιβάτης, even though a few words begin with σκατ-. Moreover, καταιβάτης, meaning "descending in thunder and lightning," was a well-known epithet of Zeus, being attested in the following texts: Ar.Pax42, Clearch.9, Lyc.1370, IG2.1659b, 12(3).1360 (Thera), 1093 (Melos), BCH50.245 (Thasos), Ἀρχ.Ἐφ.1924.146 (Thess.), Paus.5.14.10, Corn.ND9. Everyone would take the reverse inscription as ΔΙΟC ΚΑΤΕΒΑΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΡΗCΤΩΝ, "of Zeus descending in thunder and lightning of the Cyrrhestians." *διό means "wherefore, on which account, etc."
LOL! Nope, not taking @Roman Collector ’s explanation. His Avatar is Roman, his name is Roman Collector, ergo, he cannot go on speaking Greek. I like Agricantus’ story better and the pile. Yep, gonna stick to that story!
You guys are full of it! I have a Ant. Pius and Verus from Cyrrus but not as nice as yours @Agricantus!
