Greeks vs Romans: The Coin Game

[Deinomenid]

Well Septimus,  one could chose the path of dying of a sniffle while on a failed daytrip to Scotland, or you can be called upon  by the people and the gods to defeat Sicilian tyrants, slaughter the Carthaginians and repopulate empty cities, and then retire to  universal acclaim.

 

Timoleon of Corinth.

 

Sicily, Timoleon; 344-317 AD. Struck c. 344-339/8 BC, SNG ANS-496-507, HGC-1400. Obv: Pegasus flying l. with pointed wing. Rx: ΣYΡΑΚoΣΙΩΝ Head of Athena r. wearing Corinthian helmet

Edited October 15, 2022 by Deinomenid

[Ryro]

Timoleon was a heck of a guy and that coin is a masterpiece, buuuuut Timo retired. 

Augustus did everything he set out to do and continued to reign and create the greatest empire of antiquity:

 

[shanxi]

The game has just started and already Augustus has to compete for the Romans for the second time.

There doesn't seem to have been much going on in Rome.

In the Greek world, there were hundreds of interesting independent cities and rulers. Only one as an example:

 

Seleucid Kings of Syria
Alexander I Balas
Tetradrachm, dated ςΞ = 147-146 BC
Obv.: Diademed head of Alexander
Rev.: Zeus enthroned left, holding sceptre, Nike crowning him
ΒAΣIΛΕΩS / ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ- ΘEOΠATOΡOΣ / EΥEΡΓETOΥ
ςΞΡ and Φ in ex
Ag, 16,6 mm 30 mm
Ref.: SC 1784 7, SMA 157f.
Ex Collection Prof. Dr. Dobretsberger 1948 (Secretary of Social Affairs in Austria)
Ex Collection Karl Pollak

 

 

[Roman Collector]

Alexander, Alexander, Alexander. Can't the Greeks come up with anything original, like Sallustia Orbiana?

Orbiana, wife of Severus Alexander, Augusta AD 225-227.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 20.02 g, 28.6 mm, 12 h.
Rome, special marriage issue, AD 225.
Obv: SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG, diademed and draped bust, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVGVSTORVM S C, Severus Alexander, togate, standing right, holding scroll in left hand and clasping right hands with Orbiana, veiled and draped, standing left.
Refs: RIC 657; BMCRE 301; Cohen 6; RCV 8194; Banti 3.

[Deinomenid]

You want original?

Bring it on. 9 syllables of power and name originality await you with Thrasybulus the Deinomenid-

Just don’t judge my reign by its duration or judge me against my older brothers. Or against lumps of mud.

 

Boehringer 353
Sicily. Syracuse. Hieron/Thrasybulus. .AR Tetradrachm, c.470 BC. Obv.Charioteer, holding kentron in right hand and reins in both, driving slow quadriga right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses with wreath held in both handsObv.Charioteer, holding kentron in right hand and reins in both, driving slow quadriga right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses with wreath held in both hands

 

 

 

[Ryro]

Claudius was considered a lump of mud, but still had a reign of 13 years and accomplished much good. Like the 35 senators he put to death. Holding their kangaroo trials in his chambers!

[kirispupis]

Ptolemy II was capable of uttering complete sentences, and he was not killed by his wife.

Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphos
AR Tetradrachm. Tyre, dated RY 30 = 256/5 BCE
14.01g, 25mm, 12h.
Diademed head of Ptolemy I to right, wearing aegis around neck / ΠΤΟΛEΜΑΙOΥ [BAΣΙΛEΩΣ], eagle standing to left; monogram of Tyre above club to left; Λ (date) above monogram to right; A between legs.
CPE 577; Svoronos 657; SNG Copenhagen 488; DCA 20
Ex collection of R. N. Draskowski;
Ex Ephesus Numismatics, North Carolina, USA

[Ryro]

Sadly, Ptolemy was a ratty looking bastard. Even more so for his kids that all had insest and became uglier still and deformed. 

Marcus Aurelius was known to be beautiful and never, far as we know, banged his sister:

Edited October 17, 2022 by Ryro

[kirispupis]

Of course, Marcus Aurelius lost some battles. Not the case for Antigenes. He led the Silver Shields, who were undefeated under several kings.

 

[Roman Collector]

15 hours ago, Ryro said:

Sadly, Ptolemy was a ratty looking bastard. Even more so for his kids that all had insest and became uglier still and deformed. 

Marcus Aurelius was known to be beautiful and never, far as we know, banged his sister:

Well, technically no. Faustina was his stepsister and his biological cousin, though. 

[AncientOne]

As great as Antigenes was he never made rank to King or Emperor.  Emperor Antoninus Pius died in his bed and was not burned alive.

Lesbos, Mytilene. Antoninus Pius AE18

Obv: ΑVΤ ΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ΑΝΤΩΝƐΙΝ[ΟС?] / Laureate head of Antoninus Pius, r. Rev: ΜVΤΙΛΗΝΑΙΩΝ / female figure (Aphrodite?) standing, facing, head, l., holding patera and transverse sceptre. RPC IV, 2627

[kirispupis]

Some leader Antoninus Pius was. J.J. Wilkes wrote: "It is almost certain not only that at no time in his life did he ever see, let alone command, a Roman army, but that, throughout the twenty-three years of his reign, he never went within five hundred miles of a legion."

Eurydike (Adea) at least led troops into battle, so basically a teenage girl outperformed one of the "greatest" Roman emperors!

Philip III
AR 1/5 Tetradrachm 2.57g
Minted under Eurydike (Adea), Amphipolis, 318-317 BCE
Le Rider Taf. 46, 29; SNG ANS 731–735
Vs.: Kopf des Apollon mit Tänie n. r.
Rs.: Jüngling reitet n. r., unten seitlich gesehener Schild
Ex Kölner Münzkabinett

[Ryro]

Wasn't he... and she overshadowed a bit?

At least when we think of Roman dominance, the republic "Never fought an unjust war...hrrmhrrrmm cough. "

 

 

[ominus1]

On 10/16/2022 at 12:07 PM, Ryro said:

. Holding their kangaroo trials in his chambers!

 

[shanxi]

13 hours ago, Cordoba said:

but these romans don't have cool hats like the greeks do

 

The Roman helmets were much cooler. Some of them even look like hair at first sight.

Constantius Gallus
AE2, Constantinople
Obv: DN FL CL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES/ Bust of Constantius Gallus with hairy helmet
Rev: FEL TEMP RE-PARATIO, Soldier, helmeted, draped, cuirassed, advancing left, spearing fallen horseman with right hand and wearing shield on left arm; shield on ground to right
MintMark: Γ•/-//CONSZ
AE, 4.36g, 22-23 mm
RIC 7, p.456, 107 var. (RIC does not mention the helmet)

 

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by shanxi

[kirispupis]

Diodotos I at least didn't (eventually) share power, nor was he executed. He also ruled for more than three years.

Greco-Baktrian Kingdom, Diodotos I Soter
AR Tetradrachm circa 255-235 BCE
15.32g, 29mm, 6h
In the name of Antiochos II of the Seleukid Empire. Mint A (near Aï Khanoum), Diademed head to right / Zeus Bremetes advancing to left, brandishing aegis and thunderbolt; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ to right, ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ to left, monogram above eagle at inner left.
Kritt A6; Holt Series A, Group 6; Bopearachchi 2E; Mitchiner 64d; SNG ANS 77-8; SC 631.1a.
Ex Neil Collection
Ex Roma

[Ryro]

Yeah, but Diodotus was in the sticks. Ruling Baktria is like being governor of Florida. Sure you're in charge. But of a bunch of inbred savages!

At least Vespasian had the good sense to leave the country:

[kirispupis]

Verspasian! The guy literally shit himself to death! Talk about a way to go. I could literally pick anyone with a better fate than that (except perhaps Kassander - gout), but I'll instead pick a horse - one who allegedly took his wounds at a late age on the battlefield.

Note: if you doubt that this is a coin of Bucephalos, please see my old CT thread.

Bucephalos
Uncertain Macedonian mint, circa 336-323 BC.
Diademed head of male to right / Horse galloping to right, AΛEΞAN[ΔPOV] above, A[I?] below.
Price 363. 3.34g, 16mm, 3h.
Ex Roma

[Ryro]

29 minutes ago, kirispupis said:

Verspasian! The guy literally shit himself to death! Talk about a way to go. I could literally pick anyone with a better fate than that (except perhaps Kassander - gout), but I'll instead pick a horse - one who allegedly took his wounds at a late age on the battlefield.

Note: if you doubt that this is a coin of Bucephalos, please see my old CT thread.

Bucephalos
Uncertain Macedonian mint, circa 336-323 BC.
Diademed head of male to right / Horse galloping to right, AΛEΞAN[ΔPOV] above, A[I?] below.
Price 363. 3.34g, 16mm, 3h.
Ex Roma

I thought Claudius was the one that's last words were, "I believe I've shit myself."

I don't recall Vespasian pooping himself.  Old Vespy was much more witty and reportedly said, "Oh dear, I think I'm becoming a god."

As you know, Alexander named at least two cities after his horse!

At least Caligula only threatened to make his a senator:

 

[kirispupis]

4 minutes ago, Ryro said:

I thought Claudius was the one that's last words were, "I believe I've shit myself."

I don't recall Vespasian pooping himself.  Old Vespy was much more witty and reportedly said, "Oh dear, I think I'm becoming a god."

 

Per Wikipedia:
Taken on a sudden with such an attack of diarrhoea that he all but swooned, he said: "An emperor ought to die standing," and while he was struggling to get on his feet, he died in the arms of those who tried to help him, on the ninth day before the Kalends of July [June 23], at the age of sixty-nine years, seven months and seven days.

— Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, "Life of Vespasian" §2

[Ryro]

38 minutes ago, kirispupis said:

Per Wikipedia:
Taken on a sudden with such an attack of diarrhoea that he all but swooned, he said: "An emperor ought to die standing," and while he was struggling to get on his feet, he died in the arms of those who tried to help him, on the ninth day before the Kalends of July [June 23], at the age of sixty-nine years, seven months and seven days.

— Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars, "Life of Vespasian" §2

Like they say, you forget something everyday. 

Though, in all fairness, everybody shits themselves while dying.