Sibyle Herophile

[expat]

My first Greek coin featuring a Sphynx reverse, and an obverse portrait of Sibyle.

The Sibyles were prophetesses, or Oracles in ancient Greece. There appears to have been two Sibyles dating back to 11 BCE, one at Delphi and the other, called Herophile. But as more female Oracles were "discovered", by 4BCE there were three more and by 1BCE there were at least ten. Only two of these are believed to be historical, Herophile of Erythrae, thought to have lived there about 8 century BCE, and Phyto of Samos who lived a little later.

The first known Greek writer to mention a sibyl is (based on the testimony of Plutarch) Herclitus around 500 BCE. His words were apparently, "The Sibyl, with frenzied mouth uttering things not to be laughed at, unadorned and unperfumed, yet reaches to a thousand years with her voice by aid of the god".

Troas, Gergis. Circa 4th-3rd Century BC. AE12mm, 1.28 g. Head of Sibyl Herophile right, three-quarters facing. Reverse/  ΓEΡ, Sphinx sitting right. SNG von Aulock 1515; SNG Ashmolean 1147; SNG Cop 338.

Edited March 22, 2023 by expat

[kirispupis]

Nice write up. Here's my Gergis.

Troas. Gergis
circa 400-300 BCE
Æ 17 mm, 3,63 g
Laureate head of the sibyl Herophile facing slightly right / ΓEP, Sphinx seated right.

 

[Deinomenid]

What a coin! - I had no idea both a Sybil and sphinx could be found on the same piece.

The only thing I can offer is a coin of Cumae, the location of the Heraphile and contentiously purported to represent her.

(Her cave there is well worth a visit btw!)

 

Campania, Kumai, Didrachm, c. 420-380, head of Sibyl right, rev. κωμαιον, mussel shell, grain kernel above, 7.38g/7h (HN Italy 532; Pozzi 182-3; McClean 208-10; SNG ANS 239; SNG Lockett 67)
 

 

[ambr0zie]

@expat-congrats for a great coin!

And also for stealing the exact topic theme I wanted to post next week as my 2nd Herophile coin should arrive on Monday. 

Here is my example of the type. The portrait and the sphinx were enough to make this coin a must have for me. 

But as I mentioned, this is my 2nd coin with Herophile and sphinx! Here is a very recent acquisition - a RR denarius with advanced wear but I couldn't miss it. 

Roman Imperatorial, T. Carisius, Rome, 46 BC. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.60g). Head of Sibyl Herophile r., hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling and tied with bands. R/ Sphinx seated r. Crawford 464/1; RBW 1613; RSC Carisia 11.

It seems that the RR moneyers liked the Gergis coin and decided to revive the design. They chose a profile view for Herophile and a different design for the sphinx (not very visible on my coin, but still, pretty close to the 'original' 

Edited March 23, 2023 by ambr0zie

[expat]

16 minutes ago, ambr0zie said:

@expat-congrats for a great coin!

And also for stealing the exact topic theme I wanted to post next week as my 2nd Herophile coin should arrive on Monday. 

Here is my example of the type. The portrait and the sphinx were enough to make this coin a must have for me. 

But as I mentioned, this is my 2nd coin with Herophile and sphinx! Here is a very recent acquisition - a RR denarius with advanced wear but I couldn't miss it. 

Roman Imperatorial, T. Carisius, Rome, 46 BC. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.60g). Head of Sibyl Herophile r., hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling and tied with bands. R/ Sphinx seated r. Crawford 464/1; RBW 1613; RSC Carisia 11.

It seems that the RR moneyers liked the Gergis coin and decided to revive the design. They chose a profile view for Herophile and a different design for the sphinx (not very visible on my coin, but still, pretty far from 'original' 

Apologies, as soon as I got it, I had to post it. 

[Roman Collector]

Cool Sphinx, @expat!

[Theodosius]

Hey, Gergis coins everyone!

Groan.....

😝

[jdmKY]

Here’s another example of @ambr0zie’s Imperatorial coin

[Sulla80]

Congrats @expat, I like the 3/4 facing portrait on these coins...

My notes on this coin are here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/roman-republican-sphinx

[expat]

Fascinating write up in your notes @Sulla80 it made great reading

[Sulla80]

4 hours ago, expat said:

Fascinating write up in your notes @Sulla80 it made great reading

Thanks, I just realized that I pointed you to the less relevant writeup (more about the RR denarius than Troas).  Here's the more directly relevant link:

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/sibylline-books

Edited June 3, 2023 by Sulla80

[expat]

44 minutes ago, Sulla80 said:

Thanks, I just realized that I pointed you to the less relevant writeup (more about the RR denarius than Troas).  Here's the more directly relevant link:

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/sibylline-books

Even better info in that link. Thankyou very much

[DonnaML]

Great coins! My example of the Roman Republican sphinx, with my write-up mentioning the Sybil Herophile interpretation. Every time I look at the reverse, I see it as the sphinx wearing sunglasses.

Roman Republic, T. Carisius, AR Denarius, 46 BCE, Rome mint. Obv. Head of Sibyl (or Sphinx) right, her hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling, tied with bands / Rev. Human-headed Sphinx seated right with open wings, wearing cap, T•CARISIVS above,; in exergue, III•VIR. Crawford 464/1, RSC I Carisia 11 (ill.), Sear RCV I 446 (ill.), Sear Roman Imperators 69 (ill. p. 46), Sydenham 983a, BMCRR 4061. 19 mm., 3.87 g.*

 

*The head on the obverse is described simply as a “Sibyl” in Crawford, “Sibyl Herophile” in Sear, and “Aphrodisian Sibyl” (i.e., Sibyl relating to Aphrodite/Venus) in RSC and BMCRR. The Sibyl Herophile was the name of a Sibyl at Erythae in Ionia opposite Chios, also associated with Samos. Crawford notes at p. 476 that the combination of a Sibyl on the obverse and a sphinx on the reverse “recall those of Gergis in the Troad [citing BMC Troas, pp. xxx and 55], perhaps allud[ing] to Caesar’s Trojan origin,” the moneyer being a supporter of Caesar. See the examples of these coins of Gergis at https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/troas/gergis/i.html and https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=79 . On each such coin, the Sibyl is characterized as “Sibyl Herophile.” Characterizing her as the “Aphrodisian” Sibyl would relate to the gens Julia’s legendary descent from Venus. The theory that the obverse instead portrays the head of the Sphinx on the reverse is presented in an article by D. Woods, “Carisius, Acisculus, and the Riddle of the Sphinx,” American Journal of Numismatics Vol. 25 (2013).

The “IIIVIR” in the exergue on the reverse refers to the moneyer’s position at the mint. See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR, defining the term as a “Latin abbreviation: Triumvir. On coins of the Roman Republic IIIVIR is used as a shortened abbreviation for IIIVIR AAAFF, which abbreviates ‘III viri aere argento auro flando feiundo’ or ‘Three men for the casting and striking of bronze, silver and gold,’ a moneyer or mint magistrate.”