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Ancients Phillip Davis ANA 1098277

BLAZING DRACHMS Struck in an area known for its oil, gas and bitumen deposits, some Greek coins depict monuments to fire nymphs.

ollectors of ancient the site of abundant actually represents the Greek coins likely are famil- deposits of oil, gas and Nym phaeum of Apol- iar with the attractive, late- bitumen (a natural as- lonia, surely the only CHellenistic drachms of Apol - phalt used as cement depiction of burn- lonia, which was situated on the or mortar). The best ing petroleum on an Illyrian coast, near the modern surviving account of ancient coin. city of in southwest . these deposits was Some background The obverse of these coins depicts given by the Roman will make this clear. A a distinctive head of ; the writer in the (nim-fee´- reverse usually is described as 1st century, borrowing uhm) is any monu - three nymphs dancing around a from the earlier Greek mental fountain conse- fire. The implication is that the writer Poseidonius: crated to the nymphs, flames are on an altar, perhaps most of which are as- On the territory of the sociated with water. people of in Consequently, the there is what is ᮡ APOLLO GRACES the term is synonymous called a nymphaeum. obverse of this Apol - with sacred springs or It is a rock which lonian drachm, while water-formed grottos. emits fire. Below it are nymphs dance around In later times, this springs flowing with a fire on the reverse. equation of nym phae - hot water and as- Not Actual Size um and sacred spring phalt…the is was extended to in-

dug out of a neighboring hill: clude purifying fountains in Chris- PHOTOS: CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP (COINS) & LIBRARY OF CONGRESS the parts excavated are replaced tian basilicas. by fresh earth, which in time is However, not all nymphs cavort converted to asphalt. in springs and pools: these indis- pensable female spirits preside (Strabo can perhaps be forgiven over all aspects of the natural for his unfamiliarity with the nu- world. Some are found in forests, ances of organic chemistry.) clouds, mountains and caverns, Apollonia was also renowned as and a select few dance among the a university town. Octavian (much tongues of flame. These are the later known as , the first fire nymphs, or Pyroeads. Their Roman emperor) studied there nymphaeum is not so much a under the tutelage of Athenodorus fountain as it is a mysterious, nat- ᮡ IN ANCIENT TIMES, within the temple of , and it was there that he ural fire. nymphs were thought to precincts, and that received news of Caesar’s murder. It’s no wonder this fire was watch over every aspect the nymphs are burn- (How well he performed in class is an object of veneration by Apol - of the natural world. ing incense or some- not recorded.) Apollonia was de- lonians and Pyroeads alike. Its thing of the sort. The scribed by in the Philippics truth, however, is much more un- as magna urbs et gravis (“great and usual and thought-provoking. important city”). ᮤ THE REVERSE of this Apollonia was founded around What do petroleum deposits hemi drachm depicts a 600 B.C. by Greek settlers from have to do with ancient coins? In lagobolon, a club used to and , near the bound- the case at hand, quite a lot. The dispatch rabbits. The ob- ary of a native Illyrian settlement. object of the dancing nymphs’ verse represents the It was well known in antiquity as adoration is not just any fire; it nymphaeum at Apollonia.

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ᮤᮤ Ancients continued

unkindled flame resembled noth- other uses of bitumen, is replaced by the ing else in the ’ experi- ranging from curing nym phaeum and lag - ence, the occasional tree struck by gout to hastening ob olon of the hemi - lightning notwithstanding. Bitu- men struation to driv- drachm. This remark- men was everywhere, understood ing away snakes. What able innovation allows as the gift—and sometimes the else could anyone— a plausible reconstruc- weapon—of the gods. Burning bi- human or nymph—do tion of the relative tumen and sulphur rained on the in the face of this mir- chronology of all the doomed cities of Sodom and Go- acle but dance? nymphaeum types, morrah; in Babylonia, asphalt was A very rare Apol- and sheds some light painted on the doorposts of sick lonian hemi drachm on certain late non- people’s houses. The Roman shows the Pyroeads’ nymphaeum Apol lo - writer offered a nym phaeum, while nian bronzes as well. It long list of pharmaceutical and the reverse depicts a is the only instance in lagobolon, a special the entire, long history club used to dispatch ᮡ A LAGOBOLON and of the cow-and-calf PHOTOS: HAUCK & AUFHÄUSER (BRONZE) & CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP rabbits. On a small flames replace the type that the reverse bronze, flames identi- stand ard reverse on a was replaced by an- cal to those on the common cow-and- other design. One can hemidrachm obverse calf type. Not Actual Size reasonably surmise are coupled with a that it represents the lyre reverse. very last issue of the type, struck On a few drachms of the very in conjunction with the hemi - ᮡ ON A SMALL BRONZE, the obverse resembles that common cow-and-calf type struck drachm and bronze around the of the hemidrachm, and the reverse pictures a lyre. in the 3rd to 1st centuries B.C., the end of the 2nd century. The nym - Not Actual Size standard “double stellate” reverse phaeum sub sequently was re-

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tained as a minor part of the de- distinguishable mostly by her dia- That was easily ac- sign of Apollo/nymph drachms dem (as opposed to the laurel complished. We pur- that dominated the 1st-century crown worn by her brother). chased a piece and coinage of Apollonia. Two additional bronze types re- took it to Eve Alfille The very rare nymphaeum main: an Apollo/Obelisk coin, the Gallery in Evanston, bronze coin, known to the author obverse of which differs mark edly Illinois, a wonderful as a single example, is linked by its from #2 and #3 and perhaps was jeweler we’ve worked lyre reverse with other Apollonian struck somewhat earlier; and a with many times be- bronzes depicting Apollo on the 4-unit Dionysus/Thunderbolt type, fore. We knew she PHOTO: EVE ALFILLE GALLERY obverse. These, in turn, are asso- the reverse of which is linked to #3 would be able to in- ciated with large bronzes portray- and #4 by a shared monogram. corporate it into a ing Apollo’s twin sister, Artemis. Presumably, the latter coin re- custom-made piece of The issuance of 1st-century placed the 4-unit Apollo head as jewelry without dam- ᮡ A BLAZING PENDANT Apol lonian bronzes can be plausi- the series progressed. aging the coin. The holds a hemidrachm bly reconstructed as follows: As a postscript of sorts, I’d like delightful pendant is depicting the Nym - 1) Nymphaeum/Lyre (valued at to share a personal story. After shown above. My wife phaeum at Apollonia. 1 unit), 2.44g. cataloging the hemidrachm illus- is now the only kid on Not Actual Size 2) Apollo/Lyre (2 units), 4.51g. trated here for Harlan J. Berk, her block—probably 3) Apollo/Obelisk of Apollo Ltd., I described it to my wife. on any block—who can wear the (4 units), 8.72g. She’s professionally involved with Nym phaeum of Apollonia around 4) Artemis/Tripod (8 units), the remediation of oil and gas her neck. 17.03g. spills, which sometimes requires [email protected] The images of Apollo on #2 and burning, so I knew she’d be inter- #3 are identical to those on the ested. However, I was surprised by aforementioned drachms; the head her immediate reaction. “I want of Artemis on #4 is similar as well, that!” she exclaimed.

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