Snakes on Ancient Coins by Peter E
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Snakes on Ancient Coins by Peter E. Lewis An albino reticulated python (Wikimedia Commons). NAKES have always had an aura of In Judaism and Christianity there was needed healing travelled to Epidaurus Smystery and danger about them, and a tendency to see snakes as evil. This from all over the Greek and Roman world. in ancient times people were fascinated was because in the book of Genesis a In his temple Asclepius was shown with by them. It is therefore not surprising snake represents Satan and tempts Eve his hand on the head of a snake, indi - that snakes feature in Greco-Roman to disobey God. But the ancient Greeks cating that it was his agent. ( Figure 4 ) religion and that they appear commonly and Romans had a positive view of On a coin of Epidaurus he is also shown on ancient coins. snakes. They knew that if someone was with his hand on a snake. ( Figure 5 ) The bitten by a snake they could die, but this ruins of the temple can still be seen. meant that snakes had power over life Near the temple there was a building in and death. Moreover they observed that a which the sick slept with snakes. ( Figure snake could shed its skin and in a way be 6) Presumably the snakes were tame reborn. So they had power over renewal and non-poisonous, but the psychological and resurrection. All this meant that effect of sleeping with them must have snakes were not like ordinary creatures: been enormous. No wonder many people they belonged to the supernatural realm. were cured! Accordingly they appear with gods and Another important centre for the goddesses, especially those concerned worship of Asclepius was at Pergamum with healing. (Greek: Pergamon) in western Anatolia. The god of healing was Asclepius, Today tourists visit the extensive ruins known to the Romans as Aesculapius. but in ancient times sick people went His birthplace was said to be Trikka in there in large numbers in the hope of Thessaly in northern Greece. He is shown being healed. One of them was the Roman Figure 1 – Reverse of a bronze coin of Trikka feeding a snake on a coin minted at showing Asclepius feeding a bird to a snake. Trikka in the 1 st half of the 4 th century In the worship of Asclepius chickens were sac - BC. ( ) In Greek mythology he rificed to the god. (Nomos Auction 4, Lot 1358) Figure 1 was the son of Apollo, and his daughter was Hygieia, from whose name the Eng - lish word, ‘hygiene’, is derived. She was the goddess of health. On a silver coin of Trikka from about 420 BC a woman is shown feeding a snake. ( Figure 2 ) To the Romans Hygieia was known as Salus, a word which had the meaning of general welfare as well as health. From her name the English words ‘salute’ and ‘salutation’ derive. The latter means wishing some - one well. Salus appears commonly on Roman coins. ( Figure 3 ) Figure 3 – Reverse of a sestertius of Antoninus The chief centre for the worship of Pius minted at Rome in 144 AD. It shows Salus Figure 2 – Reverse of a silver coin of Trikka feeding a snake. SALVS AVG means “The em - showing a woman feeding a snake. (Nomos As clepius was at Epidaurus in the east - peror’s health.” He was unwell at the time. (Num- Auction 9, Lot 112) ern part of the Peloponnesus. People who ismatica Ars Classica, Auction 74, Lot 308) Figure 4 – A reconstruction of the temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus. The god has his hand on the head of a snake. (Wikimedia Commons: Wellcome Trust) emperor, Caracalla, who visited the recorded on coins, and on one Asclepius temple in 214 AD. Asclepius is typically has taken the snake from his staff and shown on coins leaning on a staff around is holding it up. ( Figure 9 ) This suggests which a snake is coiled. ( Figure 7 ) A that the god did actually move and might marble statue of Asclepius in a similar have held a real snake. On another coin pose was found at Pergamum and is now he has come out of the temple and is in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. standing close to Caracalla. ( Figure 10 ) (Figure 8 ) The visit of Caracalla is Perhaps a priest pretended to be the god and provided a special manifestation for the emperor. Also at Pergamum there was a cult of Dionysus, the god of wine, and snakes were involved in this. Secret orgiastic rites were held, and little is known about them, but the large silver coin known as a cistophorus seems to refer to them. The word means ‘basket-bearer’ and on the obverse the lid of a basket (the cista mystica) has been lifted and a snake is sliding out. It must refer to Dionysus because the surrounding wreath of ivy leaves was one of his symbols. On the reverse there is a bow case between two Figure 6 – Black and white version of an oil Figure 5 – Reverse of a silver drachm minted at snakes, and on the right the staff sur - painting, “Patients sleeping in the Temple of Epidaurus in 250-245 BC. Asclepius has his Aesculapius at Epidaurus,” by Ernest Board hand on the head of a snake. A dog lies beside mounted by a pine cone is known as the (1877-1934). A priest is performing a ritual over his throne. (Freeman & Sear, Manhattan Sale thyrsus and it too was a symbol of a lighted tripod. (Wikimedia Commons: Well - 11, Lot 53) Dionysus. ( Figure 11 ) Other cities in the come Library) region issued similar cistophori, but the the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline symbol on the right varied. Hill, to be consulted only if there was an MAKE YOUR FIRST There was a temple of Aesculapius at emergency. In 293 BC a plague began to Rome, and how the god came to Rome is ravage the city, and the Roman Senate an interesting story. It begins with a consulted the Sibylline books. The inter - CALL TO THESE prophetess called Sibyl who wrote nine pretation was that a temple to the god books which she wanted to sell to the king of healing should be built in Rome, and of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus (534-510 a delegation was sent to Epidaurus to SUPPORTING BC). Because he would not pay the price bring Aesculapius to Rome. When the she demanded she proceeded to burn the idol was being rowed up the Tiber a snake ADVERTISERS books. When there were only three left he slipped off the ship and swam to an island paid for them what she wanted for the in the river. The people saw this as a sign nine. The precious books were kept in that the god wanted his temple to be (AND PLEASE TELL THEM... built there, and a temple complex mod - elled on that at Epidaurus was erected YOU “SAW IT IN CAB”) on the island in 289 BC. There is no trace of it today, but the whole event is illustrated on a medallion of Antoninus AFS Coins & Investments . .43 Pius. ( Figure 12 ) What is amazing abou t ANDA . .33, 37, 57 this story is that Aesculapius, or rather his agent, was exactly what the city Chris Rudd . .44 needed. The plague was probably caused by rats, and the snakes which no doubt Coin Trends . .11 multiplied as at Epidaurus would have killed the rats. The payment to Sibyl was Coinworks . .7 worth it. Classy Collectables . .43 Downies . .76 Figure 7 – Reverse of a bronze coin of Com - modus as Caesar (166-177 AD) minted at Drake Sterling Numismatics . .6 Pergamum. It shows Asclepius in his temple. Edlins of Canberra & Yass . .19 (Gorny & Mosch Auction 147, Lot 1830) Fred Lever . .23 IAG . .4D, 47 PDATE OKl auBs EFor d U . .38-39 T Liz’s List . .6 Mandurah 2016 Fair . .54 mossgreen AUCTIONS . .9 Figure 9 – Reverse of a bronze medallion of Caracalla (198-217 AD) minted at Pergamum. Mostly Small Change . .22 Caracalla holds a patera while an attendant is about to kill a tethered ox with an axe or a Noble Numismatics . .2 mallet. In the temple Asclepius holds up a Padstow Coin Centre . .43 snake. (The New York sale, Auction XXIII, Lot 59) Phoenix Auctions WA . .13 Romanorum . .55 Royal Australian Mint . .3 Roxburys Auction House . 75 S.C.D.A.A. .31 Steele Waterman . .62 Sterling & Currency . .25, 31 Mick Vort-Ronald . .45 vpcoins . .17 Figure 10 – Reverse of a gold aureus of Cara - Tony James Noteworld . .43 calla minted at Rome. Caracalla holds a patera over a lighted altar. Asclepius has come to the front of the temple and is face to face with the Trevor Wilkin . .74 Figure 8 – Marble statue of Asclepius found at emperor. The small person on the left is Teles- Pergamum. It is of Greek or Roman origin. It phorus, a young deity who was an associate Ye Olde Coin Company . .22 is in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. (Wiki - of Asclepius. (Numismatica Ars Classica, media Commons: photo by Magnus Manske) Auc tion 52, Lot 521) In keeping with their positive view of For the Greeks Delphi was particularly a conical stone known as the omphalos snakes the ancient Greeks believed in a important because it was the centre or (navel) was set up and it appears on good spirit of the cornfields called Agatha- navel of the world. To find this centre coins often with a snake coiled around it. daemon (good spirit).