GORDIAN III & TRANQUILLINA Mesembria Thrace APOLLO Ancient Roman Coin i41675

Description

Item:
i41675
Authentic Ancient Roman Coin of:
Gordian III -
Roman Emperor
: 238-244 A.D. -
Gordian III & Tranquillina
Bronze 24mm (8.89 grams) of the city of Mesembria in Thrace
241-244 A.D.
Reference:
Varbanov 4176
AVT K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC AV
Γ
CEB TPAHKVΛΛΙΝA, confronted busts of Gordian III
& Tranquillina facing each other.
MECAMBPIANΩN, Apollo standing left holding patera next lyre on column.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
Furia Sabinia Tranquillina
or
Sabinia Tranquillina
(ca 225 - aft. 244) was the
Empress of Rome
and wife of Emperor
Gordian III
. She was the young daughter of the
Praetorian
Prefect
Timesitheus
by an unknown wife.
In 241 her father was appointed the head of the Praetorian Guard by the Roman Emperor
Gordian III
. In May that year, Tranquillina had married Gordian. She became a Roman Empress and received the honorific title of
Augusta
. Her marriage to Gordian was an admission by the young emperor of both political indispensability of Timesitheus and Tranquillina’s suitability as an empress.
In 243, Tranquillina's father suddenly died and was replaced with
Philip the Arab
, as head of the
Praetorian Guard
. When Gordian was killed in February 244, Philip became the new emperor. Tranquillina survived her husband. She had no sons with him. Christian Settipani suggests that they had a daughter, (Furia) (b. ca 244), most likely posthumous, who married (Marcus Maecius Orfitus) (b. ca 245), son of Marcus Maecius Probus (b. ca 220), married to Pupiena Sextia Paulina Cethegilla (b. ca 225), paternal grandson of
Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus
and maternal grandson of
Marcus Pupienus Africanus
(son of his protector Emperor
Pupienus Maximus
) and wife Cornelia Marullina, by whom she had issue.
Apollo Belvedere
, ca. 120–140 CE
Apollo
is one of the most important and complex of the
Olympian deities
in
ancient Greek
and
Roman religion
,
Greek
and
Roman mythology
, and
Greco
–
Roman
Neopaganism
. The ideal of the
kouros
(a beardless, athletic youth), Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, poetry, and more. Apollo is the son of
Zeus
and
Leto
, and has a twin sister, the chaste huntress
Artemis
. Apollo is known in Greek-influenced
Etruscan mythology
as
Apulu
.
As the patron of
Delphi
(
Pythian Apollo
), Apollo was an
oracular
god—the prophetic deity of the
Delphic Oracle
. Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son
Asclepius
, yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly
plague
. Amongst the god's custodial charges, Apollo became associated with dominion over
colonists
, and as the patron defender of herds and flocks. As the leader of the
Muses
(
Apollon Musegetes
) and director of their choir, Apollo functioned as the patron god of music and poetry.
Hermes
created the
lyre
for him, and the instrument became a common
attribute of Apollo
. Hymns sung to Apollo were called
paeans
.
Apollo (left) and
Artemis
.
Brygos
(potter signed), Tondo of an Attic red-figure cup c. 470 BC,
Musée du Louvre
.
In Hellenistic times, especially during the 3rd century BCE, as
Apollo Helios
he became identified among Greeks with
Helios
,
Titan
god of the sun
, and his sister Artemis similarly equated with
Selene
, Titan
goddess of the moon
In Latin texts, on the other hand,
Joseph Fontenrose
declared himself unable to find any conflation of Apollo with
Sol
among the
Augustan poets
of the 1st century, not even in the conjurations of
Aeneas
and
Latinus
in
Aeneid
XII (161–215). Apollo and Helios/Sol remained separate beings in literary and mythological texts until the 3rd century CE.
Origins
The
Omphalos
in the Museum of
Delphi
.
The cult centers of Apollo in Greece,
Delphi
and
Delos
, date from the 8th century BCE. The Delos sanctuary was primarily dedicated to
Artemis
, Apollo's twin sister. At Delphi, Apollo was venerated as the slayer of
Pytho
. For the Greeks, Apollo was all the Gods in one and through the centuries he acquired different functions which could originate from different gods. In
archaic Greece
he was the
prophet
, the oracular god who in older times was connected with "healing". In
classical Greece
he was the god of light and of music, but in popular religion he had a strong function to keep away evil.
From his eastern-origin Apollo brought the art of inspection from "symbols and
omina
" (σημεία και τέρατα :
semeia kai terata
), and of the observation of the
omens
of the days. The inspiration oracular-cult was probably introduced from
Anatolia
. The
ritualism
belonged to Apollo from the beginning. The Greeks created the
legalism
, the supervision of the orders of the gods, and the demand for moderation and harmony. Apollo became the god of shining youth, the protector of music, spiritual-life, moderation and perceptible order. The improvement of the old
Anatolian
god, and his elevation to an intellectual sphere, may be considered an achievement of the
Greek
people.
Healer and god-protector from evil
The function of Apollo as a "healer" is connected with
Paean
, the physician of the Gods in the
Iliad
, who seems to come from a more primitive religion. Paeοn is probably connected with the
Mycenean
Pa-ja-wo, but the etymology is the only evidence. He did not have a separate cult, but he was the personification of the holy magic-song sung by the magicians that was supposed to cure disease. Later the Greeks knew the original meaning of the relevant song "paean". The magicians were also called "seer-doctors", and they used an ecstatic prophetic art which was used exactly by the god Apollo at the oracles.
In the
Iliad
, Apollo is the healer under the gods, but he is also the bringer of disease and death with his arrows, similar to the function of the terrible
Vedic
god of disease
Rudra
.He sends a terrible plague to the
Achaeans
. The god who sends a disease can also prevent from it, therefore when it stops they make a purifying ceremony and offer him an "hecatomb" to ward off evil. When the oath of his priest appeases, they pray and with a song they call their own god, the beautiful
Paean
.
Some common epithets of Apollo as a healer are "paion" , "epikourios", "oulios", and "loimios" . In classical times, his strong function in popular religion was to keep away evil, and was therefore called "apotropaios"  and "alexikakos" , throw away the evil).
In later writers, the word, usually spelled "Paean", becomes a mere epithet of Apollo in his capacity as a god of
healing
.
Homer illustrated Paeon the god, and the song both of
apotropaic
thanksgiving or triumph. Such songs were originally addressed to Apollo, and afterwards to other gods: to
Dionysus
, to Apollo
Helios
, to Apollo's son
Asclepius
the healer. About the 4th century BCE, the paean became merely a formula of adulation; its object was either to implore protection against disease and misfortune, or to offer thanks after such protection had been rendered. It was in this way that Apollo had become recognised as the god of music. Apollo's role as the slayer of the
Python
led to his association with battle and victory; hence it became the
Roman
custom for a paean to be sung by an army on the march and before entering into battle, when a fleet left the harbour, and also after a victory had been won.
Oracular cult
Columns of the
Temple of Apollo
at Delphi, Greece.
Unusually among the Olympic deities, Apollo had two cult sites that had widespread influence:
Delos
and
Delphi
. In cult practice,
Delian Apollo
and
Pythian Apollo
(the Apollo of Delphi) were so distinct that they might both have shrines in the same locality.Apollo's
cult
was already fully established when written sources commenced, about 650 BCE. Apollo became extremely important to the Greek world as an oracular deity in the
archaic period
, and the frequency of
theophoric names
such as
Apollodorus
or
Apollonios
and cities named
Apollonia
testify to his popularity. Oracular sanctuaries to Apollo were established in other sites. In the 2nd and 3rd century CE, those at
Didyma
and
Clarus
pronounced the so-called "theological oracles", in which Apollo confirms that all deities are aspects or servants of an
all-encompassing, highest deity
. "In the 3rd century, Apollo fell silent.
Julian the Apostate
(359 - 61) tried to revive the Delphic oracle, but failed
Nesebar
(pronounced
[neˈsebər]
,
Bulgarian
: Несебър,
Nesebar
;
Thracian
:
Menebria
;
Greek
: Μεσήμβρια,
Mesimvria
, previously known as
Mesembria
; other spellings include
Nessebar
and
Nesebur
) is an ancient city and a major seaside resort on the
Black Sea
coast of
Bulgaria
, located in
Nesebar municipality
,
Burgas Province
. Often referred to as the "
Pearl of the Black Sea
" and "
Bulgaria's
Dubrovnik
", Nesebar is a rich city-museum defined by more than three millennia of ever-changing history.
It is a one of the most prominent tourist destinations and seaports on the Black Sea, in what has become a popular area with several large resorts—the largest,
Sunny Beach
, is situated immediately to the north of Nesebar.
Nesebar has on several occasions found itself on the frontier of a threatened empire, and as such it is a town with a rich history. The ancient part of the town is situated on a peninsula (previously an island) connected to the mainland by a narrow man-made
isthmus
, and it bears evidence of occupation by a variety of different civilisations over the course of its existence. Its abundance of historic buildings prompted
UNESCO
to include Nesebar in its list of
World Heritage Sites
in 1983.
Originally a
Thracian
settlement known as
Menebria
, the town became a
Greek colony
when settled by
Dorians
from
Megara
at the beginning of the 6th century BC, and was an important trading centre from then on and a rival of Apollonia (
Sozopol
). It remained the only
Doric colony
along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical
Ionic
colonies. Remains from the
Hellenistic
period include the
acropolis
, a temple of
Apollo
, and an
agora
. A wall which formed part of the fortifications can still be seen on the north side of the peninsula. Bronze and silver coins were minted in the city since the 5th century BC and gold coins since the 3rd century BC.
The town fell under
Roman
rule in 71 BC, yet continued to enjoy privileges such as the right to mint its own coinage. It was one of the most important strongholds of the
Byzantine Empire
from the 5th century AD onwards, and was fought over by
Byzantines
and
Bulgarians
, being captured and incorporated in the lands of the
First Bulgarian Empire
in 812 by
Khan Krum
after a two week siege only to be ceded back to Byzantium by Knyaz
Boris I
in 864 and reconquered by his son Tsar
Simeon the Great
. During the time of the
Second Bulgarian Empire
it was also contested by Bulgarian and Byzantine forces and enjoyed particular prosperity under Bulgarian tsar
Ivan Alexander
(1331–1371) until it was conquered by
Crusaders
led by
Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
in 1366. The Slavic
[
citation needed
]
version of the name,
Nesebar
or
Mesebar
, has been attested since the 11th century.
Monuments from the
Middle Ages
include the 5–6th century
Stara Mitropoliya
("old bishopric"; also
St Sophia
), a
basilica
without a
transept
; the 10th century
church of the Virgin
; and the 11th century
Nova Mitropoliya
("new bishopric"; also
St Stephen
) which continued to be embellished until the 18th century. In the 13th and 14th century a remarkable series of churches were built:
St Theodore
,
St Paraskeva
,
St Michael St Gabriel
, and
St John Aliturgetos
.
The capture of the town by the
Turks
in 1453 marked the start of its decline, but its architectural heritage remained and was enriched in the 19th century by the construction of wooden houses in style typical for the
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
during this period. It was a kaza centre in
İslimye
sanjak of
Edirne Province
before 1878
[1]
. After the
Liberation of Bulgaria
from Ottoman rule in 1878, Nesebar became part of the autonomous Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia as a kaza centre in
Burgaz
sanjak until it
united
with the Principality of Bulgaria in 1886.
Around the end of the 19th century Nesebar was a small town of
Greek
fishermen and vinegrowers, but developed as a key Bulgarian seaside resort since the beginning of the 20th century. After 1925 a new town part was built and the historic Old Town was restored.
Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius
(
January 20
,
225
–
February 11
,
244
), known in
English
as
Gordian III
,
was
Roman Emperor
from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of
Antonia Gordiana
and his father was an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor
Gordian I
and younger sister of Emperor
Gordian II
. Very little is known on his early life before becoming Roman Emperor. Gordian had assumed the name of his maternal grandfather in 238.
Following the murder of emperor
Alexander Severus
in Moguntiacum (modern
Mainz
), the capital of the
Roman province
Germania Inferior
,
Maximinus Thrax
was acclaimed emperor, despite strong opposition of the
Roman senate
and the majority of the population. In response to what was considered in Rome as a rebellion, Gordian's grandfather and uncle, Gordian I and II, were proclaimed joint emperors in the
Africa Province
. Their revolt was suppressed within a month by Cappellianus, governor of
Numidia
and a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax. The elder Gordians died, but public opinion cherished their memory as peace loving and literate men, victims of Maximinus' oppression.
Meanwhile, Maximinus was on the verge of marching on Rome and the Senate elected
Pupienus
and
Balbinus
as joint emperors. These senators were not popular men and the population of Rome was still shocked by the elder Gordian's fate, so that the Senate decided to take the teenager Gordian, rename him Marcus Antonius Gordianus as his grandfather, and raise him to the rank of
Caesar
and imperial heir.
Pupienus
and
Balbinus
defeated Maximinus, mainly due to the defection of several
legions
, namely the
Parthica
II
who assassinated Maximinus. But their joint reign was doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and even an enormous fire that consumed Rome in June 238. On
July 29
, Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by the
Praetorian guard
and Gordian proclaimed sole emperor.
Rule
Due to Gordian's age, the imperial government was surrendered to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the senate. In 240,
Sabinianus
revolted in the African province, but the situation was dealt quickly. In 241, Gordian was married to Furia Sabinia
Tranquillina
, daughter of the newly appointed praetorian prefect,
Timesitheus
. As chief of the Praetorian guard and father in law of the emperor, Timesitheus quickly became the
de facto
ruler of the Roman empire.
In the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the Germanic tribes across the
Rhine
and
Danube
, and the
Sassanid
kingdom across the
Euphrates
increased its own attacks. When the Persians under
Shapur I
invaded
Mesopotamia
, the young emperor opened the doors of the
Temple of Janus
for the last time in Roman history, and sent a huge army to the East. The Sassanids were driven back over the Euphrates and defeated in the
Battle of Resaena
(243). The campaign was a success and Gordian, who had joined the army, was planning an invasion of the enemy's territory, when his father-in-law died in unclear circumstances. Without Timesitheus, the campaign, and the emperor's security, were at risk.
Marcus Julius Philippus, also known as
Philip the Arab
, stepped in at this moment as the new Praetorian Prefect and the campaign proceeded. In the beginning of 244, the Persians counter-attacked. Persian sources claim that a battle was fought (
Battle of Misiche
) near modern
Fallujah
(
Iraq
) and resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III
[1]
. Roman sources do not mention this battle and suggest that Gordian died far away, upstream of the Euphrates. Although ancient sources often described Philip, who succeeded Gordian as emperor, as having murdered Gordian at Zaitha (Qalat es Salihiyah), the cause of Gordian's death is unknown.
Gordian's youth and good nature, along with the deaths of his grandfather and uncle and his own tragic fate at the hands of another usurper, granted him the everlasting esteem of the Romans. Despite the opposition of the new emperor, Gordian was deified by the Senate after his death, in order to appease the population and avoid riots.
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