SEVERUS ALEXANDER 222AD Pella Macedonia Pan Syrinx Ancient Roman Coin i48480

Description

Item:
i48480
Authentic Ancient Coin of:
Severus Alexander
-
Roman Emperor
: 222-235 A.D.
Bronze 25mm (10.07 grams) of Pella in Macedonia 238-244 A.D.
Reference: Varbanov 3736; SNG ANS 3736
IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, Laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right.
COL IVL AVG PELLA, Pan seated on rock left, holding branch; syrinx before.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
Pan
(
Greek
Πάν
,
genitive
Πανός
), in
Greek religion
and
mythology
, is the god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and
rustic music
, as well as the
companion of the
nymphs
. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word
paein
(Πάειν), meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as a
faun
or
satyr
. With his homeland in rustic
Arcadia
, he is recognized as the god of fields, groves, and wooded glens; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility and the season of spring. The ancient Greeks also considered Pan to be the god of theatrical criticism.
In
Roman religion and myth
, Pan's counterpart was
Faunus
, a
nature god who was the father of
Bona Dea
, sometimes identified as
Fauna
. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Pan became a significant figure in
the Romantic movement
of western Europe, and also in the 20th-century
Neopagan movement
.
In classical mythology,
Syrinx
(
Greek
Συριγξ) was a
nymph
and a follower of
Artemis
, known for her
chastity
. Pursued by the amorous Greek god
Pan
, she ran to the river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, she was transformed into hollow water
reeds
that made a haunting sound when the god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the reeds to fashion the first set of
pan pipes
, which were thenceforth known as
syrinx
. The word
syringe
was derived from this word.
Pella
(
Greek
:
Πέλλα
), an ancient city located in
Pella Prefecture
of
Macedonia
in
Greece
, was the
capital
of the
ancient
kingdom
of
Macedon
. A common
folk etymology
is traditionally given for the name
Pella
, ascribing it to a form akin to the
Doric
Apella
, originally meaning a ceremonial location where decisions were made. However, the local form of Greek was not Doric, and the word exactly matches standard Greek
pélla
"stone", undoubtedly referring to a famous landmark from the time of its foundation.
//
History
The city was founded by
Archelaus
(413–
399 BC
) as the capital of his kingdom, replacing the older palace-city of
Aigai
(
Vergina
). After this, it was the seat of the king
Philip II
and of
Alexander
, his son. In
168 BC
, it was sacked by the
Romans
, and its treasury transported to
Rome
. Later, the city was destroyed by an
earthquake
and eventually was rebuilt over its ruins. By 180 AD,
Lucian
could describe it in passing as "now insignificant, with very few inhabitants".
Pella is first mentioned by
Herodotus
of Halicarnassus
(VII, 123) in relation to
Xerxes
' campaign and by
Thucydides
(II, 99,4 and 100,4) in relation to Macedonian expansion and the war against
Sitalces
, the king of the
Thracians
. According to
Xenophon
, in the beginning of the 4th century BC, it was the largest Macedonian city. It was probably built as the capital of the kingdom by Archelaus, although there appears to be some possibility that it may have been
Amyntas
. It attracted Greek artists such the painter
Zeuxis
, the poet
Timotheus
of Miletus
and the
tragic author
Euripides
who finishes his days there writing and producing
Archelaus
.
Archelaus invited the painter
Zeuxis
, the greatest painter of the time, to decorate it. He was later the host of the Athenian playwright
Euripides
in his retirement. Euripides
Bacchae
premiered here, about
408 BC
. Pella was the birthplace of Philip II and of Alexander, his son. The hilltop
palace
of Philip, where
Aristotle
tutored young Alexander, is being excavated.
In antiquity, Pella was a port connected to the
Thermaic Gulf
by a navigable
inlet
, but the harbor has silted, leaving the site landlocked. The reign of
Antigonus
likely represented the height of the city, as this is the period which has left us the most archaeological remains.
Pella is further mentioned by
Polybius
and
Livy
as the capital of
Philip V
and of
Perseus
during the
Macedonian Wars
, fought against the
Roman Republic
. In the writings of Livy, we find the only description of how the city looked in
167 BC
to
Lucius Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus
, the Roman who defeated Perseus at the
battle
of Pydna
:
…[Paulus] observed that it was not without good reason that it had been chosen as the royal residence. It is situated on the south-west slope of a hill and surrounded by a marsh too deep to be crossed on foot either in summer or winter. The citadel the "Phacus," which is close to the city, stands in the marsh itself, projecting like an island, and is built on a huge substructure which is strong enough to carry a wall and prevent any damage from the infiltration from the water of the lagoon. At a distance it appears to be continuous with the city wall, but it is really separated by a channel which flows between the two walls and is connected with the city by a bridge. Thus it cuts off all means of access from an external foe, and if the king shut anyone up there, there could be no possibility of escape except by the bridge, which could be very easily guarded..
[3]
The famous poet
Aratus
died in Pella
ca
240 BC
. Pella was sacked by the Romans in
168 BC
, when its treasury was transported to Rome.
In the
Roman province of Macedonia
, Pella was the capital of the third district, and was possibly the seat of the Roman governor. Crossed by the
Via Egnatia
[4]
, Pella remained a significant point on the route between
Dyrrachium
and
Thessalonika
.
Cicero
stayed there in
58 BC
, but by then the provincial seat had already transferred to Thessalonika. It was then destroyed by earthquake in the first century BC; shops and workshops dating from the catastrophe have been found with remains of their merchandise. The city was eventually rebuilt over its ruins, which preserved them, but,
ca
AD 180
,
Lucian
of
Samosata
could describe it in passing as "now insignificant, with very few inhabitants"
The city went into decline for reasons unknown (possibly an earthquake) by the end of the 1st century BC. It was the object of a colonial deduction sometime between 45 and
30 BC
; in any case currency was marked
Colonia Iulia Augusta Pella
.
Augustus
settled peasants there whose land he had usurped to give to his veterans (
Dio Cassius
LI, 4). But unlike other Macedonian colonies such as
Philippi
,
Dion
, and
Cassandreia
it never came under the jurisdiction of
ius Italicum
or Roman law. Four pairs of colonial magistrates (
IIvirs quinquennales
) are known for this period.
The decline of the city was rapid, in spite of colonization:
Dio Chrysostom
(
33.27
Or.
) and
Lucian
both attest to the ruin of the ancient capital of Philip II and Alexander; though their accounts may be exaggerated. In fact, the Roman city was somewhat to the west of and distinct from the original capital; which explains some contradictions between coinage,
epigraphs
, and testimonial accounts. In the Byzantine period, the Roman site was occupied by a fortified village.
The site
Urban area
The city is built on the
island
of Phacos
, a
promontory
which dominates the wetlands which encircle Pella to the south, and a lake which opened to the sea in the
Hellenistic period
.
Palace
The city wall mentioned by Livy is only partly known. It consists of a rampart of crude bricks (about 50 cm square) raised on a stone foundation; some of which has been located North of the palace, and some in the South next to the lake. Inside the ramparts, three hills occupy the North, and the palace is situated on a place of honour on the central hill. Partly searched, it occupied a considerable area of perhaps 60,000 square metres). The plan is still not well known, but has been related to that of the city plan (see diagram).
The Pella palace consisted of several — possibly seven — large architectural groupings juxtaposed in two rows, each including a series of rooms arranged around a central square courtyard, generally with porticos. Archaeologists have thus far identified a
palaestra
and
baths
. The south facade of the palace, towards the city, consisted of one large (at least 153 metres long) portico, constructed on a two metres high foundation. The relationship between the four principal complexes is defined by an interruption in the portico occuupied by a triple
propylaeum
, 15 m high, which gave the palace an imposing monumental air when seen from the city below.
Dating of the palace has posed some problems: the large buildings could date the reign of Philip II, but other buildings appear to be earlier. The baths date from the reign of
Cassander
.
The size of the complex indicates that, unlike the palace at Vergina, this was not only a royal residence or a grandiose monument but also a place of government which was required to accommodate a portion of the administrative apparatus of the kingdom.
Hippodamean plan
The city proper was located south of and below the palace. Designed on a
grid plan
as envisaged by
Hippodamus
, it consists of two series of parallel streets which intersect at right angles and form a grid of eight rows of rectangular blocks. These blocks are of a consistent width — each approximately 45 m — and a length which varies from 111 m to 152 m, 125 metres being the most common. The streets are from 9 to 10 metres wide, except for the middle East–West arterial, which is up to 15 metres wide. This street is the primary access to the central public
agora
, which occupied a space of ten blocks. Two North-South streets area also a bit wider than the rest, and serve to connect the city to the port further South. The streets had sewers and were equipped to convey water to individual residences.
Lion Hunt Mosaic in Pella
This type of plan dates to the first half of the fourth century BC, and is very close to the ideal in design, though it distinguishes itself by large block size;
Olynthus
in
Chalcidice
for example had blocks of 86.3×35 metres. On the other hand, later Hellenistic urban foundations have blocks comparable to those of Pella: 112×58 m in
Laodicea ad Mare
, or 120×46 m in
Aleppo
.
The agora holds pride of place in the centre of the city, occupying an imposing 200 by 181 metres; 262×238 metres if one counts the potrticos which surround it on all sides.
Archaeology
Based on the descriptions provided by
Titus Livius
, the site was explored by 19th-century voyagers including Holand, Pouqueville, Beaujour, Cousinéry, Delacoulonche, Hahn, Glotz and Struck. The first excavation was begun by G. Oikonomos in 1914–15. The modern systematic exploration of the site began in 1953 and full excavation was being done in 1957. The first series of campaigns were completed in 1963, more excavations following in 1980. These digs continue in the section identified as the agora.
In February 2006, a farmer accidentally uncovered the largest tomb ever found in Greece. The names of the noble
ancient Macedonian
family are still on inscriptions and painted sculptures and walls have survived. The tomb dates to the
2nd
or 3rd century BC, following the rule of Alexander the Great.
[6]
An atrium with a pebble-mosaic paving
Archaeological digs in progress since 1957 have uncovered a small part of the city, which was made rich by Alexander and his heirs. The large agora or market was surrounded by the shaded colonnades of
stoae
, and streets of enclosed houses with frescoed walls round inner courtyards. The first
trompe-l'oeil
wall murals imitating perspective views ever seen were on walls at Pella. There are
temples
to
Aphrodite
,
Demeter
and
Cybele
, and Pella's
pebble-mosaic floors
, dating after the lifetime of Alexander, are famous: some reproduce Greek paintings; one shows a lion-griffin attacking a stag, a familiar motif also of
Scythian
art, another depicts
Dionysus
riding a leopard.
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander
(October 1, 208–March 18, 235 AD), commonly called
Alexander Severus
, was the last
Roman emperor
(11 March 222–235) of the
Severan dynasty
. Alexander Severus succeeded his cousin,
Elagabalus
upon the latter's assassination in 222 AD, and was ultimately assassinated himself, marking the
epoch event
for the
Crisis of the Third Century
—nearly fifty years of disorder, Roman civil wars, economic chaos, regional rebellions, and external threats that brought the Empire to near-collapse.
Alexander Severus was the
heir apparent
to his cousin, the eighteen-year-old Emperor who had been murdered along with his mother by his own guards—and as a mark of contempt, had their remains cast into the
Tiber river
. He and his cousin were both grandsons of the influential and powerful
Julia Maesa
, who had arranged for Elagabalus' acclamation as Emperor by the famed
Third Gallic Legion
.
A rumor of Alexander's death circulated, triggering the assassination of Elagabalus.
Alexander's reign was marked by troubles. In military conflict against the rising
Sassanid Empire
, there are mixed accounts, though the Sassanid threat was checked. However, when campaigning against
Germanic tribes
of
Germania
, Alexander Severus apparently alienated his legions by trying diplomacy and bribery, and they assassinated him.
Life
Alexander was born with the name
Marcus Julius Gessius Bassianus Alexianus
. Alexander's father,
Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus
was a Syrian
Promagistrate
. His mother
Julia Avita Mamaea
was the second daughter of
Julia Maesa
and Syrian noble
Julius Avitus
and maternal aunt of Emperor
Elagabalus
. He had an elder sister called Theoclia and little is known about her. Alexander's maternal great-aunt was empress
Julia Domna
(also Maesa's younger sister) and his great-uncle in marriage was emperor Lucius
Septimius Severus
. Emperors
Caracalla
and
Publius Septimius Geta
, were his mother's maternal cousins. In 221, Alexander's grandmother, Maesa, persuaded the emperor to adopt his cousin as successor and make him
Caesar
and Bassianus changed his name to Alexander. In the following year, on March 11, Elagabalus was murdered, and Alexander was proclaimed emperor by the
Praetorians
and accepted by the Senate.
When Alexander became emperor, he was young, amiable, well-meaning, and entirely under the dominion of his mother. Julia Mamaea was a woman of many virtues, and she surrounded the young emperor with wise counsellors. She watched over the development of her son's character and improved the tone of the administration. On the other hand, she was inordinately jealous. She also alienated the army by extreme parsimony, and neither she nor her son were strong enough to impose military discipline. Mutinies became frequent in all parts of the empire; to one of them the life of the jurist and praetorian praefect
Ulpian
was sacrificed; another compelled the retirement of
Cassius Dio
from his command.
On the whole, however, the reign of Alexander was prosperous until the rise, in the east, of the
Sassanids
. Of the war that followed there are various accounts. (
Mommsen
leans to that which is least favourable to the Romans). According to Alexander's own dispatch to the senate, he gained great victories. At all events, though the Sassanids were checked for the time, the conduct of the Roman army showed an extraordinary lack of discipline. The emperor returned to
Rome
and celebrated a triumph in 233.
The following year he was called to face German invaders in
Gaul
, who had breached the Rhine frontier in several places, destroying forts and over-running the countryside. Alexander mustered his forces, bringing legions from the eastern provinces, and crossed the Rhine into Germany on a pontoon bridge. Initially he attempted to buy the German tribes off, so as to gain time. Whether this was a wise policy or not, it caused the Roman legionaries to look down on their emperor as one who was prepared to commit unsoldierly conduct.
Herodian
says "in their opinion Alexander showed no honourable intention to pursue the war and preferred a life of ease, when he should have marched out to punish the Germans for their previous insolence". These circumstances drove the army to look for a new leader. They chose
Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus
, a Thracian soldier who had worked his way up through the ranks.
Following the nomination of Maximinus as emperor, Alexander was slain (on either March 18 or March 19, 235), together with his mother, in a mutiny of the
Primigenia
Legio XXII
. These assassinations secured the throne for Maximinus.
The death of Alexander is considered as the end of the
Principate
system established by
Augustus
. Although the
Principate
continued in theory until the reign of
Diocletian
, Alexander Severus' death signalled the beginning of the chaotic period known as the
Crisis of the Third Century
which weakened the empire considerably.
Legacy
Alexander was the last of the Syrian emperors. Under the influence of his mother, he did much to improve the morals and condition of the people. His advisers were men like the famous jurist Ulpian, the historian Cassius Dio and a select board of sixteen senators; a municipal council of fourteen assisted the urban praefect in administering the affairs of the fourteen districts of Rome. The luxury and extravagance that had formerly been so prevalent at the court were put down; the standard of the coinage was raised; taxes were lightened; literature, art and science were encouraged; the lot of the soldiers was improved; and, for the convenience of the people, loan offices were instituted for lending money at a moderate rate of interest.
In religious matters Alexander preserved an open mind. It is said that he was desirous of erecting a temple to the
founder of Christianity
, but was dissuaded by the pagan priests.
Marriage
Alexander was married three times. His most famous wife was
Sallustia Orbiana
,
Augusta
,
whom he married in 225. He divorced and exiled her in 227, after her father,
Seius Sallustius
, was executed for attempting to assassinate the emperor. Another wife was Sulpicia Memmia. Her father was a man of consular rank; her grandfather's name was
Catulus
.
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