«Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах
У статті розглянуто те, яким чином представлена постать Гадеса на монетах римської провінції Азія. Міфи, навіть у часи кризи міфологічного світогляду та піднесення ваги філософії, продовжували бути дієвим і найголовнішим способом формування спільного минулого для розрізнених общин і міст. У перші ст...
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| Datum: | 2024 |
| Heft: | 3 |
| Сторінки: | 40-53 |
| ISSN: | 2616-499X |
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| Sprache: | Englisch |
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Institute of Archaeology NAS of Ukraine
2024
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| author | Baukova , A. Yu. |
| author_facet | Baukova , A. Yu. |
| author_institution_txt_mv | [
{
"author": "A. Yu. Baukova ",
"institution": "PhD, Assistant Professor at the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv",
"orcid": ""
}
] |
| author_sort | Baukova , A. Yu. |
| baseUrl_str | https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/oai |
| collection | OJS |
| container_end_page | 53 |
| container_issue | 3 |
| container_start_page | 40 |
| container_title | Археологія |
| container_volume | |
| datestamp_date | 2024-10-01T21:38:55Z |
| description | У статті розглянуто те, яким чином представлена постать Гадеса на монетах римської провінції Азія. Міфи, навіть у часи кризи міфологічного світогляду та піднесення ваги філософії, продовжували бути дієвим і найголовнішим способом формування спільного минулого для розрізнених общин і міст. У перші століття нашої ери, у зв’язку зі створенням загальнодержавного ринку й збільшенням грошового обігу, використання міфологічних сюжетів в оздобленні монет було також і способом самореклами громадянських колективів. Вміщення певних сюжетів чи популяризація місцевих божеств сприяла залученню паломників, купців, інших подорожніх. Володар царства мертвих належав до тих богів, ім’я яких намагались не вимовляти, щоб не привертати зайвий раз його уваги. Із постаттю цього бога пов’язано чи не найбільше евфемізмів, однак місто Ніса, керуючись згадкою про те, що саме в цій місцевості сталось викрадення Персефони, стало центром використання образу Гадеса в монетному карбуванні. Важливо, що нумізматичні джерела з провінції Азія фіксують також і трансформацію постаті Аїда-Гадеса в Гадеса-Серапіса, тоді як на інших територіях частіше Серапіса поєднували із Зевсом. У гомерівському міфі про викрадення Кори-Персефони Гадес є героєм першого плану із дуже обмеженою роллю, тому у світі живих більш важливим було пошанування Деметри та її доньки як покровительок родючості й землеробства. Проте постать Гадеса давала змогу репрезентувати окремі місцевості і сьогодні показує спільність вірувань на значних територіях. Після кількісного аналізу наявних матеріалів можна стверджувати, що сюжет викрадення Кори-Персефони в оздобленні монет, окрім автономного та напівавтономного карбування, найчастіше використовували магістрати лідійських міст в часи правління імператорів Марка Аврелія, Септимія Севера та Каракалли. Цей період розквіту монетного карбування та відносної самостійності магістратів показує не тільки рівень економічного зростання міст провінції, стану місцевого ринку та економічної інтеграції регіону загалом, а й інші особливості демонстрації локальних ідентичностей через добре знані й усталені грецькі символи. |
| doi_str_mv | 10.15407/arheologia2024.03.040 |
| first_indexed | 2026-08-07T01:05:35Z |
| format | Article |
| fulltext |
НАЦIОНАЛЬНА АКАДЕМIЯ НАУК УКРАЇНИ • IНСТИТУТ АРХЕОЛОГIЇ НАН УКРАЇНИ
НАУКОВИЙ ЖУРНАЛ – ЗАСНОВАНИЙ У 1947 р.
ВИДАЄТЬСЯ ЩОКВАРТАЛЬНО
КИЇВ 3 2024
АРХЕОЛОГIЯ
Головний редактор
ЧАБАЙ В. П., член-кореспондент НАН України, Iнститут археологiї НАН України
Редакцiйна колегiя
БОЛТРИК Ю. В., кандидат iсторичних наук, Iнститут археологiї НАН України
БОРОФФКА Н., доктор хаб., Нiмецький археологiчний iнститут, Німеччина
БУЙСЬКИХ А. В., член-кореспондент НАН України, Iнститут археологiї НАН України
ГАРДІ С. Е., PhD, Норвезький інститут у Римі Університету в Осло, Великобританія
ДЖIНДЖАН Ф., професор, доктор хаб., почесний професор унiверситету Париж 1 Пантеон
Сорбонна, Францiя
ЗАЛIЗНЯК Л. Л., професор, доктор iсторичних наук, Нацiональний унiверситет
«Києво-Могилянська академiя»
IВАНЧИК А. I., професор, Французький нацiональний центр наукових дослiджень, Францiя
КАЙЗЕР Е., професор, доктор хаб., Вiльний унiверситет Берлiну, Німеччина
ОТРОЩЕНКО В. В., професор, доктор iсторичних наук, Нацiональний унiверситет
«Києво-Могилянська академiя»
ПЛАВІНСЬКИЙ М. О., кандидат історичних наук, Варшавський університет, Польща
ПОТЄХIНА I. Д., кандидат iсторичних наук, Iнститут археологiї НАН України
РАБІНОВІЦ А., PhD, Техаський університет в Остіні, Сполучені Штати Америки
ФОРНАСЬЄ Й., професор, доктор хаб., Галле-Віттенберзький університет імені Мартіна Лютера,
Німеччина
ХОХОРОВСКI Я., професор, доктор хаб., Iнститут археологiї Яґеллонського унiверситету, Польща
ШЕВЧЕНКО T. М., кандидат історичних наук, Інститут археології НАН України (вiдповiдальний секретар)
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF UKRAINE • INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY NAS OF UKRAINE
SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL – FOUNDED IN 1947
FREQUENCY: QUARTERLY
Editor-in-Chief
CHABAI V. P., Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Institute of Archaeology
of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Editorial Board
BOLTRYK Yu. V., PhD in History, Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine
BOROFFKA N., Professor, Dr. Hab., German Archaeological Institute, Germany
BUISKYKH A. V., Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine
CHOCHOROWSKI J., Professor, Dr. Hab., Institute of Archaeology of Jagiellonian University, Poland
DJINDJIAN F., Professor, Dr. Hab., Professor of the University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, France
IVANTCHIK A. I., Professor, National Centre for Scientific Research of France, France
FORNASIER J., Professor, Dr. Hab., Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
HARDY S. A., PhD, Norwegian Institute in Rome, University of Oslo, Great Britain
KAISER E., Professor, Dr. Hab., Free University of Berlin, Germany
OTROSHCHENKO V. V., Professor, DSc in History, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
PLAVINSKI M. O., PhD in History, University of Warsaw, Poland
POTEKHINA I. D., PhD in History, Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine
RABINOWITZ A., PhD in Classical Archaeology, University of Texas at Austin, the USA
SHEVCHENKO T. M., PhD in History, Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine (Executive Secretary)
ZALIZNIAK L. L., Professor, DSc in History, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
ARHEOLOGIA
KYIV 3 2024
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*BAUKOVA Anastasiia Yuriivna — PhD, Assistant Professor
at the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History of
the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, ORCID: 0000-
0002-1636-981X, anastasiya.baukova@lnu.edu.ua
“UNSEEN GOD” OR “GIVER OF WEALTH”?
IMAGE OF HADES ON ANCIENT COINS
© A. Yu. BAUKOVA* 2024
Hades belonged to the deities whose attention
mortals did not aspire to attract. However, in
archaeological sources there is a sufficient amount
of evidence about the monetisation of the deity’s
cult. Among all the stories about Hades, the
story about the abduction of Persephone became
the most famous on the periphery of the ancient
world (in the Northern Black Sea region or in
Asia Minor). Moreover, the city of Nysa in the
province of Asia made this plot one of the most
widespread in its coinage and culture in general,
because it positioned itself as the place where this
abduction took place. Thus, the figure of Hades
was institutionalised in various coin types, which
is extremely interesting.
K e y w o r d s: Roman province Asia, Nysa,
Antiquity, Hades, coins, coinage, emperors,
Serapis, abduction of Persephone.
The history of the ancient culture and economy and
the history of the construction of a common con-
sciousness closely interconnect in the numismatic
materials of the Greco-Roman world. The coins of
the Greek cities of the Roman provinces are espe-
cially important in this regard. Even in times of the
crisis of mythological outlook and the rise of phi-
losophy, a myth continued to be an effective and the
most important way of forming a common past for
disparate communities and poleis. In the first centu-
ries AD, due to the formation of the national mar-
ket and increase in money circulation, the decoration
of coins with mythological scenes was also a way of
self-promotion for social groups. The inclusion of
certain scenes in the coinage or the popularisation
of local deities helped to attract pilgrims, merchants
and other travelers. The cities of Asia Minor could
be proud of having a large amount of myths related
both to the Roman history and to the main gods of
the Greek pantheon. This primarily concerns the cy-
cle of Trojan myths, the Argonauts’ journeys, Diony-
sus, Artemis-Diana etc. Since the myths stood out by
their democratism from the very beginning, the local
communities could creatively use their regional po-
tential and “appropriate” the figures of well-known
gods. This process can be clearly traced in the analy-
sis of the coins of Greek cities of the Roman period.
In the numismatic materials, one can distinguish
the figures of several gods, who have always been
the patrons of the local population and were fre-
quently depicted in the coins stamping. Even with
the presence of local nominal epithets and cults,
there are hundreds of Hellenistic — Roman coins
depicting Zeus, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hermes-
Mercury, Dionysus or Neptune throughout the Med-
iterranean. In modern historical science, a signifi-
cant amount of research has been devoted to these
gods and their images on the coins. Information on
such images is contained in encyclopedic publi-
cations (Gruppe 1906; Lengauer 1994; eds. How-
gego, Volker, Burnett 2005; ed. Metcalf 2012; Otto
2022), works devoted to the problems of personifi-
cations (Hinks 1968; Webster 1954; Tuggy 2017)
or concerning the iconography and other aspects of
cult (Florenzano 2018; Markowitz 2023a, 2023b).
On the contrary, not all the gods of the so-called
Olympic pantheon have got such an honor. This is
especially relevant in the case of the protagonist of
the proposed study. Despite his genealogically sub-
stantiated belonging to the highest class of the Greek
pantheon, Hades-Aidoneus appears very rarely in
myths and is sometimes not included in the lists of
the Dodekatheoi-List (LIMC 1988, 1, p. 367). In the
proposed study, the usage of the image of Hades-
Aidoneus in the coinage of ancient cities, mainly
in the Roman province of Asia and adjacent terri-
tories, will be analysed. This topic is practically not
presented in modern scholarship, and although it is
extremely relevant, it has not been studied at all by
Ukrainian historical science.
This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.en
ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2024, № 3 41
The lack of the image of Demeter or Perse-
phone’s analysis is due to the fact that the sphere
of these women’s activities concerned the world
of the living, determined their existence, and pro-
longed the life. Hades-Aidoneus was exclusively
associated with the afterlife, and, at first glance,
should not have been actively involved in the
everyday life of an ancient person.
Surprisingly, many “monetary” aspects are as-
sociated with the god of the dead and the king of
the underworld, the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea.
First of all, it is said that Hades, under the name
of Pluto, was the patron of all underground min-
erals, including raw materials for coinage. The et-
ymology of this name, Πλούτων (Latin PLVTO)
is related to Πλοῦτος meaning “wealth”, “pros-
perity”. Secondly, Hades, in the broader sense of
the word, was associated with the phenomenon of
“Charon’s obol”, a coin that in some regions was
put into the mouths of the deceased before being
buried as payment for transporting the soul to the
realm of the dead. And, more narrowly, on certain
coins of the Roman period, we can find the figure
of the ruler of the underworld and the scenes from
the myth about him.
In general, we should start with the fact that
Hades, the ruler of the realm of the dead, was one
of those gods whose name people tried not to say
aloud, in order not to attract his attention. The fig-
ure of this god is associated with the biggest num-
ber of euphemisms. He was called Aidoneus (In-
visible), Pluto (the one who gives wealth), and
Climenus (i.e. Glorious) (Paus. 6.25.2), and Eu-
bouleus (i.e. the Good Counselor). He was often
called the Chthonic Zeus. There are some nomi-
nal epithets such as “the one who leads” (Hegetes),
“the one who rules the Moirages” (Moiragetes),
“the one who attracts all people to his kingdom”
(Agesilaus), which are unfamiliar to the general
public, but very important for understanding the
attitude of the ancient people to Hades. In ancient
culture, Hades had never been depicted as an evil
or frightful god. During the sacrificing to Hades,
the adherents of the cult turned their heads away,
but this deity can be considered one of the man-
ifestations of unmoved justice. It is difficult to
judge the true nature of the feelings of the ancient
Greek-speaking inhabitants of Asia Minor, but
iconographic sources do not indicate fear or avoid-
ance of this god or the phenomenon he personified.
Although Pausanias describes the Eleans as
the only people to worship Hades, he neverthe-
less mentions statues and altars to the god else-
where. At Elis, as in other cults of Hades hidden
behind euphemistic names such as “Klymenos” or
“Zeus Chthonios”, the deadly nature of the god is
to the fore, as opposed to the perception elsewhere
of Hades-Pluto as a giver of fertility, a god who
carries a cornucopia and is connected with Deme-
ter and Kore. However, these are two sides of the
same coin: Hades’ wealth lies not only in fertility,
but also in weeping (Burton 2018, p. 211).
In general, the myth was an authoritative story,
a way to convey some experience (not necessarily
an individual one), to teach and to socialise. That is
why Classical myths are variable. The symbolism
and the metaphorical nature of the myth is always
directed at the basic cognitive abilities of a person
— self-awareness, memory, imagination or fanta-
sy. From the point of view of a 21st-century person,
it is quite difficult to decipher ancient myths. With
certain amount of humor, this process can be com-
pared to the practice of interpreting “signals” and
“hints” done by the political observers and various
experts after the meetings of important politicians
or the publication of joint communiqués. Through
words and images, ancient myths allowed the in-
dividual and the polis communities to see some-
thing else apart from themselves and to be where
they had not been before. This thesis can be ex-
plained through the analysis of the coins minting
of the Lydian city of Nysa (Νύσα or Νύσσα). Nysa
in Greek mythology was a mountainous area with-
out a specific location. It was in this region where
nymphs of Hyades adopted Dionysus (who was
often identified with Zeus of Nysa). In addition,
Hades was sometimes called Zeus Infernal (Ζεὺς
καταχθόνιος). All this indicates that for the inhab-
itants of Asia Minor the mythological history re-
mained in an inseparable or branched state and
one god appeared under different names. Nysa was
considered to be located in Libya, India, Ethiopia,
Arabia, and etc. Nysa in Lydia was also located
in a mountainous region. What is more, the fields
of Nysa appeared in the story of the abduction of
Persephone. All this made it possible to claim that
the mythical region was tied to the actual one.
The use of the image of Hades in numismat-
ics was almost the same as the use of the image
of other deities or personifications. In other words,
when analysing coins with the image of Hades,
there is both his bust and his full-growth view with
the attributes of his power. There are also the de-
pictions of the most well-known mythical scenes
in which he appeared. However, numismatic ma-
terials do not generally represent the symbols of
ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2024, № 342
Hades or the things associated with him. This can
be explained by the fact that, unlike other gods of
the Greek pantheon, Hades did not have so many
symbols (except for the invisible hat, which was
shown). It is important to emphasise that the bust
of Hades (and Kore-Persephone) is found on the
cistophorus from Nysa (Regling 1913, p. 70). Cis-
tophori were named after the basket of snakes (cis-
ta mistica) (Mørkholm 1991, p. 205) and were used
in services in honor of Dionysus. Cistophori con-
tinued to be minted in the cities of the west coast of
Asia Minor in the Roman period. While in the Hel-
lenistic period their value was equal to four drach-
mas (therefore they were sometimes called silver
tetradrachmas), with the beginning of the Roman
rule a cistophorus was equal to three Roman dena-
rii (Noe, Kleiner 1977). Outside the province, the
cistophorus was cheaper, so these coins circulated
exclusively in the inner market, remaining a pres-
tigious means of payment. The general appearance
of the cistophorus was the same for all the cities of
the province of Asia. That was a silver coin with
the image of a chest, grass snakes, a wreath of ivy
and snakes, which were entwined around a quiver
on the reverse side of the coin. This side of the cis-
tophorus often contained additional symbols and
signs – in our case it is a bust of Hades and Ko-
re-Persephone (fig. 1; von Aulock, Kleiner 1957,
nos. 3039–3040). The coin is dated to the most
dramatic period in the history of Nysa and the re-
gion in general: 134–133 BC, i.e. the last year of
Attalus III’s reign and the transformation of the
kingdom of Pergamum into the Roman province
of Asia according to the testament of the king.
In the early years of the province’s existence
and the rebellion led by Aristonicus from 133 to
100 BC Nysa had also minted copper coins with a
bust of Hades on the obverse.
Fig. 1. Cistophorus coin from Nysa with jugate busts of Hades and Kore-Persephone: two serpents entwined around bow case;
symbol in right field: jugate heads of Hades and Demeter right, after: SNG von Aulock, no. 3039
Fig. 2. Bronze (AE 18) coin (civic issue) from Nysa with jugate busts of Hades and Kore-Persephone on the obverse, after: Kurth
2020, no. 5
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Similarly, the civil issue of coins with a dou-
ble bust of Hades and Persephone on the obverse
is dated to the 1st century BC (fig. 2; Kurth 2020,
5). Taking into consideration the variability of the
Greek mythology and the lack of a sufficient num-
ber of visual and written images in numismatics,
and in archaeological sources as well, it is often
difficult to distinguish the figures of Demeter and
Kore-Persephone. Only due to the clothing or age
characteristics it is possible to identify the Deme-
ter on some of the obverses (Kurth 2020, no. 1).
Also, on the reverse side there is a depiction of an
ear and a poppy head. Some of the coins with Ha-
des or the busts of the divine couple were accom-
panied by an image of Dionysus (Kurth 2020, no.
35), showing the connection of references to Nysa
in both myths. In my opinion, placing the figure
of Hades on coins should not be considered as an
act of worship or a cultic gesture. This is exact-
ly where the proposed study contradicts the views
expressed in S. Price’s work (Price 2005, p. 119).
In general, in the 1st century BC various magis-
trates continuously repeated this cliché in autono-
mous or civil coinage. Wavy beard and thick wavy
hair, covered with a crown, emphasised the affinity
of the image of Hades with the image of Zeus and
spoke of divine dignity. A coin with a bust of Ves-
pasian and the legend OYEΣΠAΣIANOΣ KAIΣAΡ
ΣEBAΣTOΣ is very interesting, as on its reverse
side there is a male divinity sitting on a throne, with
Nike and a scepter in his hands. It is indicated in
the catalogues that this is the figure of Zeus, but
describing him with an epithet from the legend on
the coin ΠΛOYTOΔOTHΣ is rather questionable.
Based on the well-known sculptures of Hades sit-
ting on a throne from the territory of Asia Minor
(LIMC 1988, 2, p. 210, fig. 8), primarily Hierapolis,
it can be argued that the figure of Zeus was used in
this case and testify in favour of Hades.
The next important scene, which is “written”
in the coins stamped at Nysa and other cities in the
province of Asia is the abduction of Persephone
by Hades. In this case, numismatics is an excellent
source for studying the details of this story. In ancient
literature there is quite chary and contradictory infor-
mation about the location and the circumstances of
this event. In fact, the events in the Nysa Valley are
depicted in the second Homer’s hymn to Demeter.
“Apart from Demeter, lady of the golden sword
and glorious fruits,
…she was playing with the deep-bosomed
daughters of Okeanos and gathering flowers over
a soft meadow, roses and crocuses and beautiful
violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus,
which Gaia (the Earth) made to grow at the will of
Zeus and to please Polydektor (Host of Many), to
be a snare for the bloom-like girl – a marvelous,
radiant flower. It was a thing of awe whether for
deathless gods or mortal men to see: from its root
grew a hundred blooms and it smelled most sweet-
ly, so that all wide heaven (Ouranos) above and
the whole earth (Gaia) and the sea’s (Thalassa)
salt swell laughed for joy. And the girl was amazed
and reached out with both hands to take the lovely
toy: but the wide-pathed earth yawned there in the
plain of Nysa, and the lord, Polydegmon (Host of
Many) [Haides], with his immortal horses sprang
out upon her – the Son of Kronos (Cronus), Poly-
nomos (He Who has Many Names).
He caught her up reluctant on his golden car
and bare her away lamenting. Then she cried out
shrilly with her voice, calling upon her father
[Zeus], the Son of Kronos, who is most high and
excellent. But no one, either of the deathless gods
or mortal men, heard her voice…”11
The hymn calls Hades the one who has many
names. As can be seen from their cursory analysis,
they indicated the functional features of the god and
never indicated the location of the sanctuary. How-
ever, behind the list of epithets of a particular god
stood the unity of his essence (Parker 2003, p. 182).
The scene of Persephone’s abduction was well-
known throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Pri-
marily, it was used for decoration of burial chambers
of crypts (Chugg 2021, p. 73; Живкова 1976, р. 25).
Moreover, such monuments were discovered on the
periphery of the Classical world — in the north coast
of the Black Sea (in Pantikapaion (Crimea), Amphi-
polis (Bulgaria), Vergina (Macedonia). The scene of
the abduction of Persephone is included in the dec-
oration of four more crypts in the vicinity of Panti-
kapaion: the crypt of Blaramberg, the double crypt of
1873, the crypt of Ashik, and the crypt of Alkym He-
gesipov. Also, a similar monument was discovered in
1928 by Y. Marty at the Сitea necropolis (Федосе-
ев 2011, с. 491). Despite the geographical location,
painters and artists of that time reproduced this scene.
That is why the plots on funerary monuments should
be used for the analysis of coin types, since togeth-
er these monuments constitute a complex of icono-
graphic sources. The figures may have looked differ-
ent, but their set and main details always remained
the same. This is common, given the area of the crypt
1 Homeric hymn to Demeter, translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-
White.
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walls, but when it comes to the limited and small sur-
face area of the coin, this feature is simply amazing.
A little composition of the chariot, two figures and
a legend were full of symbols that conveyed the ex-
pression and tragedy of the moment. Moreover, all
of these details preserved the features of the whole
story. Due to the study of coins, the conception of
the ancient mythology is extremely detailed from
the point of view of the present times. For example,
it is not typical to see a depiction of a basket under
the horses’ legs. It was a visualisation of the fact that
Kore-Persephone picked flowers and did not form a
bouquet with them, but put them into a basket. On
the eldest coin of semi-autonomous stamping, dating
from 100–0 BC (fig. 3) its author shows the basket
falling out of Kore-Persephone’s hands (Mattingly,
Carson 1923, 16; von Aulock, Kleiner 1957, 3044;
Kurth 2020, 21).
In all the following coins of semi-autonomous
stamping from Nysa with the scene of the abduc-
tion of Demeter’s daughter, the basket was disposed
closer to the horses’ forelegs. We see such a compo-
sition for the first time on the coins of Nysa with a
depiction of the busts of such emperors as Claudius
(Mionnet 1809, no. 357; SNG Paris 2001, no. 833),
Nero (SNG Paris 2001, no. 837; RPC I, no. 2668;
Kurth 2020, no. 65), and Marcus Aurelius (fig. 4;
Mattingly, Carson 1923, no. 40; SNG Cop 1982, no.
317). This is the type of representation of the abduc-
tion of Persephone embodied in the mosaics of the
necropoleis around Rome (LIMC 1988, 2, p. 213,
fig. 76a-b).
To be fair, it should be mentioned that almost
half of the coins from Nysa depicting the abduc-
tion of Kore-Persephone are the specimens with-
out a depiction of a basket.
The cistophorus with a bust of Hadrian and
with the depiction of the scene of the abduction of
Kore-Persephone on the reverse side is of great in-
terest (fig. 6).
Fig. 3. Semi-autonomous bronze (AE 19) coin from Nysa with scene of the Persephone’s abduction, basket of flowers has just
fallen from Persephone's hands, after: SNG von Aulock, no. 3044
Fig. 4. Bronze (AE 37) coin from Nysa minted in the reign of Marcus Aurelius with a detailed image of Persephone’s basket,
after: SNG Cop 1982, no. 317
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Firstly, the denomination of the coin itself is sur-
prising. Secondly, it is assumed that the coin was
minted rather in Sardis, not in Nysa, but this ques-
tion is debatable, since a number of coins from the
time of Hadrian are represented only by isolated
items (Metkalf 1981, p. 185). Finally, the figure of
Hades is decorated with the chlamys. Depicting a
fluttering cloak, an artist adds some dynamism to
the composition. This stylistic technique was used
by a Greek artist in the decoration of the Deme-
ter’s crypt in Kerch. The god was depicted half-na-
ked, with a torso, half-turned to the right, covered
with a chlamys that fluttered behind him. Among
the Roman works, this technique is well-known for
the mosaics of the 2nd century AD (Fig. 5) depict-
ing the triumph of Poseidon-Neptune (for example,
from the Archaeological Museum of Sousse in Tu-
nisia (Mosaïque d’Hadrumète (Sousse)) (La mosa-
ïque...) or the triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite
from Herculaneum (Jasas-Montinaro 2019, p. 2).
On the side wall of a marble sarcophagus of 150–
175 AD from the repository of the Galleria degli
Uffizi, Florence and on the front wall of the 3rd cen-
tury AD sarcophagus from the Museum of Art His-
tory in Vienna (Persephone Sarcophagus...), Hades,
with all the other “non-canonical” scenes of the Ho-
Fig. 5. Mosaic with a scene of the Persephone’s abduction, Vatican, Necropolis under St. Peter, after: LIMC, 1988, IV, 2, p. 213,
fig. 76 b)
Fig. 6. Cistophorus from Nysa with a bust of Hadrian and with the depiction of the scene of the abduction of Kore-Persephone,
after: Kurth 2020, no. S536
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meric hymn, is also shown with the chlamys flutter-
ing behind him (fig. 7).
It is interesting that the “non-canonical” addi-
tion of the figure of Athena in full armour to the
Homeric hymn concerning the Persephone’s ab-
duction is recorded not only in these sarcophagi.
On the reverse (fig. 8) of a coin from the Lydian
Hyrcanis from the period of the reign of Commo-
dus (177–192), Eros with a torch at the heads of
the quadriga can be seen, as well as the figure of
Athena in helmet and armour, who is striking the
quadriga’s wheel with a spear, trying to stop it.
There is also a basket and a snake. The combina-
tion of a basket and a snake is sometimes consid-
ered to be a reason to talk about the already men-
tioned cista mistica. However, in our opinion, this
is wrong, taking to consideration the everyday cul-
ture of the Greek population.
A coin of a semi-autonomous stamping of 222–
235 from Kyzikos in the Mysia (fig.9) can be con-
sidered a variation of this story. Here, instead of
Athena, some researchers see a warrior with a spear
and a shield running after a quadriga (Lanz 1927,
nos. 157, 145). A bust of Kore and the legend KOΡH
CΩTEIΡA are depicted on the obverse of the coin.
The attention should be also paid to the chari-
ot and horses. Why is this so important? Because
in the case of the scene of the abduction of Ko-
re-Persephone in the crypt of Demeter in Kerch,
an ancient artist, despite the large surface of the
wall, which allowed painting different details, de-
picted four horses with only six legs. Art critics
suggest that this may have happened to “unload”
the overall view of this part of the composition
(Иванова 1953, с. 153). The authors of the coin
stamp reflected the actual appearance of all hors-
es, despite the small area. However, regardless of
the type of the monument, the horses of the char-
iot were shown with their forelegs raised at a gal-
lop. The coin of the semi-autonomous minting of
81–96 from Nysa (Mattingly, Carson 1923, no. 31-
32; SNG Cop 1982,no. 315; Mannsperger 1994,
no. 3732-3733; Kurth 2020, no. 45) shows the Ha-
des’s skill, who is controlling the movement with
one hand, while a autonomous coin of 138–192
(fig. 10, 11; Mionnet 1808, no. 349; Babelon 1898,
no. 2494; SNG Paris 2001, no. 828; Kurth 2020,
no. 51) shows a less stable composition, but the
reins are depicted. In Description of Greece Pausa-
nias gives a biography of Pindar and tells the story
of the last hymn composed by the artist after his
death in honour of Persephone. The deceased Pin-
dar sang this hymn in a dream to his relative and
called Hades Chrysenius, i.e. “the one who rules
the golden reins.” (Paus. 9.23.2) Thus, this is one
more detail of the image depicted on the coins.
Fig. 7. Sarcophagus with scene of the Persephone’s abduction, Vienna, Museum of Art History, no. I 1126, after: https://
hellenismo.tumblr.com/post/146596666726/persephones-abduction-on-the-left-side-of/amp
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The study of the details of the decoration of fu-
nerary crypts (for example, a Demeter’s crypt in
Kerch (Crimea), a mosaic of the second tomb of the
4th century BC in Amphiopolis (Bulgaria), a tomb
of the Macedonian king Philip II in Egi (Vergina)
(LIMC 1988, 2, p. 216, fig. 104) and the study of
the ancient vase painting2 allows supplementing
the view of the Hades’s chariot that was almost not
shown on the coins (except for one wheel).
As for the figure of Kore-Persephone, in all known
cases she was depicted in a rather homogeneous way.
The whole figure (outstretched arms, bent torso and
legs, tilted head) emphasised the tragedy of the mo-
ment and the fact that it was not her will to become a
wife of Hades. A certain plot on the coin with a bust
of Faustina II (Fig. 12; Kurth 2020, no. 123) suggests
that the artist conveys this myth in such a way that,
despite the typical position of her hand, Persephone
2 For example, the so-called Persephone’s crater from the British
Museum (LIMC 1988, vol. IV, part 2, p. 213, fig. 84–90).
seems to be standing next to her husband in the char-
iot. In a similar way, the tragedy of the abduction is
shown on the front of the marble frieze from Hierap-
olis (LIMC 1988, 2, p. 218, fig. 111).
The scene of the abduction of Kore-Persephone
was quite popular in the decoration of coins with the
emperors’ portraits. Such examples include the busts
of Claudius and Agrippina the Younger in 50–54 AD
with the legend CEBACTOI (Kurth 2020, no. 63),
Nero (with the legend NEΡΩN KAICAΡ) (SNG Par-
is 2001, no. 837; Kurth 2020, no. 65), Hadrian (Kurth
2020, no. S536), Marcus Aurelius (SNG Cop 1982,
no. 317; Mattingly, Carson 1923, no. 40). Very har-
moniously, however unexpectedly, the plot with the
abduction of Persephone was depicted on the coins
of the end of the 1st—2nd centuries AD in the Lydian
city of Gordus-Julia. The plot is decorated on coins
with busts of such emperors as Trajan (Amandry
et al. 2015, no. 2548), Hadrian (Amandry et al. 2015,
no. 2553), Lucius Verus (Mattingly, Carson 1923,
no. 23) and Septimius Severus (SNG München 1997,
Fig. 8. Bronze (AE 38) coin from Hyrkanis minted in the reign of Commodus which shown Athena and Eros in moment of the
Persephone’s abduction, after: Mionnet 1809, nos. 330-331; SNG Paris 2001, no. 561
Fig. 9. Bronze (AE 35) semi-autonomous coin from Kyzikos with a similar scene, after: Waddington 720
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no. 190). There is an interesting detail of this scene
on the coin of Marcus Aurelius. Under the legs of the
horses there is no basket, but a snake.
In a series of coins of semi-autonomous minting
from Sardis (fig.13; Mattingly, Carson 1923, no. 89;
SNG Paris 2001, no. 1313C; Kurth 2020, no. 309),
dated to 198–244 AD, a very high-quality stamp was
used, where the artist contained a chlamys, a basket
and a snake. Moreover, this item is very close to the
paintings of the above-mentioned crypts, because
there is even a figure of Eros with two torches in his
hands, which illuminated the path of the chariot. The
dynamic movement of the chariot is emphasised by
the long hair of Kore-Persephone, fluttered by the
wind. This detail, as well as the extensive legend
EΠI COYΛ EΡMOΦIΛOY A AΡX CAΡΔIANΩN
B NEΩKOΡΩN is explained primarily by the suffi-
cient size of the coin circle. A snake with a basket, or
instead of a basket, can be found on similar coins in
Sardis, with a portrait of Caracalla.
Coins with the scene of the abduction of Kore-
Persephone were also minted in Kyzikos, Mysia
(with a bust of Marcus Aurelius), the Lydian cit-
ies of Hermocapellia (with a bust of Trajan and in
251–253 AD with a bust of Trebonianus Gallus),
Hyrkanis (with a bust of Tamolia), Thyatira (Thy-
ateira) (with the bust of Commodus and Elagabal-
us), Silandus (with the bust of Septimius Severus),
Tralleis (with the bust of Gordian III), Daldis-Fla-
viopolis (from the time of Philip I), Magnesia ad
Maeandrum in Ionia (with the bust of Antony Ioni-
us), Hierapolis in Phrygia in honour of the Senate
(semi-autonomous minting).
In general, the scene of the abduction of Kore-
Persephone occurs in the coin decoration of other
territories of Roman Empire as well: Egypt (Alexan-
dria with the bust of Hadrian (fig.14)) Samaria (coins
from Sebaste with the bust of Commodus, Septimius
Severus, Elagabalus, Julia Maesa), Macedonia (coins
with busts of Julia Domna (Assarii) and Caracalla),
Fig. 10. Bronze (AE 19) semi-autonomous coin from Nysa. Hades standing in galloping quadriga right, abducting Persephone
held in his right arm, after: SNG Cop 1982, no. 315
Fig. 11. Bronze (AE 19) semi-autonomous coin from Nysa. Hades standing in galloping quadriga right, abducting Persephone
held in his right arm (after: SNG Paris 2001 , no. 828; Kurth 2020, no. 51)
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Aeolia (minting of Elaea in the time of Marcus Aure-
lius (very simplified stamp) and Commodus), Thrace
(medallion of the time of Septimius Severus of Per-
inthos), Cilicia (minting of the cities of Siedra dur-
ing the reign of Tiborunius, Elagabalus). The number
of images with Hades is rather small in comparison
with other deities and coin types, but such geogra-
phy and chronology show that the composition itself,
made in Nysa in Lydia, was acceptable and used for a
long time in various regions of the eastern part of the
empire, as well as the way to unite the world of these
eastern provinces. It should be emphasised that the
use of the image of Hades as Serapis did not always
correspond to this geography and chronology.
All analysed coins with the image of Hades did
not contain the name of the god in the legend and
only the plot helped the identification. This ex-
ample is significant, because in the time of Gord-
ian III the abduction of Persephone is shown with-
out the “canonical plot” of the quadriga. Hades
simply carrying Persephone in his arms(fig. 15).
Finally, it should be mentioned about another “at-
tribute” of Hades and the realm of the dead, namely
the guard at its entrance — Cerberus. In the mint-
ing of Nysa, the three-headed dog Cerberus is de-
picted only on the one coin that is dated to the time
of Marcus Aurelius. There is a bust of the emper-
or on the obverse, the legend AYT KAICAΡ AYΡ
ANTΩNEINOC CEB, the image of the ruler of
the realm of the dead and a dog on the reverse (von
Aulock, Kleiner 1957; no. 5063; SNG Paris 2001,
no. 859; Kurth 2020, no. 105). In Caracalla’s time,
there were similar coins from Gordus-Julia (Babe-
lon 1898, no. 4979; SNG Paris 2001, no. 400), La-
odicea (Imhoof-Blumer 1897, no. 36), Thyatira (Ba-
belon 1898, no. 5358; SNG Paris 2001, no. 1466;
Kurth 2020, no. 199) and etc. This type of Ha-
des’s image was typical for sculpture (LIMC 1988,
2, p. 210, fig. 5, 6). In numismatics it is associated
with the interpretation of Hades as Serapis. More-
over, due to the presence of Cerberus, it was possible
to guess that Hades, not Zeus, was depicted on the
Fig. 12. Bronze coin (AE 18) from Nysa minted in the reign of Marcus Aurelius with bust of Faustina II and a scene of rape of
Persephone, where she was depicted quite uniformly, after: Kurth 2020, no. 123
Fig. 13. Bronze semi-autonomous coin (AE 41) from Sardes. Hades in galloping quadriga right, carrying off struggling Persephone.
He holds a sceptre in his left hand, and his chlamys is fluttering around his head; above the horses’ heads, Eros flying, holding two
torches; fallen flower basket and a serpent issuing from the ground are beneath the horses, after: BMC 89; SNG Paris 2001, no. 1313C;
Kurth 2020, no. 309)
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coin. Usually, though quite rarely, Cerberus was de-
picted in a plot with Hercules to illustrate this heroic
deed. In this case, the author of the coin stamp de-
picted a completely imaginary gate of the palace (or
kingdom) of Hades and Hercules, who pulled out the
dog. However, such coins were not minted in the Ro-
man province of Asia.
Thus, it can be argued that the figure of Hades
was quite popular in the decoration of coins of the
Roman province of Asia, and especially in the city of
Nysa, which was associated with the story of the ab-
duction of Kore-Persephone. In general, the study of
local coinage in the Greek cities in the Roman prov-
ince of Asia is an excellent “mirror” for finding out
the cultural transformations influenced by the politi-
cal conditions of the Roman world, a direct indica-
tion for studying political culture and the level of in-
tegration of Greco-Roman world values. The same
materials allow studying the features of the political
culture and levels of economic interaction of those
times. It should not be assumed that the cult of Hades
spread from Asia Minor, but such cities of the Roman
province of Asia as Nysa and Hierapolis actively
used the stories of the myth of Hades in their coinage
and thereby brought this god out of the realm of re-
ligion and into the economic realm. And this should
be emphasised and noted. It is important that numis-
matic sources from the province of Asia also record
the transformation of the figure of Hades into Hades-
Serapis, while in other territories Serapis was more
often combined with Zeus. In Homer’s myth of the
abduction of Kore-Persephone, Hades is a protago-
nist with a very limited role, so in the world of the liv-
ing it was more important to honour Demeter and her
daughter as patrons of fertility and agriculture. How-
ever, the figure of Hades made it possible to repre-
Fig. 14. Obol from Alexandria, Egypt. Minted in the reign of Hadrian. Modius, containing poppies and corn-ears between two filleted
torches. The modius is decorated with the depiction of Hades in galloping quadriga right, carrying off Persephone, after: BMC 906
(after: Geissen 1226)
Fig. 15. Bronze coin (AE 31) from Seleukeia ad Calycadnum, Cilicia. Minted in the reign of Gordian III, after: Mairat J.,
Spoerri Butcher M. 2022, no. 2923. This example is interesting, because in the time of Gordian III the abduction of Persephone
is shown without the “canonical plot ” of the quadriga. Hades is sinply carrying Persephone in his arms
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sent some separate places and nowadays it shows the
commonality of beliefs in the large territories. Analy-
sis of the LIMC’s information indicates the extreme-
ly important value of numismatic materials from
the territory of the Roman province of Asia. After a
quantitative analysis of the available materials (more
than 100 coins), it can be argued that the scene of the
abduction of Kore-Persephone in the decoration of
coins was most often used by Lydian city magistrates
during the reigns of Emperors Marcus Aurelius, Sep-
timius Severus and Caracalla, where the emperor
Caracalla is the undoubted leader (table 1). However,
the given table illustrates the comparison of the im-
age of Hades abducting Persephone with the image
of the syncretic deity Hades-Serapis in different years
and in the so-called non-Greek territories of Roman
Empire. The situation with the image of Hades on
the coins of Caracalla is significant. The bust of this
emperor was most often combined with the image
of the god. A total of 17 coins are known, and only
five of them come from the province of Asia. The rest
were minted on the territory of Thrace or Macedonia.
However, Persephone’s abduction scene is depicted
on seven coins (of which only three are Asian), while
the remaining nine coins depict Hades-Serapis (!).
This period of flourishing coinage and the relative
independence of the magistrates shows not only the
level of economic growth of the cities of the prov-
ince, the state of the local market and the econom-
ic integration of the region in general, but also the
peculiarities of the demonstration of local identities
through well-known and established Greek symbols.
Emperor Total Asia Quadriga Hades-
Serapis
Thrace Moesia Macedonia
Marcus
Aurelius 9 8 6 2 1 ‒ ‒
Septimius
Severus 8 2 2 6 1 5 ‒
Caracalla 16 6 3 3 5
(1 quadriga) 2 3 (all with
quadriga)
Table 1. Quantitative ratio of the frequency of the use of scenes related to Hades in the coinage of emperors from the
Antonine and Severian dynasties
Иванова, А. П. 1953. Искусство античных городов
Северного Причерноморья. Ленинград: Издательство
ЛГУ.
Живкова, Л. Т. 1976. Казанлыкская гробница. Москва:
Искусство.
Федосеев, Н. Ф. 2011. К публикации моногра-
фии «Склеп Деметры». В: Галченко, Н. В. и др. (ред.).
Научный сборник Керченского заповедника, 3. Симферо-
поль: Бизнес-Информ, с. 486-508.
Amandry, M., Burnett, A., Mairat, J., Metcalf, W., Bri-
cault, L., Blet-Lemarquand, M. 2015. Roman Provincial
Coinage, 3. Nerva, Trajan and Hadrian (AD 96–138). Lon-
don: British Museum Press; Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale.
Aulock, H. von, Kleiner, G. 1957. Sуlloge Nummorum
Graecorum, 1: Pontus, Paphlagonia, Bithynia, Mysia, Troas,
Aiolis, Lesbos, Ionia. Berlin: Verlag G. Mann.
Babelon, E. 1898. La collection Waddington au cabinet des
médailles. RN. (Paris, 1897–1898). Paris: C. Rollin et Feuardent.
Burton, D. 2018. Worshipping Hades: Myth and Cult in
Elis and Triphylia. Archiv für Religionsgeschichte, vol. 20,
no. 1, p. 211-227. https://doi.org/10.1515/arege-2018-0013
Geissen A. 1978. Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermün-
zen der Sammlung des Institute für Altertumskunde der Uni-
versität zu Köln, Band II Hadrian - Antoninus Pius (Nr. 741
- 1994), Opladen Nachdruck Opladen.
Chugg, A. 2021. The Identity of the Occupant of the Am-
phipolis Tomb Beneath the Kasta Mound. Macedonian Stud-
ies Journal, vol. 2, issue 1, p. 42-94.
Gruppe, O. 1906. Griechische mythologie und religion-
sgeschichte. München: Beck.
Florenzano, M. B. B. 2018. In God We Trust. Gods and
God-like Entities on Ancient Greek Coins. In: Iossif, P. P., De
Callataÿ, Fr., Veymier, R. (eds.). ΤΥΠΟΙ: Greek and Roman
Coins Seen Through Their Images. Liѐge: Presses Universita-
ires de Liѐge, p. 97-114.
Hinks, R. P. 1968. Myth and Allegory in Ancient Art. Avali-
able at: https://archive.org/details/mythallegoryinan0000hink/
page/n3/mode/2up [Date of access: 15 November, 2023].
Howgego, Ch., Volker, H., Burnett, A. (eds.). 2005. Coin-
age and Identity in the Roman Provinces. Oxford: Oxford Ac-
ademic. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199265268.001.0001
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tune and Amphitrite to Identify its Patron’s Status. Prandi-
um: The Journal of Historical Studies, vol. 8, no. 1. Available
at: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/prandium/article/
view/33580/25789 [Date of access: 20 July, 2023].
Imhoof-Blumer, F. 1897. Lydische Stadtmünzen, neue
Untersuchungen. Genf; Leipzig.
Kurth, D. 2020. Greek and Roman Provincial Coins —
Lydia. Istanbul; Loxahatchee: Sunrise Publications.
Lanz, O. 1927. Die Münzen und Medaillen von Ravens-
burg. Stuttgart: Selbstverlag.
Lengauer, W. 1994. Religijność starożytnych Greków.
Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
LIMC 1988. Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Clas-
sicae. IV. Eros-Herakles. Zürich; München: Artemis Verlag.
Mairat J., Spoerri Butcher M. 2022 Roman Provincial
Coinage VII. 2: From Gordian I to Gordian III (AD 238–244)
London: British Museum Press.
Mannsperger, D. 1994. Sуlloge Nummorum Graecorum:
Deutschland. Münzsammlung der Universität Tübingen, 5.
Karien und Lydien. Berlin: Gebr. Mann.
Markowitz, M. 2023a. Hera on Ancient Coins – Queen
of the Gods. Available at: https://coinweek.com/hera-on-an-
cient-coins-queen-of-the-gods/ [Date of access: 20 Decem-
ber, 2023].
ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2024, № 352
А. Ю. Баукова1
1Доцент кафедри археології та історії стародавніх цивілізацій, Львівський національний університет імені Івана Фран-
ка, ORCID: 0000-0002-1636-981X, anastasiya.baukova@lnu.edu.ua
«НЕВИДИМИЙ» БОГ ЧИ «ПОДАТЕЛЬ БАГАТСТВА»?: ОБРАЗ ГАДЕСА НА АНТИЧНИХ МОНЕТАХ
У статті розглянуто те, яким чином представлена постать Гадеса на монетах римської провінції Азія. Міфи, навіть
у часи кризи міфологічного світогляду та піднесення ваги філософії, продовжували бути дієвим і найголовнішим способом
формування спільного минулого для розрізнених общин і міст. У перші століття нашої ери, у зв’язку зі створенням
загальнодержавного ринку й збільшенням грошового обігу, використання міфологічних сюжетів в оздобленні монет було також
і способом самореклами громадянських колективів. Вміщення певних сюжетів чи популяризація місцевих божеств сприяла
залученню паломників, купців, інших подорожніх. Володар царства мертвих належав до тих богів, ім’я яких намагались не
вимовляти, щоб не привертати зайвий раз його уваги. Із постаттю цього бога пов’язано чи не найбільше евфемізмів, однак
місто Ніса, керуючись згадкою про те, що саме в цій місцевості сталось викрадення Персефони, стало центром використання
образу Гадеса в монетному карбуванні. Важливо, що нумізматичні джерела з провінції Азія фіксують також і трансформацію
постаті Аїда-Гадеса в Гадеса-Серапіса, тоді як на інших територіях частіше Серапіса поєднували із Зевсом. У гомерівському
міфі про викрадення Кори-Персефони Гадес є героєм першого плану із дуже обмеженою роллю, тому у світі живих більш
важливим було пошанування Деметри та її доньки як покровительок родючості й землеробства. Проте постать Гадеса давала
змогу репрезентувати окремі місцевості і сьогодні показує спільність вірувань на значних територіях. Після кількісного аналізу
наявних матеріалів можна стверджувати, що сюжет викрадення Кори-Персефони в оздобленні монет, окрім автономного та
напівавтономного карбування, найчастіше використовували магістрати лідійських міст в часи правління імператорів Марка
Аврелія, Септимія Севера та Каракалли. Цей період розквіту монетного карбування та відносної самостійності магістратів
показує не тільки рівень економічного зростання міст провінції, стану місцевого ринку та економічної інтеграції регіону
загалом, а й інші особливості демонстрації локальних ідентичностей через добре знані й усталені грецькі символи.
К л ю ч о в і с л о в а: римська провінція Азія, Ніса, античність, Гадес, монети, монетне карбування, імператори, Сера-
піс, викрадення Персефони
Markowitz, M. 2023b. Juno on Ancient Coins – Roman Queen
of the Gods. Available at: https://coinweek.com/juno-ancient-ro-
man-coins-queen-gods/ [Date of access: 20 December, 2023].
Mattingly, H., Carson, R. 1923. Coins of the Roman Em-
pire in the British Museum. London: British Museum Press.
Metcalf, W.E. (ed.). 2012. The Oxford Handbook of Greek
and Roman Coinage. Oxford; New York: Oxford university press.
Metcalf, W. E. 1981. A Corrigendum to the Cistophori of
Hadrian. In: Museum notes (American Numismatic Society),
26. New York (w.e.), p. 185-186.
Mionnet, T. 1808. Description de médailles antiques
grecques et romaines avec leur degré de rareté et leur estimation:
ouvrage servant de catalogue à une suite de plus de vingt mille
empreintes en soufre, prises sur les pièces originales, III. Paris:
de L'imprimerie de Testu, imprimeur de sa majesté.
Mionnet, T. 1809. Description de Medailes antiques grecques
et romaines, IV (Lydia — Armenia). Paris: de L'imprimerie de
Testu, imprimeur de sa majesté.
La mosaïque de Neptune de Sousse. Available at:
https://zaherkammoun.com/2017/01/06/des-mosaiques-de-
sousse/#google_vignette [Date of access: 20 August, 2023].
Mørkholm, O. 1991. Early Hellenistic Coinage from
the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamaea (336–
188 BC). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Noe, S. P., Kleiner, F. S. 1977. Early Cistophoric Coin-
age. New-York: American Numismatic Society.
Otto, W. F. 2022. Bogowie Grecji. Obraz boskości w
zwierciadle greckiego ducha. Warszawa: Państwowy Insty-
tut Wydawniczy.
Parker, R. 2003. The Problem of the Greek Cult Epithet.
Opuscula Atheniensia, 28, p. 173-183.
“Persephone Sarcophagus: Detail Center Portion of Relief
Showing the Abduction of Persephone by Hades”. In the Digital
Collection Art Images for College Teaching. Avaliable at: https://
quod.lib.umich.edu/a/aict/x-aus102/aus102 University of Michigan
Library Digital Collections [Date of access: 5 September, 2024].
Price, S. 2005. Local Mythologies in the Greek East. In:
Howgego, Ch., Heuchert, V., Burnett, A. (eds.). Coinage and
identity in the Roman Provinces. Oxford: OUP, p. 115-124.
Regling, K. 1913. Überblick über die Münzen von
Nysa, in Nysa ad Maeandrum. In: Jahrbuch des Kaiserlich
Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Ergänzungsheft, 10,
Berlin: G. Reimer, p. 70-103.
SNG Cop. 1982. Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, 5: Ionia,
Caria and Lydia. Denmark: The Royal Collection of Coins and
Medals, Danish National Museum, West Milford, NJ.
SNG München. 1997. Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum.
Deutschland, München Staatlische Münzsammlung, 23:
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SNG Paris 2001. Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, 5: My-
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Paris: Bibliotheque Nationale & Numismatica Ars Classica,
SNG von Aulock. 1957-1981. Sylloge Nummorum
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Verlag G. Mann.
Tuggy, D. 2017. On Counting Gods. TheoLogica:
An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and
Philosophical Theology, 1(1), p. 188-213. https://doi.
org/10.14428/thl.v1i1.153
Webster, T. B. L. 1954. Personification as a Mode of
Greek Thought. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld
Institutes, vol. 17, nos. 1–2, p. 10-21.
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Mionnet, T. 1808. Description de médailles antiques grecques et romaines avec leur degré de rareté et leur estimation: ouvrage
servant de catalogue à une suite de plus de vingt mille empreintes en soufre, prises sur les pièces originales, III. Paris: de
L'imprimerie de Testu, imprimeur de sa majesté
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Testu, imprimeur de sa majesté.
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Parker, R. 2003. The Problem of the Greek Cult Epithet. Opuscula Atheniensia, 28, p. 173-183.
“Persephone Sarcophagus: Detail Center Portion of Relief Showing the Abduction of Persephone by Hades”. In the Digital Col-
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ogy, 1(1), p. 188-213. https://doi.org/10.14428/thl.v1i1.153
Webster, T. B. L. 1954. Personification as a Mode of Greek Thought. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 17, nos. 1–2, p. 10-21.
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| spelling | arheologia-com-ua-article-3862024-10-01T21:38:55Z «Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах “Unseen God” or “Giver of Wealth”?: Image of Hades on Ancient Coins Baukova , A. Yu. Roman province Asia, Nysa, Antiquity, Hades, coins, coinage, emperors, Serapis, abduction of Persephone римська провінція Азія, Ніса, античність, Гадес, монети, монетне карбування, імператори, Серапіс, викрадення Персефони У статті розглянуто те, яким чином представлена постать Гадеса на монетах римської провінції Азія. Міфи, навіть у часи кризи міфологічного світогляду та піднесення ваги філософії, продовжували бути дієвим і найголовнішим способом формування спільного минулого для розрізнених общин і міст. У перші століття нашої ери, у зв’язку зі створенням загальнодержавного ринку й збільшенням грошового обігу, використання міфологічних сюжетів в оздобленні монет було також і способом самореклами громадянських колективів. Вміщення певних сюжетів чи популяризація місцевих божеств сприяла залученню паломників, купців, інших подорожніх. Володар царства мертвих належав до тих богів, ім’я яких намагались не вимовляти, щоб не привертати зайвий раз його уваги. Із постаттю цього бога пов’язано чи не найбільше евфемізмів, однак місто Ніса, керуючись згадкою про те, що саме в цій місцевості сталось викрадення Персефони, стало центром використання образу Гадеса в монетному карбуванні. Важливо, що нумізматичні джерела з провінції Азія фіксують також і трансформацію постаті Аїда-Гадеса в Гадеса-Серапіса, тоді як на інших територіях частіше Серапіса поєднували із Зевсом. У гомерівському міфі про викрадення Кори-Персефони Гадес є героєм першого плану із дуже обмеженою роллю, тому у світі живих більш важливим було пошанування Деметри та її доньки як покровительок родючості й землеробства. Проте постать Гадеса давала змогу репрезентувати окремі місцевості і сьогодні показує спільність вірувань на значних територіях. Після кількісного аналізу наявних матеріалів можна стверджувати, що сюжет викрадення Кори-Персефони в оздобленні монет, окрім автономного та напівавтономного карбування, найчастіше використовували магістрати лідійських міст в часи правління імператорів Марка Аврелія, Септимія Севера та Каракалли. Цей період розквіту монетного карбування та відносної самостійності магістратів показує не тільки рівень економічного зростання міст провінції, стану місцевого ринку та економічної інтеграції регіону загалом, а й інші особливості демонстрації локальних ідентичностей через добре знані й усталені грецькі символи. Hades belonged to the deities whose attention mortals did not aspire to attract. However, in archaeological sources there is a sufficient amount of evidence about the monetisation of the deity’s cult. Among all the stories about Hades, the story about the abduction of Persephone became the most famous on the periphery of the ancient world (in the Northern Black Sea region or in Asia Minor). Moreover, the city of Nysa in the province of Asia made this plot one of the most widespread in its coinage and culture in general, because it positioned itself as the place where this abduction took place. Thus, the figure of Hades was institutionalised in various coin types, which is extremely interesting. Institute of Archaeology NAS of Ukraine 2024-09-27 Article Article application/pdf https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/article/view/386 10.15407/arheologia2024.03.040 Arheologia; No 3 (2024): Arheologia; 40-53 Археологія ; № 3 (2024): Археологія; 40-53 Археология; № 3 (2024): Arheologia; 40-53 2616-499X 0235-3490 en https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/article/view/386/396 Copyright (c) 2024 Arheologia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.en |
| spellingShingle | римська провінція Азія Ніса античність Гадес монети монетне карбування імператори Серапіс викрадення Персефони Baukova , A. Yu. «Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах |
| title | «Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах |
| title_alt | “Unseen God” or “Giver of Wealth”?: Image of Hades on Ancient Coins |
| title_full | «Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах |
| title_fullStr | «Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах |
| title_full_unstemmed | «Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах |
| title_short | «Невидимий» бог чи «Податель Багатства»?: образ Гадеса на античних монетах |
| title_sort | «невидимий» бог чи «податель багатства»?: образ гадеса на античних монетах |
| topic | римська провінція Азія Ніса античність Гадес монети монетне карбування імператори Серапіс викрадення Персефони |
| topic_facet | Roman province Asia Nysa Antiquity Hades coins coinage emperors Serapis abduction of Persephone римська провінція Азія Ніса античність Гадес монети монетне карбування імператори Серапіс викрадення Персефони |
| url | https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/article/view/386 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT baukovaayu nevidimijbogčipodatelʹbagatstvaobrazgadesanaantičnihmonetah AT baukovaayu unseengodorgiverofwealthimageofhadesonancientcoins |