DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0890
Astrapaios, Astrdpton 809
Of these the most instructive is that of Seleukeia in Syria, the
port of Antiocheia. Here—says Appian1—Seleukos i Nikator, when
founding the city, followed the guidance of a thunderbolt, regarding
it as a 'Zeus-sign' {Diosemta)-. He therefore bade the citizens treat
the thunderbolt as a god : which they did, worshipping it with
ritual and hymns. Probably the object of their veneration was an
actual bolt wrought of gold, like those that were borne along in the
great pageant of Ptolemy ii Philadelphos3. In favour of this sup-
position is the fact that at Seleukeia in the reign of Seleukos iv
Philopator (187—175 B.C.) certain priests were annually appointed
to act as keraunophoroi or ' thunderbolt-bearers4.' Silver and bronze
coins of Seleukeia from c. 108 B.C. onwards have as their reverse
type (fig. 771) a large thunderbolt bound with a fillet and placed on
a cushioned stool5. That this was the missile of Zeus Keraunios
appears, not only from a gloss in Hesychios", but also from sundry
bronze coins on which the same type is accompanied by the name
of the god (fig. 772)7.
1 Appian. Syr. 58. 2 Supra p. 4 ff.
4 Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 4458, 23 = Dittenberger Orient. Gr. inscr. sel. no. 245, 47
5 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Galatia, etc. pp. lxxiif., 270 ff. pi. 32, 6—8, 10, pi. 33, 2,
Hunter Cat. Coins iii. 213 ff. pi. 74, 29, 31, Anson Ntim. Gr. iv. 55 f. nos. 568 — 578
pi. iof., Head Hist, num? p. 782 f. Fig. 771 is from a tetradrachm in my collection :
IEAEVKEHN THSIEPAI KAI AVTONOMOV ; beneath stool H I (the year 18,
reckoned from the beginning of the city's autonomy in 108 or 109 B.C.); in field monogram.
Bronze coins of Demetrios iii Philopator (95—88 B.C.), probably struck at Seleukeia,
have rev. a thunderbolt bound with a fillet and placed on a low stool [Brit. Mus. Cat.
Coins Seleucid Kings etc. p. 101 pi. 26, n, Anson Num. Gr. iv. 55 no. 567, Hunter Cat.
Coins iii. 114 nos. 2—4, E. Babelon Catalogue des monnaies grecques de la bibliotheqtce
nationale Les Rois de Syrie, d'Armenie et de Commagene Paris 1890 p. 207 nos. 1571—
1573 pi. 28, 5).
6 Hesych. s.v. Kepavvw ...Kai Zeus iv "ZeXevKia.
7 Rasche Lex. Num. viii. 456 AL 2 autonomous, 470 Antoninus Pius, 471 JE 3
Septimius Severus, M 2 Caracalla, xi. 1258. W. Wroth in the Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins
Of these the most instructive is that of Seleukeia in Syria, the
port of Antiocheia. Here—says Appian1—Seleukos i Nikator, when
founding the city, followed the guidance of a thunderbolt, regarding
it as a 'Zeus-sign' {Diosemta)-. He therefore bade the citizens treat
the thunderbolt as a god : which they did, worshipping it with
ritual and hymns. Probably the object of their veneration was an
actual bolt wrought of gold, like those that were borne along in the
great pageant of Ptolemy ii Philadelphos3. In favour of this sup-
position is the fact that at Seleukeia in the reign of Seleukos iv
Philopator (187—175 B.C.) certain priests were annually appointed
to act as keraunophoroi or ' thunderbolt-bearers4.' Silver and bronze
coins of Seleukeia from c. 108 B.C. onwards have as their reverse
type (fig. 771) a large thunderbolt bound with a fillet and placed on
a cushioned stool5. That this was the missile of Zeus Keraunios
appears, not only from a gloss in Hesychios", but also from sundry
bronze coins on which the same type is accompanied by the name
of the god (fig. 772)7.
1 Appian. Syr. 58. 2 Supra p. 4 ff.
4 Corp. inscr. Gr. iii no. 4458, 23 = Dittenberger Orient. Gr. inscr. sel. no. 245, 47
5 Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins Galatia, etc. pp. lxxiif., 270 ff. pi. 32, 6—8, 10, pi. 33, 2,
Hunter Cat. Coins iii. 213 ff. pi. 74, 29, 31, Anson Ntim. Gr. iv. 55 f. nos. 568 — 578
pi. iof., Head Hist, num? p. 782 f. Fig. 771 is from a tetradrachm in my collection :
IEAEVKEHN THSIEPAI KAI AVTONOMOV ; beneath stool H I (the year 18,
reckoned from the beginning of the city's autonomy in 108 or 109 B.C.); in field monogram.
Bronze coins of Demetrios iii Philopator (95—88 B.C.), probably struck at Seleukeia,
have rev. a thunderbolt bound with a fillet and placed on a low stool [Brit. Mus. Cat.
Coins Seleucid Kings etc. p. 101 pi. 26, n, Anson Num. Gr. iv. 55 no. 567, Hunter Cat.
Coins iii. 114 nos. 2—4, E. Babelon Catalogue des monnaies grecques de la bibliotheqtce
nationale Les Rois de Syrie, d'Armenie et de Commagene Paris 1890 p. 207 nos. 1571—
1573 pi. 28, 5).
6 Hesych. s.v. Kepavvw ...Kai Zeus iv "ZeXevKia.
7 Rasche Lex. Num. viii. 456 AL 2 autonomous, 470 Antoninus Pius, 471 JE 3
Septimius Severus, M 2 Caracalla, xi. 1258. W. Wroth in the Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins