DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45399#0033
THE PARTHIAN COINAGE.
23
in the variety of their legends, and particularly in their increasing length, and the number
of titles they comprise. While the first monarch styles himself AP£AKH£ merely, or at
most BA£IAEY£ AP£AKH£, the second adopts the style of BAHAEY< METAS, the fifth
calls himself OEOnATQP, the sixth, the first Mithradates, becomes BA<IAEY< BAHAEQN
and Eni<t>ANHS, while the second Phraates includes among his regular titles those of
EYEPTETH<: Eni<t>ANH£ and 0IAEAAHN. The string of titles goes on increasing until
there is no more room to be found on the coin. Orodes fixed for himself and his successors
the full royal style to the sormula BA£IAEY£ BAS I AEON APSAKHS EYEPTETHS AIKAIOS
EFUQANHS 0IAEAAHN, which style is, with a sew exceptions, regularly maintained to the
end of the dynasty. It would be misleading to press too far the epithets selected by each
monarch. Such terms as Philadelphus and Philopator certainly have a meaning, and are not
applied at random; but others, like Theos, Nikator and Epiphanes, were probably adopted
quite loosely, in most instances from the usage of contemporary Kings of Syria, Bactria
or Armenia. Of BASIAEYS METAS and BASIAEYS BAS I AEON I have already spoken,
and 0IAEAAHN is the only interesting epithet which remains. This is introduced first in
pieces struck by Greek cities under Parthian rule, and by degrees adopted on all coins. It
shows us how desirous the Arsacid rulers were to conciliate to themselves the good opinion of
the great Greek cities scattered through their domains, which probably furnished the greater
part of their revenue. Having no civilization of their own, nor even a language at all suited
to the intricacies of civilized lise, the rude conquerors tried to adopt the language and the
culture which had already, in the century which followed Alexander, made extensive inroads
into Central Asia. The Greek tongue and Greek letters were to them what the French tongue
and the French literature were to Frederick the Great of Prussia, or, to mention a still closer
parallel, the Latin tongue and Latin literature to the Goths and Franks of the eighth century.
I have given below a table of the titles assumed by the respective kings, and of the sources
whence probably they are derived. The letters and monograms which appear sometimes on
the obverse, but more often on the reverse os the coins, deserve serious attention. It has of
late years become the custom to suppose that the monograms so usual on all coins of the
Diadochi can be resolved into the names of mint-cities where they were issued. General
Cunningham, in particular, has. made elaborate efforts to read the monograms which appear
on the Bactrian coins, and professes to have found in them the names of most os the cities of
Bactria and the Panjab. As I have here no space to examine the method os this writer
or discuss his results, I must content myself with referring to a very able article by M.
Chabouillet, in the Eevue Numismatique for 1867, page 392. I entirely agree with M.
Chabouillet that there are but few cities, such as Odessus, Patrse, and Panormus, which are
known to have placed on their coins a monogram to represent their names, and that in these
cases the monogram was a sort of recognized symbol or arms of the town, and not a mere
invention of the die-sinker. But to suppose that a monogram in the field of a coin usually
represents the name of the mint whence it was issued, is to go altogether beyond the evidence.
23
in the variety of their legends, and particularly in their increasing length, and the number
of titles they comprise. While the first monarch styles himself AP£AKH£ merely, or at
most BA£IAEY£ AP£AKH£, the second adopts the style of BAHAEY< METAS, the fifth
calls himself OEOnATQP, the sixth, the first Mithradates, becomes BA<IAEY< BAHAEQN
and Eni<t>ANHS, while the second Phraates includes among his regular titles those of
EYEPTETH<: Eni<t>ANH£ and 0IAEAAHN. The string of titles goes on increasing until
there is no more room to be found on the coin. Orodes fixed for himself and his successors
the full royal style to the sormula BA£IAEY£ BAS I AEON APSAKHS EYEPTETHS AIKAIOS
EFUQANHS 0IAEAAHN, which style is, with a sew exceptions, regularly maintained to the
end of the dynasty. It would be misleading to press too far the epithets selected by each
monarch. Such terms as Philadelphus and Philopator certainly have a meaning, and are not
applied at random; but others, like Theos, Nikator and Epiphanes, were probably adopted
quite loosely, in most instances from the usage of contemporary Kings of Syria, Bactria
or Armenia. Of BASIAEYS METAS and BASIAEYS BAS I AEON I have already spoken,
and 0IAEAAHN is the only interesting epithet which remains. This is introduced first in
pieces struck by Greek cities under Parthian rule, and by degrees adopted on all coins. It
shows us how desirous the Arsacid rulers were to conciliate to themselves the good opinion of
the great Greek cities scattered through their domains, which probably furnished the greater
part of their revenue. Having no civilization of their own, nor even a language at all suited
to the intricacies of civilized lise, the rude conquerors tried to adopt the language and the
culture which had already, in the century which followed Alexander, made extensive inroads
into Central Asia. The Greek tongue and Greek letters were to them what the French tongue
and the French literature were to Frederick the Great of Prussia, or, to mention a still closer
parallel, the Latin tongue and Latin literature to the Goths and Franks of the eighth century.
I have given below a table of the titles assumed by the respective kings, and of the sources
whence probably they are derived. The letters and monograms which appear sometimes on
the obverse, but more often on the reverse os the coins, deserve serious attention. It has of
late years become the custom to suppose that the monograms so usual on all coins of the
Diadochi can be resolved into the names of mint-cities where they were issued. General
Cunningham, in particular, has. made elaborate efforts to read the monograms which appear
on the Bactrian coins, and professes to have found in them the names of most os the cities of
Bactria and the Panjab. As I have here no space to examine the method os this writer
or discuss his results, I must content myself with referring to a very able article by M.
Chabouillet, in the Eevue Numismatique for 1867, page 392. I entirely agree with M.
Chabouillet that there are but few cities, such as Odessus, Patrse, and Panormus, which are
known to have placed on their coins a monogram to represent their names, and that in these
cases the monogram was a sort of recognized symbol or arms of the town, and not a mere
invention of the die-sinker. But to suppose that a monogram in the field of a coin usually
represents the name of the mint whence it was issued, is to go altogether beyond the evidence.