DOI article:
Cieciela̢g, Jerzy: Coins of Aretas IV, king of Nabataeans (9 BC - AD 40)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21230#0108
2. Head of Huldu. The first wife of Aretas IV (to AD 16) is the first
Nabataean Queen whose name is mentioned on coins, as well as on in-
scriptions. She is always presented in a veil covering her hair and neck
and hanging down onto the robe that covers her shoulders. On her head
she also has a laurel wreath.17 On the coins of the first sub-group the veil
is presented in a very severe and schematized manner with vertical lines,
gMng the impression of incompleteness. On the specimens from the
second sub-group it has been sketched very delicately, with well empha-
sized folds. On some coins the Queen is also wearing jewelry: a beaded
necklace and earrings, which are spiral or pendulum-shaped.18
B. Inscriptions
On the obverse of Group I coins there are the following inscriptions:
- mn nnttf T?D nrnn (Aretas, King of the Nabataeans. First
Year)
- HDS7D rn lDDn~f bft nn~in (Aretas, King of the Nabataeans, who
loves his people) (inscription begins at the top on the left side)
- nn~in iTDS7D n~l ILOn (Aretas, King of the Nabataeans, who
loves his people) (inscription begins at the bottom on the right side)
As can be seen, the date H~|n Pi^lD (Year 1) appears on the obverse of
the coins of the first sub-group immediately after the King's name and
title. There are no inscriptions on the reverses of these coins, nor do
they have the title HftS7 DPH, which appears only on the specimens of
the second sub-group.
It is difficult to answer the ąuestion why the title [...] appears only on
the coins from the end of the first year of Aretas's rule. Perhaps at the
beginning of the year he did not yet hołd the title, though it cannot be
precluded that it was omitted on the earlier coins for reasons of space.19
11 Most likely the Queen also has a V-shaped decoration on the front of her laurel
wreath, though the smali dimensions make it impossible to make a fuli identiflcation.
18 Meshorer, op. cit, p. 43.
19 Ibidem, p. 44. It should be recalled that these types of title or cognomen were assumed
by many rulers in antiąuity, especially in the Hellenistic period, e.g. Antiochus Epiphanes,
Ptolemy Philadelphus, or Ptolemy Euergetes. Their purpose is typically expłained as un-
derlining some sort of personal characteristics of the ruler, e.g. love for his father or
brother.
108
Nabataean Queen whose name is mentioned on coins, as well as on in-
scriptions. She is always presented in a veil covering her hair and neck
and hanging down onto the robe that covers her shoulders. On her head
she also has a laurel wreath.17 On the coins of the first sub-group the veil
is presented in a very severe and schematized manner with vertical lines,
gMng the impression of incompleteness. On the specimens from the
second sub-group it has been sketched very delicately, with well empha-
sized folds. On some coins the Queen is also wearing jewelry: a beaded
necklace and earrings, which are spiral or pendulum-shaped.18
B. Inscriptions
On the obverse of Group I coins there are the following inscriptions:
- mn nnttf T?D nrnn (Aretas, King of the Nabataeans. First
Year)
- HDS7D rn lDDn~f bft nn~in (Aretas, King of the Nabataeans, who
loves his people) (inscription begins at the top on the left side)
- nn~in iTDS7D n~l ILOn (Aretas, King of the Nabataeans, who
loves his people) (inscription begins at the bottom on the right side)
As can be seen, the date H~|n Pi^lD (Year 1) appears on the obverse of
the coins of the first sub-group immediately after the King's name and
title. There are no inscriptions on the reverses of these coins, nor do
they have the title HftS7 DPH, which appears only on the specimens of
the second sub-group.
It is difficult to answer the ąuestion why the title [...] appears only on
the coins from the end of the first year of Aretas's rule. Perhaps at the
beginning of the year he did not yet hołd the title, though it cannot be
precluded that it was omitted on the earlier coins for reasons of space.19
11 Most likely the Queen also has a V-shaped decoration on the front of her laurel
wreath, though the smali dimensions make it impossible to make a fuli identiflcation.
18 Meshorer, op. cit, p. 43.
19 Ibidem, p. 44. It should be recalled that these types of title or cognomen were assumed
by many rulers in antiąuity, especially in the Hellenistic period, e.g. Antiochus Epiphanes,
Ptolemy Philadelphus, or Ptolemy Euergetes. Their purpose is typically expłained as un-
derlining some sort of personal characteristics of the ruler, e.g. love for his father or
brother.
108