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DOI article:Olbrycht, Marek Jan: On coin portraits of Alexander the Great and his Iranian Regalia: some remarks ocassioned by the book by F. Smith: L'immagine di Alessandro il Grande sulle monete del regno, (336 - 323 a. C.)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22229#0017
ON COIN PORTRAITS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT...
and 324-323 BC7. She assumes that the tiaraed head is a representation of Mithra
as “an appropriate emblem for a former Persian Capital”8. Yet sources offer no hints
as to any special connection of Sardes with Mithra. Besides, depictions of Mithra in
a tiara are not known from the period of the Achaemenids and Alexander; instead it
is a much later type9. First certain representations of Mithra come from the time of
Mithradates I Kallinikos, king of Kommagene (100-70 BC)10. Mithra appears there
in an upright tiara and Iranian dress11. In a Phrygian cap, Mithra, identified as Mith-
ras, appears regularly in Roman imperial art. Nor does it seem that the Sardes tiara
can apply to Attis, the deity worshipped in Phrygia and Lydia (western Anatolia)
who had a “Phrygian” cap as an attribute12. From the period of the Achaemenids
and Alexander we know of no depictions of Attis in Anatolia13. Depictions of At-
tis are known in their numbers from the 3rd century BC, a vast majority belonging
to the late Hellenistic and Roman periods. It seems that the first known depiction
of Attis comes from the late 4th century BC: it is a relief from Piraeus14. A figurę
from Olynthos is known, dated at the early 4th century and interpreted as a depic-
tion of Attis, but this identification is highly implausible15. The source of the Attis
iconography as known in Greek art seems to be the generał depictions of Oriental
barbarians like Trojans, Scythians and Persians16. Thus, there is no reason to link
Attis’ iconography, artificially created in Greece, with Anatolian coins minted un-
der Alexander the Great.
Alexander’s Sardes coinage cannot be showing a satrap as the tiara is upright,
which would have been prohibited to an Achaemenid govemor. Besides, the face is
beardless, a fact that distinguishes it from Persian-epoch depictions. The conclusion
7 M. THOMPSON, Alexander’s Drachm Mints I: Sardis and Miletus, (Numismatic Studies 16), New York
1983, senes VIII, nos 44—49 (staters, tetradrachms, drachms); series X, nos 96a, 96b, 97 (staters); 98-104 (drachms).
Cf. PRICE, The Coinage..., nos. 2543, 2544, 2547; 2556-2559. PRICE (Op. cit., pp. 320-321) is inclined to datę
Sardes coins issued in Alexander‘s name at a time after his death, but his argument is not convincing. Price looks
for a confirmation of his point in a long chain of stylistic relationships in various groups of coins of Philip III and
Alexander III, which is insufficient and implausible.
8 THOMPSON, Alexander s Drachm Mints..., pp. 10-11, 16.
9 Iconography of Mithra: C. COLPE (ed.), „Altiranische und zoroastrische Mythologie“, [in:] Wórterbuch der
Mythologie, I. Abt., Bd. IV. Gótter undMythen der kaukasischen und iranischen Yólker, Stuttgart 1986, pp. 398-399.
10 R. VOLLKOMMER, „Mithras“, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae 6, 1992, pp. 583-585.
11 VOLLKOMMER, „Mithras“, il. 3-7.
12 A generał summary of Attis depictions give H. HEPDING, Attis, seine Mythen und sein Kult (Religionsge-
schichtliche Yersuche und Yorarbeiten I), Giessen 1903; E. N. LANE (ed.), Cybele, Attis andRelated Cults. Essays
in Memory of M.J. Yermaseren, Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 131, Leiden-Kóln 1996; M. J. VERMASE-
REN, M. DE BOER, “Attis”, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae 3, 1986, pp. 22-A4.
13 L. E., ROLLER, “Attis on Greek Votive Monuments; Greek God or Phrygian?”, Hesperia 63, 1994, p. 246.
14 VERMASEREN, DE BOER, “Attis”, pp. 22-24; ROLLER, “Attis...”, p. 246, n. 8 (mid-4th century).
15 Thus ROLLER, “Attis...”, p. 246, no. 8. On the disputed “Attis” figures from Olynthos, see also VER-
MASSEREN, DE BOER, “Attis”, nos. 247, 171, 387.
16 Cf. ROLLER, “Attis ...” pp. 252-253.
and 324-323 BC7. She assumes that the tiaraed head is a representation of Mithra
as “an appropriate emblem for a former Persian Capital”8. Yet sources offer no hints
as to any special connection of Sardes with Mithra. Besides, depictions of Mithra in
a tiara are not known from the period of the Achaemenids and Alexander; instead it
is a much later type9. First certain representations of Mithra come from the time of
Mithradates I Kallinikos, king of Kommagene (100-70 BC)10. Mithra appears there
in an upright tiara and Iranian dress11. In a Phrygian cap, Mithra, identified as Mith-
ras, appears regularly in Roman imperial art. Nor does it seem that the Sardes tiara
can apply to Attis, the deity worshipped in Phrygia and Lydia (western Anatolia)
who had a “Phrygian” cap as an attribute12. From the period of the Achaemenids
and Alexander we know of no depictions of Attis in Anatolia13. Depictions of At-
tis are known in their numbers from the 3rd century BC, a vast majority belonging
to the late Hellenistic and Roman periods. It seems that the first known depiction
of Attis comes from the late 4th century BC: it is a relief from Piraeus14. A figurę
from Olynthos is known, dated at the early 4th century and interpreted as a depic-
tion of Attis, but this identification is highly implausible15. The source of the Attis
iconography as known in Greek art seems to be the generał depictions of Oriental
barbarians like Trojans, Scythians and Persians16. Thus, there is no reason to link
Attis’ iconography, artificially created in Greece, with Anatolian coins minted un-
der Alexander the Great.
Alexander’s Sardes coinage cannot be showing a satrap as the tiara is upright,
which would have been prohibited to an Achaemenid govemor. Besides, the face is
beardless, a fact that distinguishes it from Persian-epoch depictions. The conclusion
7 M. THOMPSON, Alexander’s Drachm Mints I: Sardis and Miletus, (Numismatic Studies 16), New York
1983, senes VIII, nos 44—49 (staters, tetradrachms, drachms); series X, nos 96a, 96b, 97 (staters); 98-104 (drachms).
Cf. PRICE, The Coinage..., nos. 2543, 2544, 2547; 2556-2559. PRICE (Op. cit., pp. 320-321) is inclined to datę
Sardes coins issued in Alexander‘s name at a time after his death, but his argument is not convincing. Price looks
for a confirmation of his point in a long chain of stylistic relationships in various groups of coins of Philip III and
Alexander III, which is insufficient and implausible.
8 THOMPSON, Alexander s Drachm Mints..., pp. 10-11, 16.
9 Iconography of Mithra: C. COLPE (ed.), „Altiranische und zoroastrische Mythologie“, [in:] Wórterbuch der
Mythologie, I. Abt., Bd. IV. Gótter undMythen der kaukasischen und iranischen Yólker, Stuttgart 1986, pp. 398-399.
10 R. VOLLKOMMER, „Mithras“, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae 6, 1992, pp. 583-585.
11 VOLLKOMMER, „Mithras“, il. 3-7.
12 A generał summary of Attis depictions give H. HEPDING, Attis, seine Mythen und sein Kult (Religionsge-
schichtliche Yersuche und Yorarbeiten I), Giessen 1903; E. N. LANE (ed.), Cybele, Attis andRelated Cults. Essays
in Memory of M.J. Yermaseren, Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 131, Leiden-Kóln 1996; M. J. VERMASE-
REN, M. DE BOER, “Attis”, Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae 3, 1986, pp. 22-A4.
13 L. E., ROLLER, “Attis on Greek Votive Monuments; Greek God or Phrygian?”, Hesperia 63, 1994, p. 246.
14 VERMASEREN, DE BOER, “Attis”, pp. 22-24; ROLLER, “Attis...”, p. 246, n. 8 (mid-4th century).
15 Thus ROLLER, “Attis...”, p. 246, no. 8. On the disputed “Attis” figures from Olynthos, see also VER-
MASSEREN, DE BOER, “Attis”, nos. 247, 171, 387.
16 Cf. ROLLER, “Attis ...” pp. 252-253.