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Artikuły / Articles
DOI Artikel:Bodzek, Jarosław: A new Achaemenid coin: several comments on a unique tetradrachm of the type “Great King/Prow” and some other issues of the satraps
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43282#0035
A NEW ACHAEMENID COIN...
sińce then it has been used by many other authors.7 Other scholars have preferred to
use morę secure terms, e.g. C.M. Harrison calls this garment simply “Persian dress”
or a “Persian robę,”8 while P. Calmeyer used the expression “elamisch-persische
Hemd.”9 In fact, however, the candys was most probably the name of a type of Iranian
cavalry coat,10 whereas the robę worn by the “archer” as shown on Achaemenid-era
coins (which is also the case with the present coin) is most similar to the aktaia
(attested in literary sources), which consists of two parts: a bottom part, called
the kypassis, and an outer part, called the kapyris." As a matter of fact, it is only on
sigloi of Type I that the “archer” half-figure’s outer garment - characterized by its
hanging sleeves - could be regarded as a candys.
The bow held by the “archer,” with its slightly bent ends, can probably be
regarded as a kind of composite reflex bow.12 The spear is shown with a long but
fairly narrow head, while the spear-rest has a conical shape.13
The attire as described above is generally associated with the figurę of the
Great King or the so-called Royal Hero, or possibly with the imagery of some
deity inspired by Achaemenid art. The archer’s attributes - his bow, arrows, spear,
and dagger - are given similar treatment. Some scholars are of the opinion that
the “archer” portray s a mythological or symbolic figurę: a deity or the so-called Royal
Hero, or possibly the heroicized figurę of some ancient/former king.14 Still other
authors believe that these obverse images should be seen as a portrait of the Great
King.15 It cannot, however, be regarded as a portrait-like image that would allow
one to discern some specific ruler, as Franęois Lenormant and Ernest Babelon would
argue;16 rather, it should be regarded as a representation of the ideal “summary”
7See, e.g.: BABELON 1893: VII; LE RIDER 2001: 125.
8 HARRISON 1982: 14.
9 CALMEYER 1979: 307.
10 On the question of the candys, cf. BITTNER 1985: 188ff; SCHMITT 1990; SHAHBAZI 2011.
11 See: BITTNER 1985: 90ff. Literary sources and art evidence show that with regard to Achaemenid court
dress, it is possible to identify the robę in different ways. On court dress, cf. SHAHBAZI 2011; further literaturę
therein.
12 On the significance of the bow to the Achaemenids, see: BITTNER 1985: 146IT, 213ff.
13 Spear-rests like this are rather unusual. Achaemenid spears would ordinarily have a globe-shaped rest.
This can be seen clearly, for example, in the case of other images of the archer with a spear, as shown on darics,
sigloi, and other coins; on the spear in the Achaemenid era, see: BITTNER 1985: 154ff.
14 Cf. SEYRIG 1959: 54ff, esp. 55, n. 5; NASTER 1962; HARRISON 1982a: 15ff; CALMEYER 1979; IDEM
1989 (“[... ] they [i.e. coins] do not picture Darius himself, nor the king as Royal hero, but heroes that once were
kings”); see also: KONUK 2002; IDEM 2009. There is no elear definition of the “Royal Hero”. He is identified
as a King or a King acting for Ahura Mazda, a mythical hero or god; cf. a recapitulation of this discussion in:
ROOT 1979: 303ff.
15 Cf. SCHLUMBERGER 1971; ROOT 1979; DANDAMAEV and LUKONIN 1980: 205; STRONACH
1989; BRIANT 2002: 213f; MEADOWS 2005; MIELCZAREK 2006: 138f.
16 As A.H. Bivar (1985: 618) concludes: “Attempts to distinguish individual portraits have been shown to
be unreliable.” Cf. also: HILL 1922: CXXXV.
sińce then it has been used by many other authors.7 Other scholars have preferred to
use morę secure terms, e.g. C.M. Harrison calls this garment simply “Persian dress”
or a “Persian robę,”8 while P. Calmeyer used the expression “elamisch-persische
Hemd.”9 In fact, however, the candys was most probably the name of a type of Iranian
cavalry coat,10 whereas the robę worn by the “archer” as shown on Achaemenid-era
coins (which is also the case with the present coin) is most similar to the aktaia
(attested in literary sources), which consists of two parts: a bottom part, called
the kypassis, and an outer part, called the kapyris." As a matter of fact, it is only on
sigloi of Type I that the “archer” half-figure’s outer garment - characterized by its
hanging sleeves - could be regarded as a candys.
The bow held by the “archer,” with its slightly bent ends, can probably be
regarded as a kind of composite reflex bow.12 The spear is shown with a long but
fairly narrow head, while the spear-rest has a conical shape.13
The attire as described above is generally associated with the figurę of the
Great King or the so-called Royal Hero, or possibly with the imagery of some
deity inspired by Achaemenid art. The archer’s attributes - his bow, arrows, spear,
and dagger - are given similar treatment. Some scholars are of the opinion that
the “archer” portray s a mythological or symbolic figurę: a deity or the so-called Royal
Hero, or possibly the heroicized figurę of some ancient/former king.14 Still other
authors believe that these obverse images should be seen as a portrait of the Great
King.15 It cannot, however, be regarded as a portrait-like image that would allow
one to discern some specific ruler, as Franęois Lenormant and Ernest Babelon would
argue;16 rather, it should be regarded as a representation of the ideal “summary”
7See, e.g.: BABELON 1893: VII; LE RIDER 2001: 125.
8 HARRISON 1982: 14.
9 CALMEYER 1979: 307.
10 On the question of the candys, cf. BITTNER 1985: 188ff; SCHMITT 1990; SHAHBAZI 2011.
11 See: BITTNER 1985: 90ff. Literary sources and art evidence show that with regard to Achaemenid court
dress, it is possible to identify the robę in different ways. On court dress, cf. SHAHBAZI 2011; further literaturę
therein.
12 On the significance of the bow to the Achaemenids, see: BITTNER 1985: 146IT, 213ff.
13 Spear-rests like this are rather unusual. Achaemenid spears would ordinarily have a globe-shaped rest.
This can be seen clearly, for example, in the case of other images of the archer with a spear, as shown on darics,
sigloi, and other coins; on the spear in the Achaemenid era, see: BITTNER 1985: 154ff.
14 Cf. SEYRIG 1959: 54ff, esp. 55, n. 5; NASTER 1962; HARRISON 1982a: 15ff; CALMEYER 1979; IDEM
1989 (“[... ] they [i.e. coins] do not picture Darius himself, nor the king as Royal hero, but heroes that once were
kings”); see also: KONUK 2002; IDEM 2009. There is no elear definition of the “Royal Hero”. He is identified
as a King or a King acting for Ahura Mazda, a mythical hero or god; cf. a recapitulation of this discussion in:
ROOT 1979: 303ff.
15 Cf. SCHLUMBERGER 1971; ROOT 1979; DANDAMAEV and LUKONIN 1980: 205; STRONACH
1989; BRIANT 2002: 213f; MEADOWS 2005; MIELCZAREK 2006: 138f.
16 As A.H. Bivar (1985: 618) concludes: “Attempts to distinguish individual portraits have been shown to
be unreliable.” Cf. also: HILL 1922: CXXXV.