DOI Heft:
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#0036
JAROSŁAW BODZEK
image of the Great King.17 The identification of the “archer” image with the Great
King has been assumed in the present article as well.
The prow on the reverse is tumed to the right. In the lower part of the ship’s hull,
the waterline is marked with schematically drawn stylized waves. The prow is fitted
with a ram (embolos) placed at the waterline, most likely with a tip in the form of
a trident (the so-called rostrum tridens).18 The ram is reinforced by a massive timber
running along the ship’s hull. An auxiliary ram, known as aproembolion, is visible
above this ram.19 The auxiliary ram is composed of two beams. While the higher
beam is located just below the eye image on the hull, and reaches only as far as
the face of the outrigger (epotis), the lower one runs along the shi ps hull. The stempost
(stolos or acrostolion20) is tali and horn-like and has a pronounced outward curve.
The above-mentioned eye image, which gives the ship its vivid appearance, is slightly
to the back, behind the stempost.21 As indicated above, the eye image is in front
of the face of the outrigger {epotis), which was used as a cathead for the anchor.22
The outrigger runs behind the epotis along the ship’s hull. Two tholes can be seen at
the back, behind the epotis. A front platform barrier for soldiers is shown above, near
the stempost. This barrier has an S-like end and open-work atthe back. The bow platform
barrier is decorated with aparasemon in the shape of a horizontally depicted labrys.
A smali dolphin image can be seen in front of the prow. Its head turned downwards,
it is shown as if it were diving down into the water in front of the sailing ship.
So far, there have been no direct counterparts corresponding to the coin under
consideration. The closest specimen, as indicated by the auctioneer, is a gold daric
- with similar obverse and reverse types - from the former collection of Count de
Luynes, now atthe Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.23 Despite the similarity between
these two coins, certain differences exist in the coins’ details. The most significant
of these is that the prow on the daric’s reverse points to the left. There are also
17 Cf. ROOT 1979: 117 (“[...] the archers on Achaemenid coins are meant to represent the king, at least
to the extent of symbolizing the concept of kingship”); BRIANT 2002: 214 (“It is elear that this is not a specific
King but a King in general”).
18 A small part of the ram is notwithintheflan. One should, however, notę that according to L. Casson (1995:
85, note 41), whereas two-pronged rams were depicted in art around 400 BC, three-pronged rams were depicted in art
from c. 300 BC. On the other hand, the rams depicted on the coins of Phamabazus Cyzicus and on the unique daric
from the de Luynes collection, both of which are discussed below, are undoubtedly three-pronged; cf. PI 1,2 and 5.
19 For the structural parts of the prow, see: CASSON 1995: 85ff; MORELLO 2008: 67.
20 Cf. MORELLO 2008: 67.
21 On ships’ eyes cf. NOWAK 2006; CARLSON 2009.
22 CASSON 1995: 86, note 45.
23 Cf. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb41747412f; DE LUYNES 1846: 4, 9, PI. I, 6; HEAD 1877: 51,
PI. III, 28; SIX 1890: 241, no. I; BABELON 1893: 24; IDEM 1910: 36, PI. LXXXVII, 24; IDEM 1924-1936:
no. 2819; DEBORD 1999: 56, note 198, PI. III, 4; KONUK 2000: PI. XXX, 24; BODZEK 2003: 13ff, hg. 2;
KONUK 2007: no. M53; BODZEK 2011: 150ff 184f, PI. IX, 1; IDEM 2014: 62, Fig. 11.
image of the Great King.17 The identification of the “archer” image with the Great
King has been assumed in the present article as well.
The prow on the reverse is tumed to the right. In the lower part of the ship’s hull,
the waterline is marked with schematically drawn stylized waves. The prow is fitted
with a ram (embolos) placed at the waterline, most likely with a tip in the form of
a trident (the so-called rostrum tridens).18 The ram is reinforced by a massive timber
running along the ship’s hull. An auxiliary ram, known as aproembolion, is visible
above this ram.19 The auxiliary ram is composed of two beams. While the higher
beam is located just below the eye image on the hull, and reaches only as far as
the face of the outrigger (epotis), the lower one runs along the shi ps hull. The stempost
(stolos or acrostolion20) is tali and horn-like and has a pronounced outward curve.
The above-mentioned eye image, which gives the ship its vivid appearance, is slightly
to the back, behind the stempost.21 As indicated above, the eye image is in front
of the face of the outrigger {epotis), which was used as a cathead for the anchor.22
The outrigger runs behind the epotis along the ship’s hull. Two tholes can be seen at
the back, behind the epotis. A front platform barrier for soldiers is shown above, near
the stempost. This barrier has an S-like end and open-work atthe back. The bow platform
barrier is decorated with aparasemon in the shape of a horizontally depicted labrys.
A smali dolphin image can be seen in front of the prow. Its head turned downwards,
it is shown as if it were diving down into the water in front of the sailing ship.
So far, there have been no direct counterparts corresponding to the coin under
consideration. The closest specimen, as indicated by the auctioneer, is a gold daric
- with similar obverse and reverse types - from the former collection of Count de
Luynes, now atthe Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.23 Despite the similarity between
these two coins, certain differences exist in the coins’ details. The most significant
of these is that the prow on the daric’s reverse points to the left. There are also
17 Cf. ROOT 1979: 117 (“[...] the archers on Achaemenid coins are meant to represent the king, at least
to the extent of symbolizing the concept of kingship”); BRIANT 2002: 214 (“It is elear that this is not a specific
King but a King in general”).
18 A small part of the ram is notwithintheflan. One should, however, notę that according to L. Casson (1995:
85, note 41), whereas two-pronged rams were depicted in art around 400 BC, three-pronged rams were depicted in art
from c. 300 BC. On the other hand, the rams depicted on the coins of Phamabazus Cyzicus and on the unique daric
from the de Luynes collection, both of which are discussed below, are undoubtedly three-pronged; cf. PI 1,2 and 5.
19 For the structural parts of the prow, see: CASSON 1995: 85ff; MORELLO 2008: 67.
20 Cf. MORELLO 2008: 67.
21 On ships’ eyes cf. NOWAK 2006; CARLSON 2009.
22 CASSON 1995: 86, note 45.
23 Cf. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb41747412f; DE LUYNES 1846: 4, 9, PI. I, 6; HEAD 1877: 51,
PI. III, 28; SIX 1890: 241, no. I; BABELON 1893: 24; IDEM 1910: 36, PI. LXXXVII, 24; IDEM 1924-1936:
no. 2819; DEBORD 1999: 56, note 198, PI. III, 4; KONUK 2000: PI. XXX, 24; BODZEK 2003: 13ff, hg. 2;
KONUK 2007: no. M53; BODZEK 2011: 150ff 184f, PI. IX, 1; IDEM 2014: 62, Fig. 11.