DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26205#0033
31
At times, additional decorative elements appear together, most often regarded
as supplementary attributes: a bow, fish or in the case of the Nile the specimens
of fauna characteristic of this river: a hippopotamus and crocodile. Naturally,
it is not the case that all river personifications have such a richly developed
system of complementary attributes as in the case of the famous statue of the
Nile in the Vatican (cf. above, p. 23, and below, p. 41-43), forming a complicated
allegory, yet many objects display these elements, facilitating their identification.
A floating river, or more strictly speaking the upper body emerging from
among the waves (setting aside the above mentioned on p. 24-25 numerous
copies and replicas of the statue of Tyche of Aniioch), is represented much
less frequently, and mainly on the coins of Syrian cities* 26, those of some
cities of Asia Minor27 and Balkan ones28. In western coinage only two
waterborne personifications of rivers appear, those of the Orontes 29 and the
Savus 30. Such images are also to be found in the official state propaganda
of the Empire. On Trajan’s Column (scene III) there is a bust of the Danube
emerging from among the waves, with its back turned on the spectator
(cf. below, p. 52) and looking at the Roman army going to war (Fig. 36)31.
Moreover, the bust of the Danube alone appears on the Column of Marcus
of river (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 265, PI. 9, 4). This second representation is linked by O. Benndorf,
Forschungen in Ephesus, I, Wien 1905, p. 67, Fig. 22, with the completion of waterworks in the city
under Antoninus Pius.
26 Among others, the Euphrates on the coins of Samosate from the times of Lucius Verus
(Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 469—470); the Orontes or Axios on the coins of Claudia Apamea from
the times of Claudius (Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 474—475), Laodicea (Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 477—
478); Chrysoroas on the coins of Damascus, (Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 480—483: the coins of king
Aretas, Cleopatra, Macrinus, Philippus, Commodus and Heliogabalus); the river on the coins of
Tyre from the times of Valerian (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 494), or the coins of Arados, Byblos,
Ptolemais, Caesarea (Samaria), Diospolis, Lydda, Edessa, Nisibis and others quoted by Imhoof-
Blumer on pp. 372—373.
27 The Lykos on the com of Neokaisareia (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 213. Cf. below, p. 58);
the Sagaris on the coin of Nikaia (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 224 — the coin of Faustina the Younger,
No. 225 — the coin of Commodus); the coin of Kyzikos from the times of Marcus Aurelius
(Imhoof-Blumer, No. 243 — since Kyzikos is not situated on the river, it is supposed that this
figure personifies the Propontis); the Morsynos or the Timeles on the com of Aphrodisias (Imhoof-
Blumer, No. 293, PI. 10, 1); the Tembris on the coin of Phrygian Midaeion from the times of
Lucius Verus (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 387).
28 The Hebros on the coin of Hadrianopolis from the times of Caracalla (Imhoof-Blumer,
No. 164, PI. 5, 17); the Strymon on the coin of Pautalia from the times of Faustina the Younger
Imhoof-Blumer, No. 169).
29 The coin of Antoninus Pius (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 539, PI. 17, 4; Toynbee, p. 152,
PI. 8, 14; Ostrowski, Prowincje, p. 80 and p. 159 — SYRIA 1). On the rev. a standing personi-
fication of Syria and the Orontes floating at her feet.
30 The coin of Galienus (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 543). On the rev. seated personification of the
city of Siscia and the Savus floating at her feet.
31 C. Cichorius, Die Reliefs der Trojanssdule, I—III, Berlin—Leipzig 1896—1900; K. Leh-
mann-Hatleben, Die Trajanssdule, Berlin-Leipzig 1926; Hamberg, pp. 116 ff.; Andreae,
Fig. 429; Hannestad, pp. 154—167, Fig. 95.
At times, additional decorative elements appear together, most often regarded
as supplementary attributes: a bow, fish or in the case of the Nile the specimens
of fauna characteristic of this river: a hippopotamus and crocodile. Naturally,
it is not the case that all river personifications have such a richly developed
system of complementary attributes as in the case of the famous statue of the
Nile in the Vatican (cf. above, p. 23, and below, p. 41-43), forming a complicated
allegory, yet many objects display these elements, facilitating their identification.
A floating river, or more strictly speaking the upper body emerging from
among the waves (setting aside the above mentioned on p. 24-25 numerous
copies and replicas of the statue of Tyche of Aniioch), is represented much
less frequently, and mainly on the coins of Syrian cities* 26, those of some
cities of Asia Minor27 and Balkan ones28. In western coinage only two
waterborne personifications of rivers appear, those of the Orontes 29 and the
Savus 30. Such images are also to be found in the official state propaganda
of the Empire. On Trajan’s Column (scene III) there is a bust of the Danube
emerging from among the waves, with its back turned on the spectator
(cf. below, p. 52) and looking at the Roman army going to war (Fig. 36)31.
Moreover, the bust of the Danube alone appears on the Column of Marcus
of river (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 265, PI. 9, 4). This second representation is linked by O. Benndorf,
Forschungen in Ephesus, I, Wien 1905, p. 67, Fig. 22, with the completion of waterworks in the city
under Antoninus Pius.
26 Among others, the Euphrates on the coins of Samosate from the times of Lucius Verus
(Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 469—470); the Orontes or Axios on the coins of Claudia Apamea from
the times of Claudius (Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 474—475), Laodicea (Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 477—
478); Chrysoroas on the coins of Damascus, (Imhoof-Blumer, Nos. 480—483: the coins of king
Aretas, Cleopatra, Macrinus, Philippus, Commodus and Heliogabalus); the river on the coins of
Tyre from the times of Valerian (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 494), or the coins of Arados, Byblos,
Ptolemais, Caesarea (Samaria), Diospolis, Lydda, Edessa, Nisibis and others quoted by Imhoof-
Blumer on pp. 372—373.
27 The Lykos on the com of Neokaisareia (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 213. Cf. below, p. 58);
the Sagaris on the coin of Nikaia (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 224 — the coin of Faustina the Younger,
No. 225 — the coin of Commodus); the coin of Kyzikos from the times of Marcus Aurelius
(Imhoof-Blumer, No. 243 — since Kyzikos is not situated on the river, it is supposed that this
figure personifies the Propontis); the Morsynos or the Timeles on the com of Aphrodisias (Imhoof-
Blumer, No. 293, PI. 10, 1); the Tembris on the coin of Phrygian Midaeion from the times of
Lucius Verus (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 387).
28 The Hebros on the coin of Hadrianopolis from the times of Caracalla (Imhoof-Blumer,
No. 164, PI. 5, 17); the Strymon on the coin of Pautalia from the times of Faustina the Younger
Imhoof-Blumer, No. 169).
29 The coin of Antoninus Pius (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 539, PI. 17, 4; Toynbee, p. 152,
PI. 8, 14; Ostrowski, Prowincje, p. 80 and p. 159 — SYRIA 1). On the rev. a standing personi-
fication of Syria and the Orontes floating at her feet.
30 The coin of Galienus (Imhoof-Blumer, No. 543). On the rev. seated personification of the
city of Siscia and the Savus floating at her feet.
31 C. Cichorius, Die Reliefs der Trojanssdule, I—III, Berlin—Leipzig 1896—1900; K. Leh-
mann-Hatleben, Die Trajanssdule, Berlin-Leipzig 1926; Hamberg, pp. 116 ff.; Andreae,
Fig. 429; Hannestad, pp. 154—167, Fig. 95.