DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4679#0069
4. WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES. 43
was the greatest in Asia Minor, do not concern Laodiceia, except in so
far as they enabled him to confer royal benefits on the city'. The
family were presented with the Roman citizenship by Antony; and
the names M. Antonius and Antonia were customary in it, though
individuals who became kings or queens dropped the Roman part of
their name 2.
Part of the family continued to live at Laodiceia at the same time
that some of its members were reigning as kings in Pontus, Thrace,
Armenia, and Cilicia. They owned large property, and enjoyed
special honours in their own city; and they retained their interest
in its fortunes. Many members of it are mentioned on coins, e. g.
Polemon in the time of Augustus, who is (as Waddington says) the
'Poleinon, son of Zenon, of Laodiceia,' CIG 3524, who was priest of
Rome and Augustus at Cyme sometime between 2 B.C. and 14 a.d.
This Polemon lived on into the reign of Caligula. He bears the title
or name QiXorrarpLs on coins. He must probably have been grandson
of Zeno the Orator (who defended Laodiceia in 41), and nephew of Pole-
mon, king of Pontus and Bosporus (who was killed in battle B.C. 8)3.
His son was M. Antonius Zenon, who was four times priest, a title
which must be understood as priest of Zeus Laodicenus (see § 6 (g)).
He is mentioned on coins of Claudius and Nero. On coins of Nero
Zenon, son of Zenon, also is mentioned. He is probably son of the
preceding. Claudia Zenonis, who is mentioned on coins of Domitian,
may have been daughter of this last Zenon ; and Julia Zenonis prob-
ably also belonged to this period, as C. Julius Kotys certainly did4.
One of the most striking and picturesque figures in the literary
history of the Empire sprang from this family. This was M. Antonius
Polemo, whose progresses in royal magnificence between the two towns
which he favoured, Smyrna and his native city, are described by
Philostratus. He travelled in a Phrygian or a Gallic chariot with
silver reins, followed by multitudes of baggage-animals, riding-horses
and attendants, and by troops of hunting-dogs of various kinds. The
1 See the account given of his grand- rence of the name Antonius at Laodiceia
daughter Queen Tryphaena in niy Church is against this.
in the Roman Empire 376 ff and 427. s Boeckh in his commentary on CIG
The genealogy is most fully stated by 3524 identifies Polemon the priest with
Mommsen Ephem. Epigr. I 270 ff, II Polemon the king; but the latter had
259 ff; see also Rev. Et. Gr. 1893 p. 14. been killed ten or twenty years before
2 Mommsen I.e. argues that the name the inscription was composed.
M. Antonius is not due to the enfran- 4 M. Waddington, in the last letter
chisement by the triumvir, but to actual I received from him, mentioned that
descent from him through Antonia, wife C. Julius Kotys (with praenomen men-
of Pythodorus ; but the frequent occur- tioned) occurs on a coin of Titus.
was the greatest in Asia Minor, do not concern Laodiceia, except in so
far as they enabled him to confer royal benefits on the city'. The
family were presented with the Roman citizenship by Antony; and
the names M. Antonius and Antonia were customary in it, though
individuals who became kings or queens dropped the Roman part of
their name 2.
Part of the family continued to live at Laodiceia at the same time
that some of its members were reigning as kings in Pontus, Thrace,
Armenia, and Cilicia. They owned large property, and enjoyed
special honours in their own city; and they retained their interest
in its fortunes. Many members of it are mentioned on coins, e. g.
Polemon in the time of Augustus, who is (as Waddington says) the
'Poleinon, son of Zenon, of Laodiceia,' CIG 3524, who was priest of
Rome and Augustus at Cyme sometime between 2 B.C. and 14 a.d.
This Polemon lived on into the reign of Caligula. He bears the title
or name QiXorrarpLs on coins. He must probably have been grandson
of Zeno the Orator (who defended Laodiceia in 41), and nephew of Pole-
mon, king of Pontus and Bosporus (who was killed in battle B.C. 8)3.
His son was M. Antonius Zenon, who was four times priest, a title
which must be understood as priest of Zeus Laodicenus (see § 6 (g)).
He is mentioned on coins of Claudius and Nero. On coins of Nero
Zenon, son of Zenon, also is mentioned. He is probably son of the
preceding. Claudia Zenonis, who is mentioned on coins of Domitian,
may have been daughter of this last Zenon ; and Julia Zenonis prob-
ably also belonged to this period, as C. Julius Kotys certainly did4.
One of the most striking and picturesque figures in the literary
history of the Empire sprang from this family. This was M. Antonius
Polemo, whose progresses in royal magnificence between the two towns
which he favoured, Smyrna and his native city, are described by
Philostratus. He travelled in a Phrygian or a Gallic chariot with
silver reins, followed by multitudes of baggage-animals, riding-horses
and attendants, and by troops of hunting-dogs of various kinds. The
1 See the account given of his grand- rence of the name Antonius at Laodiceia
daughter Queen Tryphaena in niy Church is against this.
in the Roman Empire 376 ff and 427. s Boeckh in his commentary on CIG
The genealogy is most fully stated by 3524 identifies Polemon the priest with
Mommsen Ephem. Epigr. I 270 ff, II Polemon the king; but the latter had
259 ff; see also Rev. Et. Gr. 1893 p. 14. been killed ten or twenty years before
2 Mommsen I.e. argues that the name the inscription was composed.
M. Antonius is not due to the enfran- 4 M. Waddington, in the last letter
chisement by the triumvir, but to actual I received from him, mentioned that
descent from him through Antonia, wife C. Julius Kotys (with praenomen men-
of Pythodorus ; but the frequent occur- tioned) occurs on a coin of Titus.