Human Faces Part 3: The Nymph of the Spring Arethusa
For centuries the nymph Arethusa had been the beautiful face of the city of Syracuse. Here you will get information why she figured on the Syracusan coins.
Tag Archive for: Antiquity
Human Faces Part 1: The Father of the Gods, Zeus, in Olympia
Why is it that for centuries – or rather thousands of years – the head has served as the motif for the side of a coin? And why has this changed in the last 200 years? Ursula Kampmann poses these questions in her book ‘MenschenGesichter,’” from which the texts for our new series are taken.
Agrippa’s Meeting of Kings at Tiberias
Josephus tells us of a most interesting meeting in Tiberias, apparently convened by Agrippa I (37-44 CE), grandson of Herod the Great, probably around 42 CE…
The courtesan Laïs in Corinth
Sex sells. That is common knowledge to the yellow press and tour guides alike, as early as ancient times. Already the Corinthians cashed in on that and promoted a tourist attraction of a particular kind: the tomb of the famous courtesan Laïs…
Manual to identify Roman coins
England’s Portable Antiquities Scheme is the most successful program on coin finds world-wide. No other country has won so many supporters to …
How to detect forgeries
Part 3: Electrotypes
The last two parts on news from the forgery front have dealt with fakes that have been produced by newly cut dies and with cast fakes. This part is dedicated to a third kind of fakes: the electrotypes.
You will surely recognize …
Dionysos – A God of the Greek Religion of Experiences
Most of us react uncomprehendingly while reading the Greek myths. We can’t imagine that once rational human beings were able to believe in gods who behaved like characters invented for a soap opera on TV. Legends tell us about adultery, violation, theft, intrigue and fraud.
A fan of Alexander the Great
Many Roman politicians adored the conquerer of the world, Alexander the Great. The emperor Caracalla was no exception…
Great is Artemis of the Ephesians
On his visit to Ephesus, St. Paul was in imminent danger to be lynched. Why was it that the Ephesians felt so threatened by this herald of a new god? Were they more pious than other Greeks? They were, in a way, since they lived on their religion…
Macedonia becomes a province
A rare Macedonian tetradrachm, minted around 147 B. C., tells a story from the beginnings of the Roman province of Macedonia. The rarity is to be auctioned off in the upcoming Künker autumn auction sale to be conducted between the 7th and the 11th October 2013.
