sulla80
The Master of Terence?
Terrence was a former slave who became a famous playwright from the Roman republic. He wrote six comic plays in the mid 2nd century BC,...
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sulla80
- May 28, 2022
- 5 min
Amazon Kyme
This map (a detail from The Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1923) shows the western edge of Asia Minor (a.k.a. Anatolia or...
37 views
sulla80
- May 22, 2022
- 7 min
Finding M.CAECILIVS.Q.F.Q.N
M. Aemilius Scaurus & M. Caecilius Metellus chosen as consuls in 638 AUC (ab urbe condita or 'from the founding of the City'). Image from...
41 views
sulla80
- May 20, 2022
- 7 min
Horatii & Curiatii triplets
A Roman republican denarius from a moneyer with a family name that traces to the legendary origins of Rome (7th century BC) and the...
49 views
sulla80
- May 16, 2022
- 6 min
Roman Interference in Egypt
During the time of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Rome was already beginning to interfere in the governance of Egypt. Cicero references an...
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sulla80
- May 11, 2022
- 4 min
Gold Rush
While this post will start in "modern" times with a "modern" coin, I will ask the reader's patience...eventually it will go back to...
39 views
sulla80
- Apr 29, 2022
- 4 min
Parthian Beginnings
After the death of Alexander the Great in June of 323 BC, his generals fought each other and divided up his empire. Seleukos I took the...
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sulla80
- Apr 22, 2022
- 3 min
Roman Republican Sphinx
My coin of interest today is a Roman Republic denarius with a sphinx on the reverse, the style of the sphinx is similar to this 1st...
62 views
sulla80
- Apr 13, 2022
- 9 min
Between the Seleucid and Attalid Kingdom
Since my first note (November 2020) on countermarks of Attic tetradrachms, I have added three more coins, so my notes needed some ...
140 views
sulla80
- Apr 9, 2022
- 5 min
The End of Parthia
February 19, 197, the armies of Septimius Severus and Clodius Albinus clashed in Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France), and concluded the civil...
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sulla80
- Mar 31, 2022
- 8 min
Laϊs of Corinth
Perhaps it is not surprising in these notes pages that Lais of Corinth attracted my interest because of the reverse of an ancient coin....
66 views
sulla80
- Mar 27, 2022
- 4 min
Tigranes II the Great
Seleucid King Antiochus The Great (223-187 BC), expanded his empire by installing Artaxias as the governor (strategos) of Greater Armenia...
64 views
sulla80
- Mar 17, 2022
- 5 min
Nero, "Periodonikes"
Nero was a fan of Greek Athletics. He tried to set up the Neronia, a Roman counterpart of the Olympics and other Pan-Hellenic festivals...
80 views
sulla80
- Mar 12, 2022
- 2 min
Nesak Huns
The winged bull's head crown of this Nezak Shah is worth a closer look. These eastern neighbors to the Sasanians left behind many coins,...
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sulla80
- Mar 9, 2022
- 4 min
Happiness of the Public
According to this US Inflation Calculator, which must be good because it was ranked highest by Google, if I purchased a coin in 1978 for...
46 views
sulla80
- Mar 5, 2022
- 5 min
Boeotian Federal Coinage
Boeotia provides an early example of representative and federated democracy. "Ancient democracies and federations of states" is a theme...
56 views
sulla80
- Mar 2, 2022
- 2 min
The Judgement of Paris
Some questions are best avoided. When faced with three beautiful coins, it seems that asking "Which is fairest?" is perhaps not a good...
100 views
sulla80
- Feb 27, 2022
- 5 min
Antiochus IV "Egyptianizing"
The coin I initially used to illustrate this was pretty ugly, nearly unidentifiable. I have since replaced it with a much nicer coin:...
52 views
sulla80
- Feb 24, 2022
- 3 min
Rome v. Parthia (AD 161-166)
I wrote an earlier post on Rome v. Parthia - in May 53 BC, when at Carrhae, Mesopotamia a member of the Sūrēn (Surena) family won a...
52 views
sulla80
- Feb 19, 2022
- 5 min
Thracian Wine & Coins
A nice glass of red wine would go well with today's post. There is evidence of wine making in Thrace from 4300 BC. The coins of...
70 views
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