Antioch - AE 16mm
Obverse
Name/Title
Antioch - AE 16mmEntry/Object ID
C2016-G38-161Description
A bronze coin of city of Antioch depicting the god Apollo and his symbol, the laurel.Context
This coin depicts the head of the god Apollo and a laurel branch which alludes to the mythic story of the god and the nymph Daphne. One day, Daphne caught Apollo’s attention and he began to pursue her. Daphne, however, was not interested in his advances, and in her effort to escape him, prayed for help and was transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo then adopted the laurel as his symbol. The people of Antioch connected the myth to a certain grove near their city where they believed Daphne’s tree was located. The nymph Daphne and Apollo thus had a special connection to the city of Antioch, and both deities had local cults dedicated to them. Depicting the head of Apollo on the coin with the laurel was a way of expressing the city’s civic identity through local cult worship and mythological reference.Collection
Roman EmpireMintage
Mint
AntiochDate made
54 CE - 68 CETime Period
Roman ImperialPlace of Origin
City
AntiochRegion
Asia MinorManufacture Method
StruckCoin Details
Obverse
Description
Head of Apollo laureate, right. Border of dots.Reverse
Description
Laurel branch. Border of dots.Transcription
ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΟΝ ΔΡTranslation
(Of) AntiochIssuing Authority
AntiochDenomination
AE 16mmEthnography
Cultural Region
Area
Syria-PalestineCulture/Tribe
Greek