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GREEK - PAMPHYLIA. City of Aspendos -
Silver Stater 23mm (10.9
grams) - Struck 370-333 B.C.
Reference: Sear 5396 (£200 in 1978); B.M.C. 19. 98, 44 -
Obverse: Two naked athletes, wrestling; the one on left grasps with both hands
his
opponent's left arm; the one on right holds his opponent's left shoulder.
Reverse: Slinger advancing right, about to discharge his sling; triskeles
before,
ΕΣΤFEΔΙΙVΣ behind; all in dotted square within incuse square.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured,
provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of
Authenticity.
Aspendos or Aspendus (Greek
Άσπενδος) was an
ancient
Greco-Roman city in
Antalya province of
Turkey. It is
located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northeast of central
Serik.
History
Aspendus was an ancient city in
Pamphylia,
Asia Minor, located about 25 miles (40 km) east of the modern city of
Antalya,
Turkey. It was
situated on the
Eurymedon River about 10 miles (16 km) inland from the
Mediterranean Sea; it shared a border with, and was hostile to,
Side.[2]
According to later tradition, the (originally non-Greek) city was founded around
1000 B.C. by Greeks who may have come from
Argos. The wide
range of its coinage throughout the ancient world indicates that, in the 5th
century B.C., Aspendus had become the most important city in Pamphylia. At that
time the Eurymedon River was navigable as far as Aspendus, and the city derived
great wealth from a trade in salt, oil, and wool.
In 333 B.C. Aspendus paid
Alexander the Great a levy to avoid being garrisoned, but it ignored its
agreements with him and later was occupied. In 190 B.C. the city surrendered to
the
Romans, who later pillaged it of its artistic treasures. Toward the end of
the Roman period the city began a decline that continued throughout
Byzantine times.
Roman structures
Aspendos is known for having the best-preserved theater of
antiquity. With a diameter of 96 meters (315 ft), the theater provided seating
for 7,000.[3]
The theater was built in 155[3]
by the Greek architect Zenon, a native of the city, during the rule of
Marcus Aurelius. It was periodically repaired by the
Seljuks, who used it as a
caravansary, and in the 13th century the stage building was converted into a
palace by the
Seljuqs of Rum.[4]
In order to keep with
Hellenistic traditions, a small part of the theater was built so that it
leaned against the hill where the
Citadel (Acropolis)
stood, while the remainder was built on vaulted arches. The high stage served to
seemingly isolate the audience from the rest of the world. The scaenae frons
or backdrop, has remained intact. The 8.1 meter (27 ft) sloping reflective
wooden ceiling over the stage has been lost over time. Post holes for 58 masts
are found in the upper level of the theater. These masts supported a
velarium or
awning that could be pulled over the audience to provide shade.[3]
Until recently the theatre was still in use for concerts,
festivals and events. Due to some damage caused by fitting modern theatrical
equipment during these events the Turkish authorities have suspended further
shows. A new modern facility known as Aspendos Arena has been constructed nearby
to continue the tradition of open air theatre in Aspendos.
Nearby stand the remains of a
basilica,
agora,
nymphaeum
and 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) of
Roman aqueduct. The Roman
Eurymedon Bridge, reconstructed in the 13th century, is also in the
vicinity.
Coinage
Aspendos was one of the earliest cities to mint coins. It
began issuing coinage around 500 B.C., first
staters and
later
drachmas; "the hoplite on the obverse represents the soldiery for which
Aspendus was famous in antiquity,"[5]
the reverse frequently depicts a
triskelion.
The legend appears on early coins as the abbreviation ΕΣ or ΕΣΤϜΕ; later coinage
has ΕΣΤϜΕΔΙΙΥΣ, the adjective from ΕΣΤϜΕΔΥΣ (Estwedus), the local name of the
city. The city's
numismatic history extends from archaic Greek to late Roman times.
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