Poseidone e l'ippocampo

[apollonia]

Anche su questo diobolo aureo di Kamarina, in Sicilia, è raffigurato un ippocampo per intero, ma come ornamento dell’elmo di Atena (esemplare Gorny & Mosch, Auction 257).

GRIECHEN 
SIZILIEN. KAMARINA. Diobol (1,18g). Ca. 405 v. Chr. Vs.: Athenakopf mit attischem Helm n. r. Auf dem Helmkessel geflügelter Hippokamp. Rs.: KA, Olivenspross mit zwei Früchten. SNG ANS 1209; Westermark-Jenkins 225. 206 (stgl.). HGC 518.
Gold. RR! ss-vz
Ex H. Berk Ltd. Buy or Bid Sale 198, 2016, 6.

 

[apollonia]

Dramma aurea della Lanz 145 molto simile a quella della Lanz 160 al post # 50.

GREEK COINS 
BRUTTIUM
BRETTII. Gold drachm, 213-208 BC. Diademed head of Poseidon l.; at shoulder, trident; below truncation, dolphin l.; dotted border. Rv: BRªTTIW[N]. Amphitrite, holding Eros, seated l. on hippocamp which is swimming r.; to right, murex; dotted border. Scheu G6; Arslan, p. 126, AV 4-6'; BMC 3; SNG ANS 14 (same dies); Historia Numorum Italy 1950. 4,24g. St. 1. Extremely rare. Good very fine.
Estimate: 20000 USD.

La figura femminile seduta sull’ippocampo è identificata qui non come Teti ma come Anfitrite, la Nereide sposa di Poseidone e madre di Tritone. Inoltre davanti all’ippocampo c’è un mùrice, mollusco gasteropode marino, e non una cornucopia. Non si tratta quindi di un altro esemplare della dramma Lanz 160 come pensavo, ma di un conio diverso con l’ippocampo raffigurato per intero nella stessa posizione.

 

[apollonia]

Nell’indagine sugli “ippocampi aurei monetali” ho individuato un terzo conio della dramma degli antichi abitanti di Bruttium (Stack's, Stack & Kroisos Collection, lot 2038, 14.01.2008), dove la figura femminile seduta è Anfitrite come nella dramma del post # 52, ma con una stella al posto del mùrice e ai piedi di Eros una piccola Gamma (Γ), la firma dell’incisore.

THE BRETTII. Bruttium. Time of the Second Punic War, ca.221-201 B.C.
Gold Drachm, ca. 213-205 B.C. Bearded head of Poseidon l. wearing taenia, trident behind, dolphin below. Rv. Hippocamp r. on which Amphitrite is seated l., holding Eros who stands drawing a bow in extended r. hand; star to r., tiny Γ (engraver's signature) at feet of Eros; BPETTIΩN below. 4.25 grams. SNG Lloyd 539 (same dies), HN Italy 1951. Extremely rare. Extremely Fine. (15,000-20,000)
 

A number of native tribes occupied the mountainous regions of southern Italy. Foremost among them were the Lucani. In the last quarter of the 5th century they began to subjugate the Greek settlers and by 390 B.C. had conquered most of Lucania, imposing their Oscan language on the peninsula. In 356 B.C. the now oscanized original inhabitants of the peninsula asserted their independence and became known as Brettii. They continued the conquest of several Greek colonies along the coast and in the process became increasingly hellenized. Rome subjugated them for supporting Pyrrhos and seized some of their territory. During the Second Punic War they deserted Rome after her disastrous defeat at Cannae in 216 B.C. and supported Hannibal, ultimately providing him with his last base in Italy. A victorious Rome responded by confiscating additional territory, ringing them with colonies, and virtually enslaving them. The above coin, struck to finance the war against Rome, is an outstanding illustration of the extent to which the Brettians had been hellenized by the end of the 3rd century B.C. Finely engraved and beautifully composed, the reverse was inspired by the Pyrrhic silver prototype showing the sea-nymph Thetis on a hippocamp as she contemplates the shield of her son Achilles. This coin pairs Poseidon with his consort Amphitrite, substituting Eros for the shield. Artistically, this coin rivals the exceptional Italian and Sicilian gold issues produced in the 4th and 3rd centuries.
From the Lawrence R. Stack Collection of Ancient Greek Coins. 
Ex James A. Ferrendelli Collection (Triton VII, January 2004, lot 33), George and Robert Stevenson Collection (CNG 26, June 1993, lot 19), Jean Vinchon (Monte Carlo, April 1985, lot 55).