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This medal has been minted in France to commemorate a beautiful coin, (the silver stater), of the ancient Aspendos in Pamphylia (contemporary Turkey), V century BC.
This medal
has been designed minted in 500 pieces.
This one has the number 272/500 on the rim.
Aspendos or Aspendus (Pamphylian: ΕΣΤϜΕΔΥΣ; Attic: Ἄσπενδος) was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. The site is located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northeast of central Serik.
Pamphylia (Ancient
Greek: Παμφυλία, Pamphylía, modern
pronunciation Pamfylía /pæmˈfɪliə/)
was a former region in the south of Asia Minor,
between Lycia and Cilicia,
extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (modern-day Antalya province,
Turkey).
It was bounded on the north by Pisidia and was therefore a country of small extent, having a
coast-line of only about 120 km (75 miles) with a breadth of about 50 km (30
miles). Under the Roman administration the term Pamphylia was extended so as to
include Pisidia and the whole tract up to the frontiers of Phrygia and Lycaonia,
and in this wider sense it is employed by Ptolemy.
Coinage
Aspendos was one of the earliest cities to mint coins. It began issuing coinage around 500 BC, first staters and later drachmas; "the hoplite on the obverse represents the soldiery for which Aspendus was famous in antiquity," 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 the city's local (Pamphylian) name Estwedus. The city's numismatic history extends from archaic Greek to late Roman times.
av.
Two wrestlers, nude, beginning to grapple with each other
rv. Slinger standing to right, preparing to launch sling-bolt; ΕΣΤFΕΔΙΙΥΣ to left, triskeles
diameter
– 64 mm, (ca 2½”)
weight
– 129.40 gr, (4.56 oz)
metal – bronze, authentic patina
Aspendos was an ancient city in Pamphylia, Asia Minor, located about
40 km east of the modern city of Antalya, Turkey. It was
situated on the Eurymedon River about 16 km
inland from the Mediterranean Sea; it shared a
border with, and was hostile to, Side.
Some scholars associate the city's name with
"Azatiwadaya". The known city of that name was founded by Azatiwada of Quwê on his easternfrontier,
at Karatepe. According to
later tradition, Aspendos was founded rather earlier by Greeks who may have
come from Argos.
The wide range of its coinage throughout the ancient world
indicates that, in the 5th century BC, Aspendos had become the most important
city in Pamphylia. At that time, according to Thucydides, the Eurymedon
River was navigable as far as Aspendos, and the city derived great wealth from
a trade in salt, oil and wool.
Aspendos did not play an important role in antiquity as a
political force. Its political history during the colonisation period
corresponded to the currents of the Pamphylian region. Within
this trend, after the colonial period, it remained for a time under Lycian
hegemony. In 546 BC it came under Persian domination.
The fact that the city continued to mint coins in its own name, however,
indicates that it had a great deal of freedom even under the Persians.
Circa 465 BCE Cimon led an
Athenian navy against a Persian navy in the Battle of the Eurymedon, and destroyed it.
Aspendos then became a member of the Delian
League.
The Persians captured the city again in 411 BC and used it
as a base. In 389 BC Thrasybulus of Athens, in an effort
to regain some of the prestige that city had lost in the Peloponnesian Wars, anchored off the coast
of Aspendos in an effort to secure its surrender. Hoping to avoid a new war,
the people of Aspendos collected money among themselves and gave it to the
commander, entreating him to retreat without causing any damage. Even though he
took the money, he had his men trample all the crops in the fields. Enraged,
the Aspendians stabbed and killed Thrasybulus in his tent.
When Alexander the Great marched into Aspendos in
333 BC after capturing Perge, the citizens
sent envoys asking him not to garrison soldiers there. He agreed, provided he
would be given the taxes and horses that they had formerly paid as tribute to
the Persian king. After reaching this agreement Alexander went to Side, leaving a
garrison there on the city's surrender. Going back through Sillyon, he learned
that the Aspendians had failed to ratify the agreement their envoys had
proposed and were preparing to defend themselves. Alexander marched to the city
immediately. When they saw Alexander returning with his troops, the Aspendians,
who had retreated to their acropolis, again sent envoys to sue for peace. This
time, however, they had to agree to very harsh terms; a Macedonian garrison would
remain in the city and 100 gold talents as well as 4,000 horses would be given
in tax annually.
In 190 BC the city surrendered to theRomans, and the
corrput magistrate Verres later pillaged
its artistic treasures. It was ranked by Philostratus the third city
of Pamphylia, and in Byzantine times seems to
have been known as Primopolis. Toward the end of the Roman period the
city began a decline that continued throughout Byzantine times, although in
medieval times it was evidently still a strong place.