Modify or add data on this page

Commodus, Phaethon, and Ovid?

Author David Woods
Published in The Numismatic Chronicle, Volume 180 (2020)
Pages 133-142 (10 pages)
Language English
Download https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/45381586
Number
N#
L118797
 

Abstract

It is argued that the reverse of a newly-discovered medallion of Commodus has nothing to do with Mt Argaeus in Cappadocia despite some superficial similarities between its depiction of a mountain and the standard depiction of Mt Argaeus on the coinage of Caesarea in Cappadocia. On the contrary, it probably depicts Phaethon in the chariot of the sun as he descends too near the earth, an interpretation supported by the fact that the brief reverse legend seems to abbreviate a half-line from Ovid's description ofthat event.

Contribute to the catalogue

Modify this page

Viewed 9 times

Cite this page: https://numista.com/L118797 (copy permalink) Permalink copied