A unique Silandos medallion of Faustina II from Blaundos in Lydia

TATAR Ö.

Journal of Roman Archaeology, cilt.7, sa.1-4, 2023 (AHCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 7 Sayı: 1-4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1017/s104775942300017x
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Roman Archaeology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Periodicals Index Online, L'Année philologique, Art Abstracts, Art Index, Art Source, International Bibliography of Art, DIALNET
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Blaundos, Faustina II, Lucius Verus, Lydia, Marcus Aurelius, medallion, Roman provincial coinage, Silandos
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

During the 2019 archaeological excavation season in Blaundos, a Roman-period bronze medallion was found within a wall of a Byzantine-period structure on the main street. It is a medallion struck by the Lydian city of Silandos, bearing the bust of Faustina II on the obverse and Marcus Aurelius clasping hands with Lucius Verus on the reverse. A literature search revealed that it is a rare and unpublished specimen. Neither RPC, the largest database of Roman Provincial Coinage, nor auction databases record any example of it. The iconography, combining the portrait of the empress with a depiction of the co-emperors of the period, does not point to any specific event or incident. The reverse die was, however, used for another medallion struck later by Silandos. This paper aims to introduce, interpret, and discuss this unique Lydian medallion from the 2nd c. CE.