bpv_943142 - ANTINOUS Médaillon

980.00 €(Approx. 1038.80$ | 813.40£)

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Type : Médaillon

Date: 135-137

Mint name / Town : Arcadie, Mantineia

Metal : copper

Diameter : 26 mm

Orientation dies : 7 h.

Weight : 14,27 g.

Rarity : R3

Coments on the condition:

Monnaie centrée. Usure importante mais régulière. Buste agréable. Patine foncée

Catalogue references :

BMC.89 var

Predigree :

Exemplaire provenant de la vente Roma Numismatic, E-sale 45, lot n° 423

Obverse

Obverse description : Buste héroïque, tête nue, d’Antinoüs à gauche.

Obverse legend : BETOURIOS.

Obverse translation : (Antinoüs héros).

Reverse

Reverse description : Cheval passant à droite.

Reverse legend : TOIS ARKADI.

Commentary

Antinoüs, favoris d’Hadrien, perdit la vie sur le Nil en 130 après quoi l’empereur fit frapper un certain nombre de monnaies à l’effigie d’”Antinoüs héros”.

Historical background

ANTINOUS

(+130)

Antinous, a young man of Greek origin, was born in Claudiopolis of Bithynia between 108 and 110. During his trip to Bithynia in 128, Hadrian noticed the young man who was of great beauty. Antinous followed his friend on his second journey. In 130, he was accidentally drowned in the Nile and Hadrian was greatly saddened. To commemorate the memory of his friend, he founded the city of Antinopolis and authorized the Greek cities of Asia Minor to raise altars to him and to consecrate a temple to him, which put Sabina, Hadrian's wife, in great anger. The traditional circles of Rome did not forgive the Emperor for this love for this young man, nor for the cult that the Emperor devoted to him after his death. Hadrian never recovered from the loss of his friend and became a misanthrope. Marguerite Yourcenar, in her novel "The Memoirs of Hadrian", immortalized the affair of the two men.

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