Between Greece and RomeCoinage in the Imperium of Mark Antony

Andrew Meadows

Some recent books

2000: M. Chauveau, Egypt in the age of Cleopatra2001: P. Higgs and S. Walker, Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to

MythJ.E.G. Whitehorne, Cleopatras

2003: Francesca Royston, Becoming Cleopatra: The shifting image of an iconSally-Ann Ashton, The Last Queens of Egypt: Cleopatra’s royal house

2004: Michel Chauveau, Cleopatra: Beyond the MythSally-Ann Ashton and Susan Walker, Cleopatra Reassessed

More recent books

2006: Prudence Jones, Cleopatra (Life and Times) ead. Cleopatra: a sourcebookLucy Hughes-Hallett, Cleopatra: Queen, Lover, Legend

2007: Stanley Burstein, The Reign of CleopatraPat Southern, Cleopatra

2008: Sally-Ann Ashton, Cleopatra and EgyptPat Southern, Antony and Cleopatra

2009: Diane Kleiner, Cleopatra and Rome

Yet more recent books

2010: Joyce Tyldesley, Cleopatra, last queen of Egypt. Stacy Schiff, Cleopatra: a life. Duane Roller: Cleopatra: a biography. Z. Hawass and F. Goddio, Cleopatra: the search for the last queen of Egypt Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

2011: Joann Fletcher, Cleopatra the Great: the woman behind the legend

Contemporary sources are few: a handful of isolated documents from Egypt and Cyprus, a few coins, and doubtfully attributed portrait sculptures, and the odd snide comment from Cicero. The first half of her life is a complete blank, and our knowledge of her last years largely depends on Plutarch's gossipy Life of Antony, written more than a century after Cleopatra's death.

Trying to conjure a meaningful narrative of events (let alone a character portrait) out of this wretched stuff is like trying to reconstruct the life of Margaret Thatcher from a few Steve Bell cartoons, tattered copies of The Times from May 1977 and December 1984, a hostile biography of Ronald Reagan and the archaeology of Grantham (TLS October 8, 2010, p. 13).

Civic Coinage

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Athens, Aradus and Magnesia on the Maeander

Royal Coins

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Ptolemy I of EgyptPerseus of Macedon

Roman coinage

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Mark Antony RRC 544 and 539 (32 and 36 BC)

Roman provincial coinage

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Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right; AY K MAΡ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC/ Cult statue of Aphrodite facing, veil supported by two Erotes; altar and small nude figure at feet; ΦΑCΗΛΙΤΩΝ

Cleopatra

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Silver tetradrachm, mint of Alexandria, year 4 (49/8 BC)Diademed bust of Ptolemy I right/ Eagle left on thunderbolt; L Δ above headdress of Isis to left, ΠA to right; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ

Cleopatra

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Mint of Alexandria, 80 and 40 drachma bronze coinsDiademed and draped bust of Cleopatra r. / Eagle left on thunderbolt; cornucopia before; Π or M behind; BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ KΛEOΠATPAΣ

Cleopatra

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Cypriot mintDiademed bust of Cleopatra r., as Aphrodite, with Caesarion, as Eros, in her arms; behind, sceptre / Two cornucopiae bound with fillet; to r., ΚΥΠΡ ligate; BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ KΛEOΠATPAΣ

Damascus

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RPC 4781, year SE 276 (37/6 BC). Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra right / Tyche seated left on rock outcropping, extending hand and holding cornucopia; CΟΣ and ΔΑΜΑΣΚΗΝΩΝ

Orthosia

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RPC 4501, civic era year 2 (36/5 BC)Diademed and draped bust right/ Baal of Orthosia right in biga drawn by griffins; B and ΟΡΘΩΣΙΕΩΝ.

Tripolis

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RPC 4510, Cleopatra’s Phoenician regnal year 2 (36/5 BC). Diademed and draped bust right / ΤΡΙΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Nike, holding wreath in her right hand, palm in left, standing on prow right; LB to right.

Βerytus

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RPC 4530 Cleopatra’s Phoenician year 6 and Egyptian year 21 (32/1 BC) . Diademed and draped bust right, wearing earring and necklace / Baal of Berytos, holding aphlaston and trident, in quadriga of hippocamps right; BH, LZ and LAK

Βerytus

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RPC 4529 Cleopatra’s Phoenician year 2 (32/1 BC) . Diademed bust r., wearing earring and necklace; LB ΘΑ / Baal of Berytos, holding trident, in quadriga of hippocamps r.; BH, ΔΙΟ

Ptolemais

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RPC 4741-2, Phoenician year 3 and Caesarian year 15 (35/4 BC)Bare head of Antony r. wreath/diademed head of Cleopatra r.; ΠΤΟΕΛΜΑΕΩΝ ΙΕΡΑC ΑCΥΛΟΥ or ΠΤΟΕΛΜΑΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ and date

Orthosia

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RPC 4502, civic era year 3 (35/4 BC)Diademed and draped bust right/ Baal of Orthosia right in biga drawn by griffins; Γ and ΟΡΘΩΣΙΕΩΝ.

Damascus

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RPC 4783, Year SE 280 (33/2 BC). Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra right / Tyche seated left on rock outcropping, extending hand and holding cornucopia; LΠΣ and ΔΑΜΑΣΚΗΝΩΝ

Patras

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RPC 1245. Undated.Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right, her hair in a bun at the back; ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑ/Crown of Isis; ΑΓΙΑC ΛΥCΩΝΟC ΠΑΤΡΕΩΝ

Tripolis

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RPC 4509, Pompeian Era 23 (42/41 BC). Bare head of Mark Antony right / Draped bust of Fulvia right; date to left.

Ptolemais

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RPC I 4740.6 (this coin), civic era year 11 (39/38 BC) Bare head right within laurel wreath / Tyche left on prow of galley, holding aplustre and rudder in r. and cornucopia and palm in l.; L IA/ KAI AC, ΠΤΟΕΛΜΑΕΩΝ ΙΕΡΑC,

Aradus

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RPC 4466, civic era year 222 (38/7 BC) Bare head of Antony right / Bull galloping left; CWM above; CKB and M ΔΙ below

Balanea

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RPC 4456.5 (this coin), undated?Bare head right / Uncertain deity driving quadriga left.

Aradus

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RPC 4467, civic era year 224 (36/5 BC) Bare head of Antony right / Bull galloping left; CKΔ above, MH below.

Ptolemais

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RPC 4741-2, Phoencian year 3 and Caesarian year 15 (35/4 BC)Bare head of Antony r. in wreath/diademed head of Cleopatra r.; ΠΤΟΕΛΜΑΕΩΝ ΙΕΡΑC ΑCΥΛΟΥ or ΠΤΟΕΛΜΑΕΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ and date

Dora

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RPC 4752, Egyptian regnal (?) year 19 (34/3 BC)Jugate busts of Antony and Cleopatra r./Tyche standing l. with palm branch and caduceus; L ΘΙ ΔΩ

Tripolis

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RPC 4509, Pompeian Era 23 (42/41 BC). Bare head of Mark Antony right / Draped bust of Fulvia right; date to left.

Balanea

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Three denominations: Antony; Tyche; radiate head

Damascus

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RPC 4781, year SE 276 (37/6 BC). Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra right / Tyche seated left on rock outcropping, extending hand and holding cornucopia; CΟΣ and ΔΑΜΑΣΚΗΝΩΝ

Balanea

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Three denominations: Antony; Tyche; radiate head

Julius Ceasar, 44 BC

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RRC 480/2a

M. Antony and Octavian in 43 BC

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RRC 488 and 490

Patras

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RPC 1245. Undated.Diademed and draped bust of Cleopatra to right, her hair in a bun at the back; ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑ/Crown of Isis; ΑΓΙΑC ΛΥCΩΝΟC ΠΑΤΡΕΩΝ

Zacynthos

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RPC 1290.17 (this coin), undatedHead of Mark Antony r./C SOSIVS Q up left field, ZA in right, eagle standing right on thunderbolt; to right, caduceus.

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8, 4, 1 herod

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