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 Replies: 8 / Views: 7,015 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2100 Posts |
In a Faustina II thread someone asked what Salus was feeding the snake from the patera. I don't think we know the answer to this but I thought I would solicit some posts from Salus coin owners to see if anyone has any depictions of the food. I had the following coin with Salus standing right, feeding snake from a patera and we can clearly see some shperical objects on the patera as the food.  Martin |
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Valued Member
279 Posts |
maybe some eggs?:-)))))))))))))
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Nicer than almost all of mine!
You didn't ask for a grading, bit I will give it one anyway.
AS STRUCK.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1315 Posts |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I have no idea what she is feeding them, but all the coin depicted have beautiful detail. I'm jealous.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I looked up some background on Salus and her snakes: Quote:
Salus was a minor goddess, the daughter of Aesculapius, the god of healing, whose staff, with a snake coiled round it, is symbolic of the practice of medicine. Their Greek equivalents were Aklepios and Hygeia. Her role in the pantheon was to feed and care for her father's sacred snakes and act as his assistant. She was worshipped as being responsible for the welfare, not just of individuals, but of the people as a whole. Her name in Greek and Roman comes down to us in such words as 'hygiene,' 'salve' and 'salubrious,' and even 'salute' and 'safe.' Quote:
An antoninianus of Probus from 281 CE, has Salus in a pose .........but the snake food looks rather like a hamburger. The lower layer is the dish, and the upper one -- an egg-shaped lump -- is the food. For the rest of the article I would refer you to: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/mo...e_salus.html |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Doucet => I think your photo of the Salus statue is a pretty good indication that eggs were the primary snake-treats!! (below)  Ummmm, or does she have her own nose in her hand?Edited by stevex6
06/20/2012 3:15 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4984 Posts |
very cool snake reverses on all!
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Moderator
Australia
16876 Posts |
The non-mythical snake species in question, the Aesculapian snake, eats mainly rodents, though they will also eat birds and eggs. The snakes were actively encouraged to live in the temples of Aesculapius (and his Greek equivalent, Asklepios). Since rats aren't particularly something you want to have large numbers of running loose around a temple dedicated to health and hygiene, the most likely "treats" to actually have been used to encourage the snakes to hang around would have been eggs. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Replies: 8 / Views: 7,015 |
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Posted 06/20/2012 08:35 am
