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The Cult Of Geta?

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Ancientnoob's Avatar
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 Posted 08/09/2012  12:25 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Ancientnoob to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
This was one of my first coins I attributed myself. I had such trouble trying to understand what I was looking at on the reverse. Everything I could come up with yielded no results. I thought it was a veiled person, a statue of some kind, a "Home Alone Kid" nothing. Ultimately I ended up recognizing the Obverse as a young Geta from another coin. This Reverse device eluded me for quite sometime. At the end of the day I just scrolled through every "Geta" I could find.

This is what I was able to come up with...
Geta, AE18 of Nicaea, Bithynia. 2.38g.

L CEPT GETAC K, bare-headed, draped bust right,
NIKAIEWN, Telesphoros standing facing, wearing
hooded cloak.

Recueil Général 511 cf (obv. legend); Mionnet Supp. V, 716 var


The reverse Icon ended up being whats called a Telesphoros. I found this...credit to wikipedia...
"In Greek mythology, Telesphorus (or Telesphoros; Τελεσφόρος) was a son of Asclepius. He frequently accompanied his sister, Hygieia. He was a dwarf whose head was always covered with a hood or cap. He symbolized recovery from illness, as his name means "the accomplisher" or "bringer of completion" in Greek. Representations of him are found mainly in Anatolia and along the Danube.
Telesphorus is assumed to have been a Celtic god in origin, who was taken to Anatolia by the Galatians in the 3rd century BC, where he would have become associated with the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius, perhaps in Pergamon, an Asclepian cult center. and spread again to the West due to the rise of the Roman Empire, in particular during the 2nd century AD, from the reign of Hadrian, after Epidaurus, the main center of the cult of Asclepius, had adopted him.[1]"

There is not much here, I was wondering if anyone can add anything here. It seriously took me weeks to figure this out.


The-Cult-Of-Geta?
Edited by Ancientnoob
08/09/2012 12:27 pm
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Bing's Avatar
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 Posted 08/09/2012  12:44 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Bing to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I can't add anything other than this image of Telesphorus:

The-Cult-Of-Geta?

Gallo-Roman limestone statue of Telesphorus discovered in 1884 in Moulézan (southern France), now exhibited in the Archeological Museum of Nîmes. The god is dressed in the hooded cape typical of the depiction of Celts in Roman Gaul.
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Ancientnoob's Avatar
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 Posted 08/09/2012  1:15 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ancientnoob to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I wonder was Geta a member of the Cult of Asclepius? Maybe he had these coins minted to commemorate the recovery from an illness by either himself or his family? Maybe he like dwarfs / and Gnomes and collected them? Maybe he minted these to gain the favor of those subjugated, very very very interesting.
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 Posted 08/09/2012  1:58 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Doucet to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Interesting coin and topic.

I have a book I've been reading on the history of Roman Religion, I'll see if there is any additional info there when I get home.
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echizento's Avatar
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 Posted 08/09/2012  7:24 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add echizento to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Interesting information, nice coin.
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 Posted 08/09/2012  10:39 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add dougsmit to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Rarely you get to see the family together. I don't have one and doubt I ever will:
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=9646

Most often you see Telesphoros on small denominations with non-special artwork. I think his cape made him easy to carve compared to the gods with muscles.

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Ancientnoob's Avatar
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 Posted 08/09/2012  11:13 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ancientnoob to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Doug-Thanks for the example, but I was wondering why this device was used, what was the significance of this to whom ever commissioned the coin? Was its use geared more towards the wants of the populous, or did this placing of the little guy signify some importance to the emperor?
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 Posted 08/11/2012  03:47 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Biancasdad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Ancientnoob,

I have been mulling over your question regarding the reverse device for several days now and stumbled upon this extremely interesting an in depth article about the origins of Telesphoros and the Asklepian cult.

The comparison made between Christ the "healer" and Telesphoros the Pagan healer during this time is very compelling. Could it be that Geta, being from a Pagan family, is just paying homage to this perceived Pagan healer?

I encourage you to read this article when you get time. I found it fascinating.

Written by Doctor Morris Weiss: http://www.innominatesociety.com/Ar...sklepios.htm

Regards,

-Kurt

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Ancientnoob's Avatar
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 Posted 08/11/2012  8:42 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ancientnoob to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
.....@ Kurt- wow I dont think I could ask for more. Thats very interesting and the fact that the Dwarf reflects Convalescence, maybe Geta just enjoyed relaxation.

Nate
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 Posted 08/12/2012  04:03 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Biancasdad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Nate,

I found another example of the Telesphoros reverse on a couple of Thracean provincial coins which is geographically very close to Bythnia. I am thinking that maybe this reverse was just the politically prudent thing to do to appease the local populace. This would make some sense if the Asclepiusian religion was common in this area during this time frame.

I seem to have become obsessed with this question and may post a thread on FORVM to see if someone with some expertise can add to the story.

This is one of the great joys of collecting ancients. A coin far outside my area of collecting has peeked my curiosity and opened a new area to study.

Cheers,

-Kurt

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Ancientnoob's Avatar
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 Posted 08/13/2012  12:33 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ancientnoob to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Kurt-

I got enough topics I don't know a lot about that could keep you busy for quite sometime. I have a couple of coins from all different eras that involve the occult, and other strange items.
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