In addition to the above coin from Herakleia Salbace I was fortunate enough to acquire a coin from the sister city Apollonia Salbace (Salbake). There is slightly more information to be found regarding Apollonia Salbace than there was for Herakleia Salbace, but it is still rather sketchy.
From the Turkish Directorate of Culture and Tourism - "Apollonia Salbace (Medet Mound) Ancient City":
The Ancient City of Apollonia and the Medet Mound are located within the settlement area of the Medet (Village) Neighborhood, which was founded on a flat plain. Apollonia, founded on the most fertile lands of the Tavas plain, is one of the ancient cities with access to the Caria region via Tabae Road in the west, Lycia region via Sebastopolis in the south, Lycia region and Phrygia region via Tavas Road in the east. Exact documents about the foundation of the city of Apollonia have not been found. However, when the mound finds are examined, it is seen that the first settlement dates back to the Bronze Ages and continued uninterrupted. It is understood that the city received the name Apollonia in the Hellenistic period and lived its most glorious period in the Roman era. The foundations and inscriptions of the Apollo temple belonging to the Hadrian period have survived to the present day.
From "Roman Cities In Northeastern Caria":
Apollonia Salbake is located within the boundaries of Medet Village, which is located on a flat plain 7 km west of Tavas District, Denizli Province. The city, which was established in the 3rd century B.C. by the Seleucids such as Amyzon, Lasos, Nysa and Pentachora in the Caria Region, on the most fertile lands of the Tavas Plain with an altitude of 900-1000 m, was at a point where the Caria Region was reached by the Tabai road in the west, the Lycian Region by the Sebastopolis road in the south, and the Phrygia Region by the Tavas road in the east. After the Seleucids, the Rhodians dominated the region. There is an organic connection between the city of Apollonia Salbake and Medet Hoyuk; However, this link has not been examined chronologically. In the courtyard where the Medet Village Mosque is located, there are the foundations and inscriptions of a Temple of Apollo belonging to the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD); some inscriptions also mention the cult of Meter Oreia in the city. The city was localized thanks to its coins and inscriptions.
Hellenistic and Roman Periods Apollonia Salbake Coins:
The city minted coins in its own name from the reign of Augustus (27 B.C.-14 A.D.) to the reign of Cornelia Salonina (268 A.D.), the wife of the Roman Emperor Gallienus. On the obverse of the coins are portraits such as Hiera Boule, Hiera Demos, Demos, Athena, Apollo and Sarapis. On the reverse sides there is Apollo carrying a lyr, Zeus Nikephoros sitting, Asklepios and Hygieia, a temple with three statues, Daphne kneeling, Helios in quadriga, Isis depicted standing, Pan with a goat, Demeter, Zeus Laodiceus between the city god and Athena, and Zeus carrying a child in his hand.
Apollonia Salbace, Caria. c.2nd to 3rd Century AD.
Obverse: Head of Demos right, wearing tainia. Obverse inscription: ΔHMΩC. Reverse: Dionysus, wearing short chiton, standing facing, head left, holding thyrsus and bunch of grapes. Reverse inscription: AΠOΛΛΩNIATΩN. Bronze. Diameter: 21 mm. Weight: 4.36 gr.
Reference: RPC VI, 5385.
ex-Brand and Weber collections, (Sotheby's Brand sale, part 7, 1984, part-Lot 374)
https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/6/5385 (Coin number 9.)
Posted 07/17/2024 10:42 am
