LAMPSAKOS in MYSIA 300BC Caduceus Pegasus Winged Horse Ancient Greek Coin i31840

Item: i31840

Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Greek city of Lampsakos in Mysia
Bronze 12mm (1.74 grams) Struck circa 300-200 B.C.
Reference: Sear 3905; B.M.C. 15.85,62
Caduceus within wreath.
ΛAMΨA, Forepart of Pegusus right.

A colony of Phokaia, Lampsakos was strategically placed at the
eastern entrance to the Hellespont and rose to to be a city of great importance.
Although under Persian and Athenian control for much of the sixth and fifth
centuries, Lampsakos managed to preserver its prosperity into the Hellenistic
age.

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Authenticity.

The caduceus from
Greek
“rukeion “herald’s
staff” is the staff carried by
Hermes
in
Greek mythology
. The same staff was also borne
by heralds in general, for example by
Iris
, the messenger of

Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two
serpents
, sometimes surmounted by wings. In
Roman iconography it was often depicted being carried in the left hand of
Mercury
, the messenger of the gods, guide of
the dead and protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars, and thieves.

As a symbolic object it represents Hermes (or the Roman Mercury), and by
extension trades, occupations or undertakings associated with the god. In later
Antiquity
the caduceus provided the basis for
the
astrological symbol
representing the
planet Mercury
. Thus, through its use in
astrology
and
alchemy
, it has come to denote the
elemental metal
of the same name.

By extension of its association with Mercury/Hermes, the caduceus is also a
recognized symbol of commerce and negotiation, two realms in which balanced
exchange and reciprocity are recognized as ideals. This association is ancient,
and consistent from the Classical period to modern times. The caduceus is also
used as a symbol representing printing, again by extension of the attributes of
Mercury (in this case associated with writing and eloquence).

The caduceus is sometimes mistakenly used
as a symbol of medicine and/or medical practice
,
especially in
North America
, because of widespread confusion
with the traditional medical symbol, the
rod of Asclepius
, which has only a single snake
and no wings.

Pegasus, as the horse of Muses, was put on the roof of Poznań Opera House (Max Littmann, 1910)

Pegasus (Pegasos, Latin Pegasus) is one of the best known fantastical
creatures in
Greek mythology
. He is a winged divine horse,
usually white in color. He was sired by
Poseidon
, in his role as horse-god, and foaled
by the Gorgon

Medusa
. He was the brother of
Chrysaor
, born at a single birthing when

his
mother was decapitated by Perseus. Greco-Roman poets write about his ascent to
heaven after his birth and his obeisance to

Zeus, king of the gods, who instructed him to bring lightning and
thunder from Olympus. Friend of the Muses, Pegasus is the creator of
Hippocrene
, the fountain on
Mt. Helicon
. He was captured by the Greek hero
Bellerophon
near the fountain Peirene with the
help of Athena and Poseidon. Pegasus allows the hero to ride him to defeat a
monster, the Chimera, before realizing many other exploits. His rider, however,
falls off his back trying to reach Mount Olympus. Zeus transformed him into the
constellation
Pegasus
and placed him in the sky.

Hypotheses have been proposed regarding its relationship with the
Muses
, the gods
Athena
,
Poseidon
,

Zeus, Apollo
, and the hero
Perseus
.

The symbolism of Pegasus varies with time. Symbol of wisdom and especially of
fame from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance, he became one symbol of the
poetry and the creator of sources in which the poets come to draw inspiration,
particularly in the 19th century. Pegasus is the subject of a very rich
iconography, especially through the ancient Greek pottery and paintings and
sculptures of the Renaissance. Personification of the water, solar myth, or
shaman mount, Carl Jung and his followers have seen in Pegasus a profound
symbolic esoteric in relation to the spiritual energy that allows to access to
the realm of the gods on Mount Olympus.

In the 20th and 21st century, he appeared in movies, in fantasy, in video
games and in role play, where by extension, the term Pegasus is often used to
refer to any winged horse.

Lampsacus , Lampsakos, modern:Lapseki)

was an ancient Greek

city strategically located on the eastern side of the

Hellespont

in the northern Troad
.

An inhabitant of Lampsacus was called a Lampsacene. The name has been

transmitted in the nearby modern town of

Lapseki
.

//

 History

Originally known as Pityusa or Pityussa

Pituoussa, it was colonized from

Phocaea
and

Miletus
.

During the

6th

and 5th century BC

, Lampsacus was successively dominated by

Lydia
,

Persia

, Athens
,

and Sparta
;

Artaxerxes I

assigned it to

Themistocles

with the expectation that the city supply the Persian king with

its famous wine
.

Lampsacus joined the

Delian League

after the

battle of Mycale

, and paid a tribute of twelve

talents

, a testimony to its wealth, and it had a

gold coinage in the

4th

century BC
, an activity only available to the more prosperous cities.

A revolt against the Athenians in

411 BC
was put

down by force. In 196 BC

, the

Romans

defended the town against

Antiochus the Great

, and it became an ally of Rome;

Cicero
(2

Verr. i. 24. 63) and

Strabo
(13. 1.

15) attest its continuing prosperity under Roman rule. Lampsacus was also

notable for its worship of

Priapus
, who

was said to have been born there.

Lampsacus produced a series of notable philosophers.

Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the elder)

(5th century BC) was a philosopher from

the school of

Anaxagoras
.

Strato of Lampsacus

(c. 335-c. 269 BC) was a Peripatetic philosopher and the

third director of Aristotle’s

Lyceum
at

Athens.

Euaeon of Lampsacus

was one of

Plato
‘s students.

A group of Lampsacenes were in the circle of

Epicurus
;

they included

Polyaenus of Lampsacus

(c. 340 – 278 BC) a mathematician, the philosophers

Idomeneus of Lampsacus

,

Colotes
the

satirist and

Leonteus of Lampsacus

;

Batis of Lampsacus

the wife of Idomeneus, was the sister of

Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the younger)

, whose elder brother, also a friend of

Epicurus, was

Timocrates of Lampsacus

.

 Christian

history

According to legend,

St Tryphon

was buried at Lampsacus after his martyrdom at

Nicaea

in 250 AD
.

The first known bishop

in Lampsacus was

Parthenius

, under

Constantine I

. In 364, the

see

was occupied by Marcian

and in the same year a council of bishops was held at Lampsacus.

Marcian, was summoned to the

First Council of Constantinople

of

Constantinople

in 381, but refused to retract his adherence of the

Macedonian

Christian

sect. Other known

Bishops of Lampsacus were

Daniel

, who assisted at the

Council of Chalcedon

(451);

Harmonius

(458); Constantine (680), who attended the

Third Council of Constantinople

; John (787), at Nicaea;

St. Euschemon

, a correspondent of

St. Theodore the Studite

, and a confessor of the Faith for the veneration of

images, under

Theophilus
.

The See of Lampsacus is mentioned in the “Notitiae

Episcopatuum” until about the twelfth or thirteenth century.

 Modern

settlement

The nearby settlement of

Lapseki
has

inherited the name; its population is now in the region of 11,000.