MAGNESIA ad MAENDRUM 400BC Apollo & Bull Authentic Ancient Greek Coin i31772

Item: i31772

Authentic Ancient Coin of:

Greek City of Magnesia (ad Maeandrum) in Ionia
Bronze 14mm (1.77 grams) Struck circa 400-350 B.C.
Reference: SNG München 593; SNG Copenhagen 802; SNG Kayhan 408
Laureate head of Apollo left.
Forepart of bull butting right, MAΓ above.

Situated south-east of Ephesus, on a tributary of the Maeander,

Magnesia was originally founded from Thessaly but was re-established by

colonists from Miletos in the 7th century B.C.

You are bidding on the exact item pictured,

Authenticity.

In

Greek

and

Roman mythology

, Apollo
,

is one of the most important and diverse of the

Olympian deities

. The ideal of the

kouros
(a

beardless youth), Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light and the

sun; truth and prophecy;

archery
;

medicine and healing; music, poetry, and the arts; and more. Apollo is the son

of Zeus
and

Leto, and has a

twin

sister, the chaste huntress

Artemis
.

Apollo is known in Greek-influenced

Etruscan mythology

as Apulu. Apollo was worshiped in both

ancient Greek

and

Roman religion

, as well as in the modern

Greco

–Roman

Neopaganism

.

As the patron of Delphi

(Pythian Apollo), Apollo was an

oracular

god — the prophetic deity of the

Delphic Oracle
.

Medicine and healing were associated with Apollo, whether through the god

himself or mediated through his son

Asclepius
,

yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly

plague

as well as one who had the ability to cure. Amongst the god’s

custodial charges, Apollo became associated with dominion over

colonists

, and as the patron defender of herds and flocks. As the leader of

the Muses
(Apollon

Musagetes) and director of their choir, Apollo functioned as the patron god

of music and poetry
.

Hermes
created

the lyre
for him,

and the instrument became a common

attribute

of Apollo. Hymns sung to Apollo were called

paeans
.

In Hellenistic times, especially during the third century BCE, as Apollo

Helios he became identified among Greeks with

Helios
,

god of

the sun
, and his sister Artemis similarly equated with

Selene
,

goddess

of the moon
.

In Latin texts, on the other hand, Joseph Fontenrose declared himself unable to

find any conflation of Apollo with

Sol

among the

Augustan poets

of the first century, not even in the conjurations of

Aeneas
and

Latinus
in

Aeneid
XII

(161–215).

Apollo and Helios/Sol remained separate beings in literary and mythological

texts until the third century CE.

Magnesia

(Greek:

Μαγνησία, Magnisía, IPA: [maÉ£niˈsia]),

deriving from the tribe name

Magnetes
,

is the name of the southeastern area of

Thessaly
in

central Greece
.

The modern prefecture (�ομός Μαγνησίας) was created in 1947 out of the Larissa

prefecture. About 70% of the population live in the Greater

Volos
area which

is the second-largest city in Thessaly and the third busiest commercial port in

Greece. Much of the population lives near the

Pagasetic Gulf

and in the eastern part. The chemical element,

Magnesium
,

was named after the “City of Magnesia” by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1808^[citation

needed]

The capital of Magnesia prefecture is the metropolitan city of

Volos
. According

to the most recent census (2001), the population stands at 207,000. The

prefecture of Magnesia includes the

Northern

Sporades

group of islands (Skiathos,

Skopelos

and Alonissos
.

The prefecture also includes the

Alonissos Marine Park

. The prefecture hosts 2,000,000 tourists annually.

Magnesia is represented in the

Greek Parliament

by five members.

//

 Geography

The natural landscape of Magnesia consists of wooded mountains, cultivated

flat land, and coastline. One of the area’s main elements is the

Pelion
mountain

range which is located the eastern region of the Prefecture and forms the

eastern edge of the

Pagasetic Gulf

.

The ranges’ highest peak is

Pourianos Stavros

or Xeforti, (altitude 1624 metres). On the edge of

Magnesia

peninsula

Tiseo

mountain is found, which is considered to be the Southeast edge of

Pelion
.

Mt.

Maurovouni

(1054 metres) is the northeastly most mountain of the prefecture

and extends to the neighboring prefecture of

Larissa
.

The southwest border of the prefecture is Mt.Othry,

with its highest peak called

Gerakovouni

(1726 metres) and forms the boundary with the prefecture of

Phthiotis
.

The interior of Magnesia has two plains. One found between Mt. Halkodonio

(725 metres) and Othry is called

Almyros

plain
, while the

other between Halkodonio and

Pelion
is

called the Volos
–Velestino

plain. The hydrological network of the prefecture is not particularly rich and

is characterized by the absence of big

rivers

. The waters coming from

Pelion
shape

the rivers Anavros

, Platanorema, and Xirias.

In the North

section of the prefecture

Lake Karla

was formerly found. Lake Karla was drained in 1962, but attempts have been made

for its partial restoration.

On the bight of Sourpi

, next to

Amaliapolis

a coastal

wetland
is

found, with various species of

migratory birds

. This wetland together with the forest of

Kouri
– an

infrequent lowland

of Oak

tree forest

close to Almyros

– is included in the list of the protected regions of the

European

Network Natura 2000

.

The

Pagasetic Gulf

dominates the interior coastline of Magnesia.

 Climate

The average

temperature

is 17

degrees Celsius

and the average rainfall about 540 millimetres per year.

Heat waves and intense cold periods are rare. During the summer the temperature

rises up to about 37 to 38 °C in August. The climate varies in different parts

of the prefecture; close to the

Pagasetic Gulf

conditions are humid, in

Nea Ionia

it is quite dry and in

Velestino

and Almyros

is the climate is continental. In winter there is significant

snowfall in the mountains and often freezing temperatures.

 History

 Antiquity

According to Hesiod

‘s (probably) “Eoiae” (Greek:

Ηοίαι) or “Catalogue

of Women“^[2]

on the origin of the

Greeks
, Pandora

(named after her grandmother

Pandora
,

sister of Hellen

and daughter of

Deukalion

and Pyrrha

) together with Zeus had one son

Graecus
,

while Zeus had two more with

Thyia
, another of

Deukalion’s daughter:

Magnes
and

Macedon

. Magnes and Makednos together with

Hellen
‘s three

sons Dorus
,

Xuthus
(with

his sons

Ion

and

Achaeus

) and

Aeolos

, comprised the set of progenitors of the ancient tribes that formed

the Greek
/Hellenic

nation. Magnes ruled the area and people under his name. Magnesia is also

homeland of the mythical heroes

Jason
,

Peleus
and his

son Achilles
.

The word magnet

comes from the Greek “magnítis líthos” (μαγνήτης λίθος), which means “magnesian

stone”. The names for the elements

magnesium

and manganese

are also derived from this region, which in addition to the magnetic magnetite

(an iron ore), produces certain ores of magnesium and manganese that were known

to alchemists. The Magnetes contributed to the

Greek colonization

, with their main colonies being established before the

7th century BC, under the names of Magnesia beside Sipylus in Lydia and Magnesia

on the Maeander in Ionia.

 Christian

era

Written accounts and remains from the 5th century AD document the appearance

of Christianity in Magnesia. The minutes of the 3rd Ecumenical Conference are

co-signed by the Bishop of Dimitriada Cleonikos. Five basilicas have been

revealed in Nea Anhialos, showing that the area was undergoing a spiritual

growth in that era. Magnesias has churches, monasteries and chapels, many of

which are architectural masterpieces in the style that is called “Pelioritica”.

In the area of Pelion are the monastery of Saint Yerasimos in Makrinitsa, The

Holy Archangels in Agios Georgios Nilias, Osios Lavredios in Agios Lavrendis,

Saint John the Baptist in Siki and Saint Spiridon in Promiri. The most famous is

the Monastery in Flamouri, built in the 16th century by Osios Simeon, the

so-called “barefoot and loin-clothed”, located above Veneto.

In the Almiros area and on the mountain of Othris two other monasteries were

built, one inhabited by

monks

in Ano Pagania (Virgin Mary) Xenia and the other by

nuns

in Kato Panagia Xenia. This monastery holds historical monuments of the

area from the 12th century, with of frescoes, treasuries and a library. In Kato

Panagia Xenia monastery, an icon of the Virgin Mary, venerated by the people of

the area, is kept. All the monasteries are of archeological, historical and

artistic interest and are accessible (the one in Flamouri only by men).