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Greek city of
Myrina in
Aeolis
Bronze 9mm (1.26 grams) Struck circa 400-200 B.C.
Reference: Sear 4219 var. (size); SNG München 570; SNG Copenhagen 216; SNG von
Aulock –
Head of Athena right, in crested helmet.
MY-PI either side of amphora.
Situated north-east of Kyme, Myrina was overshadowed by its
powerful neighbor, though it appears to have been a place of some importance in
Hellenistic times.
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Authenticity.
Athena
or Athene (Latin:
Minerva
),
also referred to as Pallas Athena, is the goddess of war, civilization,
wisdom, strength, strategy, crafts, justice and skill in
Greek mythology
.
Minerva
,
Athena’s Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is also a shrewd
companion of heroes
and the goddess
of heroic
endeavour. She is the
virgin
patron of Athens
.
The Athenians built the
Parthenon
on the Acropolis of her namesake city, Athens, in her honour (Athena Parthenos).
Athena’s cult as the patron of Athens seems to have existed from the earliest
times and was so persistent that archaic myths about her were recast to adapt to
cultural changes. In her role as a protector of the city (polis),
many people throughout the Greek world worshiped Athena as Athena Polias
(“Athena of the city”).
Athens
and Athena bear etymologically connected names.
An amphora (plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of
vase-shaped, usually
ceramic
(specimens in materials such as metal
occur occasionally) container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the
body. The word amphora is
Latin
, derived from the
Greek
amphoreus (αμφορεύς),
an abbreviation of amphiphoreus (αμφιφορεύς),
a compound word combining amphi- (“on both sides”, “twain”) plus
phoreus (“carrier”), from pherein (“to carry”), referring to the
vessel’s two carrying handles on opposite sides.[1]
Further, the term also stands for an ancient
Roman unit of measurement
for liquids. The
volume of a Roman amphora was one cubic
foot
, ca. 26,026
L
.
Amphorae were used in vast numbers to transport and store various products,
both liquid and dry, in the ancient
Mediterranean
world and later the
Roman Empire
, and in some periods the shape was
also used for luxury pottery, which might be elaborately painted. Stoppers of
perishable materials which have rarely survived were used to seal the contents.
Two principal types of amphorae existed: the neck amphora, in which the
neck and body meet at a sharp angle; and the one-piece amphora, in which
the neck and body form a continuous curve. Neck amphorae were commonly used in
the early history of ancient Greece but were gradually replaced by the one-piece
type from around the 7th century BCE onwards. Most were produced with a pointed
base to allow upright storage by being partly embedded in sand or soft ground.
This also facilitated transport by ship, where the amphorae were tightly packed
together, with ropes passed through their handles to prevent breaking or
toppling during rough seas. In kitchens and shops amphorae could be stored in
racks with round holes in them.
Amphorae varied greatly in height. The largest could stand as much as 1.5
metres (5 ft) high, while some were under 30 centimetres (12 in) high – the
smallest were called amphoriskoi (literally “little amphorae”). Most were around
45 centimetres (18 in) high. There was a significant degree of standardisation
in some variants; the wine amphora held a standard measure of about 39 litres
(41 US qt), giving rise to the amphora quadrantal as a unit of measure in the
Roman Empire. In all, around 66 distinct types of amphora have been identified.
Myrina (Greek:
Μυρίνα), was one of the
Aeolian
cities on the western coast of
Mysia
, about 40
stadia
to the southwest of
Gryneium
.
Its site is believed to be occupied by the modern
Sandarlik
at the mouth of the
Koca Çay
.
It is said to have been founded by one Myrinus before the other Aeolian
cities,
or by the Amazon
Myrina
.
Artaxerxes
gave Gryneium and Myrina to
Gongylus
,
an Eretrian
,
who had been banished from his native city for favoring the interests of
Persia
.
Myrina was a very strong place,
though not very large, and had a good harbor.
Pliny
mentions that it bore the surname of Sebastopolis; while, according to
Syncellus
,
it was also called Smyrna. For some time Myrina was occupied by
Philip of Macedon
; but the
Romans
compelled him to evacuate it, and declared the place free.
It twice suffered severe earthquakes; first in the reign of
Tiberius
,
on which occasion it received a remission of duties on account of the loss it
had sustained; and a second time in the reign of
Trajan
.
The town was restored each time, and continued to exist until a late period.
Myrina minted coins in antiquity, some of which survive.
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