Hadrian denar, Crescent and Stars << < (2/5) > >> *curtislclay*: Strack, noting that the same type is labeled SAECVLI FELICITAS, "The Happiness of the Age", on Eastern denarii of Septimius Severus, interprets Hadrian's type as indicating the return of the seven movable heavenly bodies to their original positions, signaling the beginning of a new golden age. He cites (1) Festus: "The mathematicians call it the Great Year when the seven wandering stars complete their individual courses and return to harmony with each other", and (2) Servius on Vergil's Eclogues: "At the completion of the Great Year all of the stars return to their places and begin the next cycle of identical movements. If the movements of the stars are repeated, it follows that everything that happened will recur again, since it is obvious that everything is determined by the motions of the stars. For this reason Vergil says that the Golden Age will return and everything that happened before will be repeated." On this interpretation, we have to assume that the moon is depicted twice in the type: it is represented not only by the crescent, but also by one of the seven stars above the crescent, since it is one of the seven wandering heavenly bodies, but is also by far the most prominent of them at night, and the only one that waxes and wanes. *Massanutten*: An evening of Googling to follow up on the excellant comments of Pat and Jochen did not come up with anything useful (my fault, no doubt), but did come to the nagging conclusion that constallations are likely represented on coins by their associated image (eagle, etc). Curtis' wonderful comments, of course, returned my attention to Gert's comment that the Romans were aware of five planets (sans Earth!). I assume that their 'original position' means that they were alligned in a linear geometry. The two remaining travelers would be the moon and the sun. Because this so compelling a conclusion as a portent for a 'new age', could anyone comment on what would be interpreted as the the original position for the moon and the sun? Bob *slokind*: Can't help with actual astronomy, I'm afraid. Let me just add, what I hinted at, that I only hold to the septemtriones interpretation for the Lucretius Trio denarius. I don't think it at all unlikely that the astrological (saeculi felicitas, etc.) emphasis prevailed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and later. Though no age is quite free of astrology, from Hadrian onwards it grows like bronze disease. You get Seasons and Saeculi all over the place. Another thing, though, I'd like to know is the meaning of the Severan ones with three stars. I could suppose a crescent with a single star could be just lucky, but three like seven ought to have a specific meaning (even if that might change from one generation to the next). I remain a little troubled by the necessity of counting the moon and counting it twice. Pat L. *virtvsprobi*: This is a good thread and I'm sorry I missed it somehow. I'd like to add the image of the coin Pat mentioned earlier: Crawford 390/1; Sydenham 783; Lucretia 2. 74 BCE. G/< *dmay*: I appreciate the revival of this thread since it occurred before I joined. I am a novice in numismatics and know little about astrological issues; I come to this interest via the back door of biblical studies (especially the study of the Apocalypsis which is replete with astrological symbols). One resource that could be helpful in understanding the astrological context of symbols on coins is the rarely mentioned or consulted Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum (CCAG)1898-1953. Franz Cumont, an exceptional scholar, put together a team to catologue all ancient Greek astrological documents in European libraries. It is 12 volumes in 20 parts. I would understand the seven stars as the seven planets (Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Sol, Venus, Mercury and Luna). These seven are mentioned in numerous ancient authors, for example, Firmicus Maternus (around 330 C.E.), Ancient Astrology, Theology and Practice Matheseos Libri Viii (1975). Also in the CCAG mentioned above is the Letter of Solomon to Roboam (first- century Judean writing). In this letter the author notes seven planets. Interestingly each planet is associated with a specific plant. For example here is quote from the letter about Mars and its plant: "The plant of Ares (Mars) is the pentasites. Collect it at the hour of Ares and wear its sword-shaped leaves wrapped in wolf fur and should myriads of enemies surround you, they will not be able to hurt you, . . . Wear the root in every battle and in every battle array, and you will conquer and be saved unharmed. . . ." Evidently an ancient equivalent for body armor. Perhaps the three stars that Pat mentioned on the Severan coins represent the moon, sun, and Venus. These would have been considered the three most significant stars. An interesting aside is that Jesus is associated with Venus, the "Bright and Morning Star" (2 Peter 1:19). A male associated with Venus (Aphrodite) may seem odd but Ptolemy in Tetrabiblos 1.6.20 LCL notes that "They say too that the stars become masculine or feminine according to their aspects to the sun, for when they are morning stars and precede the sun they become masculine, and feminine when they are evening stars and follow the sun." It does seem odd to count the moon twice as Pat noted. While it seem logical that the crescent represent the moon, could it be something beside the moon? Could it be a way to represent the heavens holding the stars/planets? I did a brief look at some examples online and the stars are not aways inside the crescent however. Looking at these examples did raise another question for me. I noticed that dealers sometime display coins having the reverse with stars and the crescent differently. Is the crescent under the stars? Is it to the left? Is it above? How do we know? (I did not see any with the crescent to the right). The example of the Trio coin is clear about the position of the crescent in relationship to viewing, but when the inscription surrounds the image perhaps it is not as clear which way the crescent should be viewed. Which is up and which is down? David M. Navigation [0] Message Index [#] Next page [*] Previous page