Smyrna was a Greek city dating back to antiquity located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia.
Smyrna was founded twice. Old Smyrna was the initial settlement founded around the 11th century BC, first as an Aeolian settlement, and later taken over and developed during the Archaic Period by the Ionians. Smyrna proper was the new city which residents moved to as of the 4th century BC and whose foundation was inspired by Alexander the Great.
At the end of the Hellenistic period, in 197 BC, the city suddenly cut its ties with King Eumenes of Pergamum and instead appealed to Rome for help. Because Rome and Smyrna had no ties until then, Smyrna created a cult of Rome to establish a bond, and the cult eventually became widespread through the whole Roman Empire. As of 195 BC, the city of Rome started to be deified, in the cult to the goddess Roma. In this sense, the Smyrneans can be considered as the creators of the goddess Roma.
The core of the late Hellenistic and early Roman Smyrna is preserved in the large area of İzmir Agora Open Air Museum.
Smyrna was founded twice. Old Smyrna was the initial settlement founded around the 11th century BC, first as an Aeolian settlement, and later taken over and developed during the Archaic Period by the Ionians. Smyrna proper was the new city which residents moved to as of the 4th century BC and whose foundation was inspired by Alexander the Great.
At the end of the Hellenistic period, in 197 BC, the city suddenly cut its ties with King Eumenes of Pergamum and instead appealed to Rome for help. Because Rome and Smyrna had no ties until then, Smyrna created a cult of Rome to establish a bond, and the cult eventually became widespread through the whole Roman Empire. As of 195 BC, the city of Rome started to be deified, in the cult to the goddess Roma. In this sense, the Smyrneans can be considered as the creators of the goddess Roma.
The core of the late Hellenistic and early Roman Smyrna is preserved in the large area of İzmir Agora Open Air Museum.
Modern location: Izmir, Turkey
(1)
Antiochus I
Obverse: helmeted head of Athena facing
Reverse: Nike holding wreath and palm walking left; BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTIOXOY, (MΛ) within wreath
Diameter:
13 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 2.55 g
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 2.55 g
http://numismatics.org/sco/id/sc.1.315
SC I 315; Newell, WSM 1369; SNG Cop. 77; SNG Spaer 233
(2)
Smyrna
Obverse: head of Zeus Arkaios right; ZEYC AKPAIOC
Reverse: eagle standing left, head right, wreath in beak; CMVPNA_IΩN
Diameter:
16.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 2.7 g
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 2.7 g
No notes for this coin
SNG Cop 1287; BMC Ionia, p. 255, 165
