Nomos AG
Auction 18 5 May 2019
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CILICIA. Isaura. Caracalla, 198-217. Diassarion (Bronze, 24 mm, 9.04 g, 7 h), c. 205-208. AV K M AV ANTΩNЄINOC Laureate and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right, with sideburns but no beard, drapery over his far shoulder and aegis on his cuirass. Rev. MHTPOΠOΛЄΩC ICAVPΩN Tetrastyle temple with arched pediment, and, within the center intercolumniation, low column topped with a bust of Herakles to right. SNG France 496 (obverse die) and 498 (reverse die). A splendid coin with a dark black/green patina and an elegant portrait of the young Caracalla. The obverse slightly double-struck, otherwise, good extremely fine.
The relatively minor mint of Isaura was the capital of a district of Cilician Trachea of the same name. This area was known, since the time of Alexander, for its unpleasant, aggressive and fractious population; the Isaurians were definitely not good neighbors! They supported the famous pirates of Cilicia and, in 75 BC they were severely defeated by the proconsul Publius Servilius Vatia (who, in 74, was given the agnomen Isauricus in recognition of his feat; somewhat amazingly, he kept none of the booty for himself, an action considered remarkable by his contemporaries). In fact, they continued being menaces to one and all throughout the Roman period; in 404 they launched a major series of raids, which were defeated by an expedition sent by Arcadius under the comes rei militaris Arbazacius, who himself was either an Isaurian of Armenian descent, or an Armenian of Isaurian descent. In any event, after accumulating a great deal of booty Arbazacius settled down to a life devoted to wine, women and money (he escaped prosecution because he bribed the empress Aelia Eudoxia). His greed was so well-known that the wits of Constantinople mockingly changed his name to Harpazacius = Grabber!.
The relatively minor mint of Isaura was the capital of a district of Cilician Trachea of the same name. This area was known, since the time of Alexander, for its unpleasant, aggressive and fractious population; the Isaurians were definitely not good neighbors! They supported the famous pirates of Cilicia and, in 75 BC they were severely defeated by the proconsul Publius Servilius Vatia (who, in 74, was given the agnomen Isauricus in recognition of his feat; somewhat amazingly, he kept none of the booty for himself, an action considered remarkable by his contemporaries). In fact, they continued being menaces to one and all throughout the Roman period; in 404 they launched a major series of raids, which were defeated by an expedition sent by Arcadius under the comes rei militaris Arbazacius, who himself was either an Isaurian of Armenian descent, or an Armenian of Isaurian descent. In any event, after accumulating a great deal of booty Arbazacius settled down to a life devoted to wine, women and money (he escaped prosecution because he bribed the empress Aelia Eudoxia). His greed was so well-known that the wits of Constantinople mockingly changed his name to Harpazacius = Grabber!.