Nomos AG
Auction 21 21 Nov 2020
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IONIA. Ephesos. Circa 190-170 BC. Drachm (Silver, 17 mm, 4.16 g, 1 h), struck under the magistrate Danaos. E - Φ Bee with open wings. Rev. ΔΑΝΑΟΣ Stag standing to right, before palm tree. BMC -. Kinns, NC 1999, cited on p. 94. Clear and well-struck, with a rare magistrate's name. About extremely fine.
Interestingly enough, while uncommon elsewhere the name Danaos was used by an aristocratic Ephesian family from at least the 4th century BC on (see the Ephesian tetradrachm, BMC 36, for an earlier magistrate of the same name). In the later part of the reign of Augustus and that of Tiberius, a family descendant with this name was often the butt of jokes by his literary Roman friends – most being Vergilian scholars – who, whenever they saw him, would shout out, "Timeo danaos et dona ferens!" This, apparently, annoyed him no end.
Interestingly enough, while uncommon elsewhere the name Danaos was used by an aristocratic Ephesian family from at least the 4th century BC on (see the Ephesian tetradrachm, BMC 36, for an earlier magistrate of the same name). In the later part of the reign of Augustus and that of Tiberius, a family descendant with this name was often the butt of jokes by his literary Roman friends – most being Vergilian scholars – who, whenever they saw him, would shout out, "Timeo danaos et dona ferens!" This, apparently, annoyed him no end.