Leu Numismatik AG
Web Auction 16 22-24 May 2021
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ASIA MINOR. Uncertain. 2nd-3rd centuries. Tessera (Lead, 17 mm, 4.41 g), Dio..., grammateus of the Boule. ΔIO BOY / ΓP Head of a boar to right. Rev. Blank. Apparently unpublished. A very interesting tessera signed by a secretary of the city council. Very fine.
From a collection of lead tesserae from Asia Minor.
Several tesserae exist that refer to the Boule, the city council. Gülbay & Kireç 232 is a tessera that is signed by the council itself, with a simple genitive legend "boules", "of the city council". More often, however, we find tesserae naming the secretary of the council, the "grammateus", as is the case with our piece. A remarkable tessera in the Vossen collection is signed by a president of the Boule, "boularches", with the name of Laouphilos (Vossen col. 45). The name of the grammateus who signed this tessera type is abbreviated. Many Greek names start with these three letters, like for example Dionysios, Diodoros, Diokles and Diogenes. It is tempting to interpret the boar's head on this tessera as an allusion to the founding legend of the city of Ephesos. Its legendary founder Androklos was instructed by the oracle of Delphi to found his city at a place indicated by a fish and a boar. One day, when Androklos and his hunting companions were grilling fish, one of them popped out of the fire, setting the bushes on fire. This startled a boar who tried to flee, but was killed by Androklos, thus fulfilling the prophecy. The scene of Androklos fighting the boar appears on a tessera type (Gülbay & Kireç 130, Vossen col. 29 = Leu Numismatik Web Auction 3, lot 1247). Another tessera shows a boar running to the right, with a spear in his back (Gülbay & Kireç 131a, 132) and finally, Vossen col. 59 has a boar's head facing to the right.
From a collection of lead tesserae from Asia Minor.
Several tesserae exist that refer to the Boule, the city council. Gülbay & Kireç 232 is a tessera that is signed by the council itself, with a simple genitive legend "boules", "of the city council". More often, however, we find tesserae naming the secretary of the council, the "grammateus", as is the case with our piece. A remarkable tessera in the Vossen collection is signed by a president of the Boule, "boularches", with the name of Laouphilos (Vossen col. 45). The name of the grammateus who signed this tessera type is abbreviated. Many Greek names start with these three letters, like for example Dionysios, Diodoros, Diokles and Diogenes. It is tempting to interpret the boar's head on this tessera as an allusion to the founding legend of the city of Ephesos. Its legendary founder Androklos was instructed by the oracle of Delphi to found his city at a place indicated by a fish and a boar. One day, when Androklos and his hunting companions were grilling fish, one of them popped out of the fire, setting the bushes on fire. This startled a boar who tried to flee, but was killed by Androklos, thus fulfilling the prophecy. The scene of Androklos fighting the boar appears on a tessera type (Gülbay & Kireç 130, Vossen col. 29 = Leu Numismatik Web Auction 3, lot 1247). Another tessera shows a boar running to the right, with a spear in his back (Gülbay & Kireç 131a, 132) and finally, Vossen col. 59 has a boar's head facing to the right.