Galatia, Ankyra
‘imperial Tektosagoi’
Domitian. 81-96 CE
AE 20.5mm 5.86g
Obv: AYTO ΔOMITIA KAIΣAP ΣEBAΣ YIOΣ , laureate head right.
Rev: ΣEBAΣTHNΩN TEKTOΣAΓΩN, three corn-ears in bundle.
RPC II 1623
This coin was minted by the ‘Imperial Tektasagoi’, who were a Celtic tribe who migrated to the area in the 3rd century BCE. Strabo mentioned Ankyra as a “Fortress of the Tektasagoi”.
Ankyra became today’s Ankara, the capital of modern Turkey. Like many cities in Asia Minor, it has a long history, having been settled by at least 2000 BCE. In roughly 300 BCE, Greeks from Pontos established a trading center her, but in 278 BCE it was occupied by Celts. The Celtic language, in fact, remained in use there for at least 700 years.
Augustus later raised the city to the status of polis. The city grew rapidly and at one point houses approximately 200,000.