Lydia, Magnesia
Circa 2nd-1st century BCE
AE 18mm 3.76g
Obv: diademed head of Artemis right, with bow and quiver over shoulder
Rev: ΣΙΠΥΛΟΥ / ΜΑΓΝΗΤΩΝ, Zeus and Hermes standing facing one another, holding sceptre between them.
SNG von Aulock -; SNG Copenhagen 241; BMC 6-7
Magnesia ad Sipylum may be the origin of the word “magnet”, or it may be Magnetes in Thessaly. This has been debated not only today, but also in ancient times. It has yet to be resolved, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out any day now.
Magnesia ad Sipylos is famous for the Hittite sculpture the Niobe of Sipylos, who was mentioned by Homer. She vainly boasted of having more children than Leto, and so Apollo and Artemis were dispatched to eliminate all of hers. So distraught was she that her children remained unburied for nine days, and she eventually retreated to her hometown of Sipylos.
The city became famous for the defeat of Antiochos III there in 190 BCE.
During the time of Tiberius the city was destroyed by an earthquake.
Lydia, Magnesia ad Sipylos
2nd-1st centuries BCE
AE 18,6mm 7g
Obv: Laureate head of Zeus (Sipylos?) right.
Rev: MAΓNHTΩN ΣIΠYΛOY TΩNΩPOΣ (?). Demeter(?) standing left, holding grain ears and scepter, monogram outer left
Antiochos III is defeated by Scipio Asiaticus at the Battle of Magnesia.Through treaty, Ephesos comes under the Attalids. Alabanda comes under Roman control.
Magnesia ad Sipylum and Mostene are heavily damaged by an earthquake.