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Æ21 - Gordian III ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ ΑϹΤΡΑΙΟϹ
| Issuer | Metropolis (Ionia) (Conventus of Ephesus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 238-244 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | The river god Astraios, eponymous deity of the local river, reclines to the left in the characteristic pose of ancient river-god iconography. He is depicted semi-nude, holding a reed in one hand while resting his arm upon a tilted water urn from which a stream flows. The encircling Greek legend names both the issuing civic authority and the deity, framing the composition around the field. |
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| Additional information |
Metropolis in Ionia was a minor city that punched well above its weight in civic coinage during the third century, exploiting the relative autonomy Rome permitted to cities within the Ephesian conventus to mint bronze for local use. The epithet ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ on these civic issues asserts civic pride rather than administrative rank — Metropolis was never a provincial metropolis in the technical sense. ΑϹΤΡΑΙΟϹ, a local cult epithet of Zeus tied to the astral worship attested in Lydian and Ionian border regions, points to a religious tradition specific enough to distinguish Metropolis from neighboring minting cities.