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Æ30 - Commodus ϹΤΡ ΑΙ ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΟΥ ϹΜΥΡ ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΟΜΟ
| Issuer | Smyrna (Conventus of Smyrna) |
|---|---|
| Year | 184-190 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse description | Laureate bust of Commodus with long beard, draped in paludamentum and cuirass, facing right and viewed from the rear, presented in the heroic military style typical of later Antonine provincial portraiture. The obverse legend encircles the effigy in Greek characters, identifying the emperor by his imperial titulature. The portrait displays the characteristic heavy drapery folds of the cuirass over the left shoulder, with the paludamentum secured at the right. The rendering follows the Asiatic workshop tradition, with bold, deeply cut relief suited to the large flan. |
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| Obverse lettering | ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Μ ΑΥΡ ΚΟΜΜΟΔΟϹ |
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The homonoia (ΟΜΟ) designation on this issue records a formal friendship alliance between Smyrna and Athens — a civic relationship the Smyrnaeans cultivated aggressively during the second century as part of their competition with Ephesus and Pergamon for prestige and Roman favor. Smyrna had been granted the title of "first city of Asia" under Hadrian, and these alliance coinages were a deliberate tool of soft diplomacy, advertising Smyrna's pan-Hellenic connections to anyone handling the bronze.
The magistrate named in the obverse legend, Herakleides, is otherwise unattested outside the coin series itself.