Corpus Nummorum

The Ancient Coins of Troas

Famed for Homer, the Troas is a historical region in north-western Anatolia. Its strategic position at the Hellespont, the cross-roads between west and east, as well as between north and south, was responsible not only for the wealth of the local Greek communities but also for their turbulent history. In Greek and Roman times, twenty five different mints were active in the region, including the island of Tenedos.

Type of the Month

Asclepius in Pergamon

The Coronavirus pandemic still has us firmly in its grip, and the importance of health and wellness is currently playing a major role in public awareness. In ancient times, Asclepius was the god of healing for the Greeks. After the eminent sanctuary was erected in Epidauros, other sanctuaries to this deity were founded in the 5th century BC at suitable locations in Sikyon and Athens and in the 4th century BC in Kos, Erythrai, and Pergamon. The sanctuary of Asclepius in Pergamon, located at a slightly radioactive spring at the base of its acropolis hill, has been an important site since prehistoric times.

The Type of this Month is presented by Bernhard Weisser