Pataridze M., Mikeladze D. Aristarchus, the Ruler of Colchis numismatic research

Maia Pataridze Georgian National museum (Georgia, Tbilisi)

David Mikeladze Independent Researcher (Georgia, Tbilisi)

Aristarchus, the Ruler of Colchis (numismatic research)

summary

A new specimen of the coin of Aristarchus of Colchis was found in the vicinity of Igoeti in 2018. The presented paper aims to publish and introduce this find to scholarly community as we believe every new discovery is a significant asset for the further research. Besides, we managed to get photocopies from the world’s museums (Berlin Bode Museum Munzkabinett, Ashmolean Museum (Oxford), British Museum, Cabinet of Medals at Paris, St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum) where Aristarchus’ coins are preserved and publish them together with the new specimen. One of the authors of the article had an opportunity to inspect the Berlin coin. Aristarchus coins were hitherto known to the students through plaster impressions. The iconography of these coins from different museums had been studied as comprehensively as possible. The present paper offers detailed description of all coins minted in the name of Aristarchus ruler of Colchis done on the basis of digital photocopies along with the lately discovered specimen. New details and features are added on to the previous descriptions. The comparative-stylistic analysis made it possible to trace dynamics of degradation of iconography and identification of various coin dies. Emission frequency rates were also clarified through analysis of various dies. The authors tried to raise an issue on continuation of the emission. Namely, it is suggested that the emission continued after Aristarchus was no more a ruler due to the demands of local market.

The paper primarily aimed at publishing a new discovery of coins of Aristarchus from Igoeti -an interesting and important asset for further research, since the number of Aristarchus coins is small.

bibliografia

dundua giorgi. ras mogviTxroben Zveleburi monetebi, Tbilisi 1968. dundua giorgi, dundua Tedo. qarTuli numizmatika I. Tbilisi, 2006 kapanaZe daviT. qarTuli numizmatika, Tbilisi, 1969; lorTqifaniZe oTar. antikuri arqeologia (Zveli saberZneTi), Tbilisi 1971.

Голенко Константин, Денежное обращение Колхиды в римское время, Ленинград, 1964. Голенко Константин, “Аристарх колхидский и его монеты”, Вестник древней истории , 4(130), Москва 1974, Ст.106 Дундуа Гиорги, Нумизматика античной грузии, Тбилиси 1987. Капанадзе Давид, Грузинская нумизматика, 1955 Капанадзе Давид, Шенгелия И. “Триорфная Геката с колхидской дидрахмы V в. До н. э.”, АИКСП (Античная история и культура средиземноморья и причерноморья), 1968, 154; Лордкипанидзе Гурам, К истории древней Колхиды, Тбилиси. 1970 Меликишвили Гиорги, К Истории Древней Грузии, Тбилиси 1959 Ретовский Отто, “Драхма Аристарха Колхидского из собрания Имп. Эрмитажа”, Труды

МНО (Московское Нумизматическое обшество) т. III, вып. 2, 1903; Флавий Арриан, Объезд Эвксинского Понта, II. Вестник древней истории, 1948, N1, 268 Babelon Ernest. “La collection Waddington au Cabinet des Médailles”, inventaire sommaire,

B N 1897 Dundua Tedo, “Georgia within the European Integration”. Graeco-Roman World, Byzantine

Commonwealth, Orthodox Alliance and the Georgians. Tb. 2013. Fox, Charles R. Engravings of Unedited or Rate Coins with Descriptions, Part II, L., 1862 Jenkins, Gilbert, K. “Recent Acquisitions of Greek Coins by the British Museum”, NC (The

Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Royal Numismatic Society) 1959 Koehne, Bernhard. “Drachms of Aristarchos, Dynast of Colchis”, NC (The Numismatic Chronicle), 1877, Lang, David, M. The Georgians, “Ancient Peoples and Place”, L., 1966 P[rokesch] - O [sten], Unedierte griechische Münzen aus der Sammlung des Freiherrn von

ProkeschßOsten, “Archäologische Zeitung” (Wien), März 1849; Tsetskhladze Gocha. “On the numismatics of Colchis: the classical archaeologist’s perspective”. Dialogues d’histoire ancienne, vol. 19, n°1, 1993. Waddingdon William H. “Un voyage en Asie Mineure au point de vue numismatique”, RN (Revue Numismatique), 1853

tabulis aRweriloba:

I. 1. aristarxe kolxelis monetebis zogadi rekonstruirebuli grafika; 2. berlini, bodes muzeumi; 3. oqsfordi, aSmolis muzeumi; 4. didi britaneTis muzeumi; 5. sankt-peterburgi, ermitaJi 1; 6. sankt-peterburgi, ermitaJi 2; 7. parizis medlebis kabineti; 8. moneta igoeTidan; 9. publius septimius getas moneta; 10. lisimaxes stateris minabaZi.

Illustrations:

I. 1. General reconstructed graphics of the coins of Aristarchus Colchis; 2. Berlin Bode Museum Munzkabinett; 3. Ashmolean Museum (Oxford); 4. British Museum 5. St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum, 1; 6. St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum, 2; 7 Cabinet of Medals at Paris; 8. Coin from Igoeti; 9. Publius Septimius Geta Coins; 10. The imitation of stater of Lysi- Aristarchus.

I

marine fircxalava saqarTvelos erovnuli muzeumi (saqarTvelo, Tbilisi)

winareantikuri xanis kolxuri keramikis erTi jgufi vanis naqalaqaridan

2003-2004 ww. vanis naqalaqaris centralur terasaze, mis dasavleT nawilSi, gamovlinda hidro-sainJinro sistemis erTi mTavar nawilTagani _ saxeldobr, kldeSi nakveTi, kldovani tixriT gamijnuli wyvili cisterna, wyalmomaragebis aucilebeli elementi; maTgan erTi, sagrZnoblad Rrma, sadac Zv.w. VIII-VII ss. kolxuri keramikis 1000 - mde fragmenti aRmoCnda, antikur samyaroSi cnobili cisternebis msgavsad, filtracias emsaxureboda, xolo meoreSi, romelSic gvianelinisturi xanis keramikis fragmentebi aRmoCnda, gafiltruli wyali grovdeboda1. TiToeulSi fiqsirebuli masalis aseTi mkveTri qronologiuri gansxvavebis miuxedavad, es erTiani kompleqsia, romelic erTdroulad funqcionirebda da erTdroulad daingra: mcire ormo-cisternaSi fiqsirebuli masala maTi funqcionirebis xanas unda mivakuTvnoT, xolo `didi ormos~ SevsebaSi gamovlenili winareantikuri epoqis keramikuli masala unda miviCnioT im sagangebo `Sevsebad~, romelic am ormos gamarTvisas mohyva fxvier Tirovan fenas. masSi aRmoCenil Zv.w. VIII-VII saukuneebis keramikis aseulobiT fragments Soris sxva periodis arc erTi natexi ar yofila napovni. esaa koleqcia, romelic kolxeTis e.w. winareantikurad wodebuli Tixis nawarmisaTvis damaxasiaTebeli formebisa da ornamentis matarebelia, romelsac boris kuftini aRiqvamda, rogorc axal safexurs kolxuri keramikis ganviTarebaSi. es xana sadReisod, rogorc cnobilia, Zv.w. VIII-VII saukuneebiTaa gansazRvruli2 . keramikuli nawarmis fragmentulobis miuxedavad, WurWlis formebze warmodgenas gviqmis paraleluri masala (tab. I). gansakuTrebuli mravalferovnebiTa da daxvewili naxatiT xasiaTdeba am epoqisTvis tipiuri da am koleqciaSi warmodgenili ornamenti (tab. II, III). ornamentul motivebs Soris aris saxeebi, romlebic Zv.w. VIII-VII saukuneebSi Cndeba, magram am xanaSi ar aris farTod gavrcelebuli mTel kolxeTSi; amis miuxedavad, isini am etapisTvis damaxasiaTebladaa miCneuli, radgan am xanisaTvis tipiuri

1. marine fircxalava, `wyalmomaragebis sistemis arsebobis arqeologiuri dadastureba vanis naqalaqarze~, iberia-kolxeTi, (2011), 54-62. 2. Борис Куфтин, Материалы к Археологии Колхиды II, (Тбилиси, 1950), 91-102; vera Tolordava, `vanis Zv.w. VIII-VII saukuneebis sakulto kompleqsi (qronologiisaTvis)~. Ziebani, damatebani IV (Tbilisi, 2001): 37-42.

WurWlis SemkulobaSi gvxvdeba da, boris kuftinis gamoTqma rom vixmaroT, maT izolirebuli mdgomareoba ukaviaT ornamentis danarCen saxeebs Soris3. esenia _ tvifriT datanili koncentruli wreebi (tab. III; IV, 1-4) da spiraluri ornamentis variantebi _ e.w. rvianSi Cawerili spirali (tab. II, 7) da `gadabmuli spiralis~, an igive `mikenuri spiralis~ saxeliT cnobili motivebi4 (tab. III). es ukanaskneli warmoadgens xazebiT SeerTebul erTimeoreSi Casmul spiralur xveulebs; xveulebi tvifriTaa datanili, xolo gadabmis xazebi wvetiani instrumentiTaa gavlebuli. SeniSnulia, rom kolxuri keramikisTvis ornamentis es iSviaTi motivebi uxvad gvxvdeba Tanadroul brinjaos mxatvruli xelosnobis nivTebze _ rogorc kolxuri kulturis grafikuli dekoriT Semkul sagnebze, aseve centralur-amierkavkasiur sartylebze. sagangebod minda SevCerde koncentruli wreebiT Sedgenil ornamentze, romelic gansakuTrebul interess iwvevs (tab. II, 8, 9; IV, 1-4). gvaqvs ori gansxvavebuli varianti, rac wreTa sxvadasxva diametrsa da kveTis siRrmeSi gamoixateba: 1,5 sm da 4 sm diametrisa. didi diametris mqone TiToeuli wre Sedgeba ori Rrmad CaWdeuli koncentruli wrexazisagan SuaSi wertiliT. kveTa imdenad Rrmaa, rom ornaments reliefuri ieri aqvs. amas aZlierebs konusuri, 1 sm simaRlis kopebi _ Sverilebi, romlebic yoveli mesame wriuli naWdevis Semdegaa dasmuli, e.i. kopebs Soris sami koncentruli wrea. wreTa erTgvarovneba migvaniSnebs erTi da igive Stampis gamoyenebaze. es ornamenti didi zomis WurWlis mxarze qmnis koncentruli wreebiT Sedgenil sartyels (SemorCenilia sami rigi), amasTan kopebi mxolod zeda rigzea daZerwili. mcire zomis WurWlis kuTvnil fragmentze ki wreebis rigebiT Semkulia korpusis gamoberili nawili _ saxezea oTxi rigi (tab. IV, 4). vans garda es naxati damowmebulia dablagomSi nasaydrevisa da nacixvaris borcvebze kuftinis mier mopovebuli WurWlebis mxrebsa da kedlebze da rac gansakuTrebul yuradRebas ipyrobs, es motivi mniSvnelovan rols TamaSobs cxovelis figurebis gamosaxulebiani didi zomis WurWlebis mxris SemkobaSi5 (tab. IV, 5, 6, 7). dablagomis sam sxvadasxva fragmentze, rbil Tixaze wvetiani instrumentiT amokveTili TiTo zoomorfuli figura swored koncentruli wreebisa da iribi Rarebis kombinaciiT Sedgenil sartylebs Sorisaa moTavsebuli; erT natexze wriulad ganlagebuli koncentruli wreebive qmnian erTian diskos _ solarul sxeuls, romliskenac miemarTeba cxoveli, Tavadac am wreebis mwkriviT aqvs dafaruli tanis nawili kisrisa da drunCis CaTvliT. meore fragmentze cxovelis figura dgas samkuTxa `borcvis~ Tu gorakis (rogorc mas kuftini uwodebs) win da mis kuTxeebSi isev vxedavT koncentrul wreebs. kuftinis ganmartebiT, esaa zoomorfuli xazovani gamosaxulebebi, Sesrulebuli pirobiTi, geometrizirebuli maneriT.

3. Куфтин, Материалы, 97. 4. Norbert Kunisch, Ornamente Geometrischer Vasen (Böhlau, 1998), 230-231, e,f; Куфтин, Материалы, 192, tab. 46,4; 57,3; sur. 48, ## 40, 82. 5. Куфтин, Материалы, 103-105, sur. 27, 28, 29.

ar yofila mkafiod gansazRvruli am fragmentebis TariRi; kuftini keramikis am jgufs arqauls uwodebda6; sayuradReboa, rom isini imave fenaSia napovni, sadac koncentrul wreebiani motivi e.w. uTosebryuriani (es terminic kuftinis damkvidrebulia) kaTxis korpusze gvxvdeba (tab. IV, 8), am tipis yuri ki winareantikuri xanisTvisaa damaxasiaTebeli.7 ase rom ar SevcdebiT, Tu vityviT, rom zoomorful gamosaxulebiani nimuSebic imave xanisa unda iyos. am motivma _ mxedvelobaSi maqvs koncentruli wreebis mwkrivi cxovelis tanze _ migviyvana geometriuli stilis mcire plastikis zogierT sinqronul artefaqtTan saberZneTidan. dablagomis fragmentze gamosaxuli cxovelis tanze koncentruli wreebi CaWdeulia ara mxolod sxeulis romelime nawilze (sxvadasxva saxis solaruli niSani mxarze da TeZoze, rogorc amas Zvel samyaroSi vxvdebiT), aramed am wreebis mwkrivi miemarTeba tanidan grZel kiserze da Semdeg drunCze gadadis. cxovelis sxeulis analogiur dafarvas koncentruli wreebiT vxvdebiT cxenisa da Svlis Zv.w. VIII s-is brinjaos mcire zomis qandakebebze: aseTia Tebes kabirionis patara qandakeba irmisa, romelic kvebavs nukrs (tab. V, 3). mis tansa da rqebze amokveTili koncentruli wreebis mwkrivia8 . aseTive naxatia cxenebis brinjaos figurebze9 (tab. V, 1-2) _ koncentruli wreebis mwkrivi Tvalis aRsaniSnavad, grZel kiserze, mxarsa da TeZoze. cxenis es tipi, koncentruli wreebiT, iTvleba, rom olimpiaSi Cndeba da misi gviandeli formiT miekuTvneba geometriuli stilis ostatTa korinTul skolas da, rogorc fiqroben, is Zv.w. VIII saukunis Suaxanebze adreuli xaniT ver daTariRdeba. aq yuradReba minda mivaqcioT imasac, rom dablagomis cxovelis drunCi erTgvarad trapeciiseburad farTovdeba da am niSniTac mogvagonebs cxenis xsenebul figurebs maTi Taviseburi, e.w. `goWis dingiseburi~, rogorc maT uwodeben, drunCiT. adre vaxsene, rom boris kuftini tvifriT datanili koncentruli wreebiT Sedgenil ornaments Zv.w. VIII-VII saukuneebis kolxeTSi izolirebulad miiCnevda. igive dakvirveba hqonda caca Tolordavas vanis analogiuri masalis mimarT. aq minda ganvagrZo es Tema da SegaxsenoT, rom oTar lorTqifaniZe, Zv.w. VIII-VII saukuneebis kolxeTis istoriis kvlevisas SeniSnavda, rom am xanis arqeologiuri masala TiTqos adasturebs wyaroebis safuZvelze gamoTqmul mosazrebas Zv.w. VIII-VII saukuneebSi, e.i. kolonizaciamdel xanaSi, berZnul samyarosa da kolxeTs Soris arsebuli urTierTobebis Sesaxeb10; da am kolonizaciamdeli berZnul-kolxuri kontaqtebis arapirdapir (hipoTetur) mowmobad miiCnevda im siaxleebs, romlebic am xanaSi Tavs

6. Куфтин, Материалы, 102. 7. Tolordava, vanis Zv.w. VIII-VII, 38, tab. IV, 9-17; Куфтин, Материалы, 99,tab. 36, 4. 8. Mary Comstock and Cornelius Vermeule, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Bronzes in the Muzeum of Fine Arts (Boston, Massachusetts. 1971). 5, sur. 3. 9. Comstock. and Vermeule, Greek, 8, sur. 6. 10. oTar lorTqifaniZe, Zveli qarTuli civilizaciis saTaveebTan (Tbilisi, 2002), 188-190.

iCens kolxeTis materialur kulturaSi, da romlebsac man tipologiuri msgavsebani mouZebna gviangeometriuli xanis saberZneTis materialuri kulturis ZeglebTan. esenia keramikuli formebi _ kanTarosiseburi da kalaTosiseburi WurWlebi, mcire skulpturebi (ormagprotomiani figurebi kolxeTSi da saberZneTSi), brinjaos antropomorfuli plastika; aseTive kavSirebs varaudobda keramikis Semkulobis motivebSi (magram ar ganavrco, Tu romeli motivi miaCnia aseTad). am TvalsazrisiT, vfiqrob, ornamentis am CvenTvis saintereso saxeobasac am samyarosken mivyavarT. aseTi Tanxvdeniloba SeiZleba iyos universaluri azrovnebis nayofi, magram me mainc vfiqrob, rom es aris kidev erTi argumenti oT. lorTqifaniZis hipoTezis gasamyareblad.