Guuuyyyysssssss ....

[essayel]

Anyone read Greek?

I'm wondering if it's a variation - spelling being a bit optional back when - of this.

Might be a little wishful thinking, of course.

This post brought to you courtesy of Atei and Anatolios who are jostling for pre-eminence with the pirates.

Comments

[ceitfianna]

It might be, the first coin is definitely saying basileius or king. I'm just not as sure about the second word to say yes with no reservations.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

I thought it was Basilieus. :D Thanks a bunch.

As for Ailios [that second ^ shape is an L it seems] nobody knows anything much about him. Nice coin though.

[wulfila.livejournal.com]

I read the inscription in the first coin you linked to as "Basile(o)s Ailios" = "(of/belonging to) King Ailis (?)". So I would say the guy who had this coin minted was called "Ailis" or "Aelis" in the Greek version of his name, not really a variant of "Atei/Ateas/Ataias", if you ask me, but who knows? (And admittedly, I have no idea who exactly "Ailis" might have been).

It seems to be a popular form of coin: A similar version that also has the dioskouroi plus horses, like the one you linked to, appears here (http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=401938), clearly minted for a different guy, while there is a second one in a slightly different design for the same guy whose coin you linked to here (http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=378724&AucID=687&Lot=1147&Val=05b4f9955e9ee59468e5433ed249fbb5).

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Ooh thanks for the links. Yes it is Aelis, sadly and I can't find out anything about him. But aren't they nice faces?

[wulfila.livejournal.com]

They are lovely indeed.

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

Have you asked nodbear?

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I don't think I know nodbear. I will look him/her up. :D

wulfila's helped me out and has given me some nice links to play with. I love working with coins at the museum. There's something very shivery about handling a coin with Pontius Pilates' name on it.

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

That does sound fun. All the connections with the past...