Festival of Isis

Coinage from the Festival of Isis

	Anonymous Issue for the Festival of Isis, AE4, 4th Century, Rome [DEO S]E-RAPIDI Radiate, draped bust of Serapis right, wearing modius VOT[A] PVB[LIC]A Isis standing left, sistrum in right hand, reins in left, in tensa drawn by two mules 16mm, 2.33g RIC VI-IX, --; (cf. RIC VIII 500-1 (Julian II for reverse type); Alföldi, Festival 207; Vagi 3371 Image courtesy Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 229, Lot 445, March 2010 Notes from CNG on the auction: "The Ptolemaic cult of Serapis and Isis enjoyed great popularity throughout Hellenic and Roman times, and indeed the Romans, like the Greeks and Persians before them, were fascinated by the culture and monuments of ancient Egypt. The Ptolemies and the Roman emperors were not content with just being the foreign rulers of Egypt, but wanted to be viewed as legitimate successors of the Pharaohs. To this end, the Roman rulers portrayed themselves as Pharaohs to the native population (the Egyptian concept of the Pharaoh as a god was certainly appealing to the Roman emperors). The Isis festival was a major celebration in Rome in the 3rd and 4th centuries, heralding the arrival of the ship of Isis (navigium Isidis) from Alexandria on 5 March. Besides Isis and Horus, other members of the Egyptian pantheon appear - Serapis, Anubis, Harpocrates, and Nilus. Such coins or tokens with imperial busts were first struck by Diocletian at Rome to mark the arrival of the ship, and the tradition continued through the 4th century; the latest imperial bust to appear is that of Valentinian II. Alföldi proposes that in the Middle Ages the festival associated with the Isis ship (also known as carrus navalis) became the car naval or carnival.
	Anonymous Issue for the Festival of Isis, AE4, 4th Century, Rome ISIS F_ARIA Draped bust of Isis right wearing hem-hem crown surmounted by lotus flower VOTA P_VBLICA Anubis standing facing, head left, wearing military dress, chlamys spread behind, sistrum in right hand, caduceus in left 13mm x 14mm, 1.04g RIC VI-IX, --; Vagi 3393
	Anonymous Issue for the Festival of Isis, AE4, 4th Century, Rome ISIS F_ARIA Draped bust of Isis right wearing hem-hem crown surmounted by lotus flower VOTA P_VBLICA Anubis standing facing, head left, wearing military dress, chlamys on left shoulder and draped over left arm, sistrum in right hand, caduceus in left 13mm, 1.01g RIC VI-IX, --; Vagi 3393
	Anonymous Issue for the Festival of Isis, AE3, 4th Century, Rome DEO SA_RAPIDI Jugate, draped busts of Serapis right wearing modius and Isis wearing hem-hem crown VOTA-PVBLICA Isis standing facing, head right, sistrum upward in right hand, situla downward in left 19mm x 20mm, 2.48g RIC VI-IX, --; Vagi 3417 Ex Gert Boersema Coins, VCoins, February 2009