Thrace: Odessus, AE25mm, Great God of Odessus
$11.50
Feb-03-05
Seller henri.delger


Thrace: Odessus, Æ 25mm, 7.7 grams. AVT K M AVP ANT KOMODOC
        Laureate head of Commodus, facing right, possibly
countermarked. / ODHCC EITRN, Great God of Odessus standing         
left holding cornucopiae and patera, a lit altar at his
feet. 
Moushmov 1592

Odessus was an ancient Thracian town, at the present
location of Varna, dating back to 560 B.C., and was an
important trade, agricultural, craft and cultural center.
The Greeks adopted the deity Darzalas, the ''great god'' of
the northern Thracian tribe called the Getai, as their own
great god (Theos Megas), and minted coins bearing
Darzalas's likeness, similar in design to the Greek god
Kronos riding a horse. Coinage of Odessus was issued for
seven centuries. Varna today is a large Bulgarian sea
port, and its hot springs were used to advantage by the
Romans, who built baths (thermae) there.