AE17 Domitian Aeolis, Temnus AD 81-96

The Front Side (Obverse): Meet the Emperor

On the front of the coin, you see the profile of Emperor Domitian looking to the right. He is wearing a laurel wreath, which was the ancient Roman version of a crown, symbolizing victory and power.

The Greek lettering around him reads: ΔΟΜΙΤΙΑΝΟϹ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ (Domitian Kaisar)

What it means: It simply translates to "Domitian Caesar." Because this coin was made in a Greek-speaking region, they spelled his name and title using the Greek alphabet. Calling him "Caesar" was a great way to remind everyone in the province exactly who was boss in Rome!

The Back Side (Reverse): Party Time with Dionysus

The back of the coin gets a lot more personal to the local city. It features Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine, theater, and having a good time, standing and looking to the left. He is holding two very specific items:

1. A Kantharus: A special ancient Greek drinking cup with big handles.
2. A Thyrsus: A magical staff topped with a pinecone, usually wrapped in ivy leaves.

The long Greek inscription wrapped around him is a bit of a mouthful: ΕΠΙ ΔΙΟΝΥϹΟΔΩΡΟΥ ΑΓΝΟΥ ΦΙΛΟΠΑΤΡΙΔΟϹ ϹΤ[ΡΑΤΗ], ΤΗΜΝΙ

Detailed Meaning of Each Word:

• ΕΠΙ (epí): Usually translated as "during the term of" or "under the authority/supervision of."
• ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΔΩΡΟΥ (Dionysodórou): The name of the local official (Dionysodorus).
• ΑΓΝΟΥ (Agnoú): A patronymic name. It refers to the father of Dionysodorus, whose name was Agnos.
• ΦΙΛΟΠΑΤΡΙΔΟΣ (Philopatridos): An honorary title meaning "one who loves their homeland" (patriot).
• ΣΤ[ΡΑΤΗ] (strategos): Abbreviation for the word strategos (general/magistrate). This was the highest political and military leader of ancient Greek cities during the Roman period.
• ΤΗΜΝΙ (Temni): An abbreviation (from Temniton) indicating the place, meaning "[Coin] of the Temnitai" (the inhabitants of Temnos). [1, 2, 3, 4]

The full sentence means: "Under the magistracy of Dionysodorus, son of Agnos, the Patriot, (this is the coin) of the Temnitai."

 Ancient cities loved to brag about who was running the show locally. This tells us that a local official named Dionysodoros Hagnos was the Strategos (a high-ranking magistrate or military general) in the city of Temnus when this coin was struck. He even gave himself the title philopatris, which means "patriot" or "lover of his country."

Putting Dionysus on the coin was a clever double-play: it honored the god of wine (which the region was famous for making), and it played on the local official's name, Dionysodoros, which literally means "Gift of Dionysus!"

The Big Picture

This coin is a perfect snapshot of history. It shows how the Roman Empire functioned by blending cultures. It honors the big-boss Roman Emperor on the front to show loyalty, but keeps its local Greek identity on the back by celebrating a homegrown leader and a favorite local god.