Tarsos (AD 198-217) AE 33 - Caracalla

Caracalla, 198-217 AD. AE33 (20.54g, 12h). Laureate and cuirassed bust right / Artemis kneeling to right over deer, raising its head with her left hand, right hand poised to plunge dagger into its throat. Very Fine.

Here we see a more familiar depiction of Artemis than that of the Ephesian manifestation (see lot 867). The reverse type depicts Artemis as the goddess of the hunt, about to slay a deer. Homer applies the epithet 'Ποτνια Θηρων' (Mistress of the Animals) to the goddess, and deer in particular were considered sacred to her. In addition to female fertility and virginity, Artemis was associated with certain male activities - in particular the transition from boyhood to manhood and warfare. Perhaps it is these latter associations Caracalla wished to conjure in Tarsos, the city from which he launched his Parthian campaign in AD 216.