Kyzikos (AD 138-161) AE 34

Time of Antoninus Pius, 138-161 AD. AE34 (24.38g, 6h). Homonoia with Ephesos. Cl. Severus, strategos. Wreathed and draped bust of Kore Soteira right / On left, cult statue of Artemis Ephesia facing; on right, Demeter advancing right, head left, holding two torches. Near VF, green patina, roughness. Rare. Ex Liles coll.; ex CNG 51 (9/1999), lot 806.

Homonoia between cities proclaimed their commonality of interests, like that of "sister-cities" in the modern world, and was based on political, economic and religious connections. The cities of Asia Minor preserved this tradition under the Roman Empire, with an extensive interlinked system of such commonalities. Among the cities participating in homonoia, Ephesus seems to have been the most popular, undoubtedly due to its status as the principal cult center of Artemis. Cyzicus, an economic powerhouse due to its location on the southern shore of the Propontis, dominated the trade routes between the Black Sea and the Aegean since the Classical period. Thus, a reciprocal alliance between the major regional trader and the cult site would benefit each other immensely.