Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Silver medal featuring winged Medusa discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall
Live Science ^ | June 29, 2023 (published 11 days ago) | Laura Geggel

Posted on 07/09/2023 6:22:21 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

A nearly 1,800-year-old silver military medal featuring the snake-covered head of Medusa has been unearthed in what was once the northern edge of the Roman Empire.

Excavators discovered the winged gorgon on June 6 at the English archaeological site of Vindolanda, a Roman auxiliary fort that was built in the late first century, a few decades before Hadrian's Wall was constructed in A.D. 122 to defend the empire against the Picts and the Scots.

The "special find" is a "silver phalera (military decoration) depicting the head of Medusa," according to a Facebook post from The Vindolanda Trust, the organization leading the excavations. "The phalera was uncovered from a barrack floor, dating to the Hadrianic period of occupation." ... "From Greek times on, this is a potent apotropaic to ward off bad things, to keep bad things from happening to you," Pollini said. Medusa's serpent-surrounded head is also seen on Roman-era tombs, mosaics in posh villas and battle armor. For instance, in the famous first-century mosaic of Alexander the Great from Pompeii, Alexander is depicted with the face of Medusa on his breastplate, Pollini noted.

Medusa is also featured on other Roman-era phalerae, but the details vary. For instance, the Vindolanda Medusa has wings on her head...

Because phalerae were awarded for "valor in battle," military men would attach them to straps and wear them during local parades, Pollini said, noting that the discovery of the Vindolanda phalera is rare.

"There aren't very many of them, obviously, because they were a precious metal," he said. "Eventually, most of them were probably melted down."

Many phalerae are found in burials, but the Vindolanda one appears to be lost. "This isn't something you would toss away," Pollini said.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; gorgon; hadrianswall; history; medusa; phalerae; romanempire; rome; vindolanda
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last
The Roman phalera, or military medal, features Medusa with two wings atop her head.
Image credit: The Vindolanda Trust
Image credit: The Vindolanda Trust

1 posted on 07/09/2023 6:22:21 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

It looks strangely like Nancy Pelosi. Is she that old?


2 posted on 07/09/2023 6:28:10 AM PDT by EvilCapitalist (81 million votes my ass.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 240B; 75thOVI; Adder; albertp; asgardshill; At the Window; bitt; blu; BradyLS; cajungirl; ...
The other GGG topics added since the previous digest ping, alpha sort:

3 posted on 07/09/2023 6:33:57 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Cool find.


4 posted on 07/09/2023 6:36:55 AM PDT by csvset (tolerance becomes a crime when attached to evil)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: csvset

I wholeheartedly agree. It’s in mighty nice shape too.

I suspect that it’s a tad more likely that the Roman-era likeness of Alexander the Great shows a medal modeled on a Roman-era medal, rather than the Roman-era medal was modeled after Alexander’s.


5 posted on 07/09/2023 6:39:18 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

So it was a metal model of a medal given to show mettle?


6 posted on 07/09/2023 6:52:43 AM PDT by Hegemony Cricket (< < Wandering aimfully > >)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Hegemony Cricket

;^)


7 posted on 07/09/2023 6:54:34 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

“Silver medal featuring winged Medusa discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall”

Better than the bronze, I guess.


8 posted on 07/09/2023 7:03:32 AM PDT by BobL (Trump has all the right Enemies; DeSantis has all the wrong Friends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hegemony Cricket

Your post is a meta-modal muddle.


9 posted on 07/09/2023 7:03:40 AM PDT by babble-on
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Lol, nice find, but now I’m a pillar of stone... thanks alot!


10 posted on 07/09/2023 7:12:09 AM PDT by Bob434
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

“a Roman auxiliary fort that was built in the late first century, a few decades before Hadrian’s Wall was constructed in A.D. 122 to defend the empire against the Picts and the Scots.”

As a descendant of Scottish troublemakers, it feels somewhat satisfying that my ancestors history of being a PITA goes back that far.

And the Medusa is cool too.
I wonder if it made the man to whom it belonged feel better about facing the wild Scotts who wanted his head for a bowl?


11 posted on 07/09/2023 7:16:17 AM PDT by oldvirginian (When the Devil saw me on my knees with my head down he thought he'd won, until he heard me say Amen )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

What, no vassal state coin collector’s album to go with?


12 posted on 07/09/2023 7:23:00 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bob434

Yeah, the archaeologists had to excavate it wearing dark glasses, it was a nuisance.


13 posted on 07/09/2023 7:35:51 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: oldvirginian
Your (ftm my) Scottish ancestors were in Ireland throughout the existence of Roman Britain, and didn't cross over to conquer Caledonia until the Romans had been gone for almost a century.

The establishment of the Dalraida conquest probably only happened because the Vikings hadn't reached the area yet, and their arrival in the British Isles was so overwhelming it still shows up in the DNA (usually, 20-40 percent Scandinavian DNA is found in modern Britons as well as their American descendants, mine was about 30, and most of my British forebears arrived here more than 300 years ago).

The real reason for the Romans having never finishing the conquest of the British Isles is, there wasn't anything that was worth the financing costs -- although apparently the 2nd century Romans did build an installation (probably evolved into a trading post) at Drumanagh north of modern (Viking/Norman) Dublin.

14 posted on 07/09/2023 7:47:41 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: P.O.E.

Hey, if the lazy vassals minted any coins worth collecting...


15 posted on 07/09/2023 7:48:36 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Bob434; Rennes Templar
Lol, nice find, but now I’m a pillar of stone... thanks alot!

Better that a pillar of salt!

Vindolanda Medusa has wings on her head...

She aimed to Zoar, but it didn't Pan out.

16 posted on 07/09/2023 8:23:55 AM PDT by Ezekiel (🆘️ "Come fly with US". Ingenuity -- because the Son of David begins with Mars ♂️, aka every man)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Yeah, I forgot the Scotts were in Ireland and crossed over to Scotland. Might explain why the Irish can’t seem to get along with each other.😁


17 posted on 07/09/2023 9:12:55 AM PDT by oldvirginian (When the Devil saw me on my knees with my head down he thought he'd won, until he heard me say Amen )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: EvilCapitalist

It looks more like Hillary to me. Maybe Nazi’s on the flip-side.


18 posted on 07/09/2023 10:47:12 AM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BobL

Ah, but gold! Thats the prize,,,


19 posted on 07/09/2023 11:47:56 AM PDT by Adder (ALL Democrats are the enemy. NO QUARTER!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

In classical antiquity, the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa


20 posted on 07/09/2023 3:04:53 PM PDT by Tom Tetroxide
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson