The Roman phalera, or military medal, features Medusa with two wings atop her head.Image credit: The Vindolanda Trust
The Roman phalera, or military medal, features Medusa with two wings atop her head.Image credit: The Vindolanda Trust
It looks strangely like Nancy Pelosi. Is she that old?
Cool find.
“Silver medal featuring winged Medusa discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall”
Better than the bronze, I guess.
Lol, nice find, but now I’m a pillar of stone... thanks alot!
“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?
What, no vassal state coin collector’s album to go with?
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
Incorrect.
1. There is no evidence of the people the Romans called the "Scoti" (or the Gaels) before the 3rd Century AD, so there'd have been NO SCOTS to defend against in 122.
2. Archaeological evidence dated between the construction of Hadrian's Wall and Rome's abandonment of Britain shows the culture in the areas immediately north and south of the wall was identical. Which means culture flowed freely through the wall. And since culture only is transmitted by people, that further means the wall didn't much keep anyone in or out of Caledonia or Britain.
The better theory is that the wall was built to enforce Rome's tariffs on livestock and other trade goods passing between the two regions. The only places where it would have been convenient to cross with carts, wagons or livestock was at the Roman-controlled gates.
“Eventually, most of them were probably melted down.”
It sat on the mantle for 200 years, nobody remembered what it was or where it came from, and they sold it for scrap to deal with high inflation.
Remarkable. It’s a beautiful piece.
