A Roman altar on Mount Gerizim: Rediscovering a civic icon on tetradrachms of Neapolis (Samaria)

Kropp, Andreas J M

Abstract

This article examines the iconography of a type of Caracalla tetradrachm that has been newly attributed to Neapolis in Roman Palestine and whose reverse depicts a monumental altar decorated with statues of Tyche, Ephesian Artemis, and Kore Persephone. The study contextualizes these deities in the religious life of Neapolis and identifies the monument as an altar often depicted as a miniscule element in panoramic views of Mount Gerizim on the bronze coins of Neapolis. The tetradrachms provide, for the first time, a close-up view of this long-lost civic monument.

Citation

Kropp, A. J. M. (2021). A Roman altar on Mount Gerizim: Rediscovering a civic icon on tetradrachms of Neapolis (Samaria). Journal of Roman Archaeology, 34(1), 220-236. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047759421000106

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 6, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Apr 23, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Deposit Date: May 25, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 5, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Roman Archaeology
• Print ISSN: 1047-7594
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 220-236
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047759421000106
• Keywords: Numismatics; tetradrachms; monumental architecture; Tyche; Palestine; Neapolis (Samaria)
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/35205162
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-roman-archaeology/article/roman-altar-on-mount-gerizim-rediscovering-a-civic-icon-on-tetradrachms-of-neapolis-samaria/940FDC0950300555526AB08F612BF35F