ISLANDS OFF MYSIA, Pordosilene. Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 25 mm, 11.42 g, 12 h), Aelius Theophilianos, tamias. ΑΥ T ΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ΑΝΤΩΝЄΙΝΟϹ Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to right. Rev. ЄΠΙ ΤΑΜ ΑΙΛ ΘЄΟΦΙΛΙΑΝΟΥ ΠΟΡΟ Apollo standing front, head to left, laurel branch in his right hand and lyre resting on column with his left. RPC IV.2 online 372.3 (this coin) corr. (obverse legend). Stauber, Adramytteion, p. 301, 15b (this coin) corr. (obverse legend). Extremely rare. A few light deposits, otherwise, very fine.

The city name Pordosilene (Πορδοσιλήνη) is derived from the words Pordos (Πορδός = fart or flatulence) and Silenos (Σειληνός), meaning ‘Fart of Silenos.’ Why the city had such an unflattering name remains a mystery. It may have had a mythological origin, or perhaps it was simply a Hellenized version of an indigenous name. Either way, it is undoubtedly one of the most amusing place names of antiquity