THRACE. Hadrianopolis. Gordian III, 238-244. Tetrassarion (?) (Orichalcum, 30 mm, 13.82 g, 7 h). AΥT K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC AΥΓ Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III to right. Rev. AΔPIANOΠOΛΕITΩN Iphigenia, veiled, standing left, holding statue of Artemis, flanked by Orestes, on the left, standing facing, head right, holding patera, and Pylades, on the right, standing facing, head left; on either side, river-gods Tonzos and Hebros recline in opposite directions, holding reeds; in exergue, a third river-god reclines right, holding reed. Jurukova 449. RPC VII.2 online 666. Varbanov 3785. Rare and with an interesting mythological reverse. Struck from a somewhat worn obverse die and with a flan crack and traces of smoothing, otherwise, about very fine.


The reverse of this highly interesting issue shows us Iphigenia, Agamennon's daughter, together with her brother, Orestes, and her cousin, Pylades, son of Agamemnon's sister, Anaxibia. It alludes to Orestes' and Pylades' expedition to the Taurer on the Tauric Chersonesos, where they were supposed to find a wooden statue of Artemis that had fallen from the sky. There, the heroes are captured by wild Tauric tribes and are to be sacrificed to Artemis, but they are saved by the priestess of Artemis, who is none other than Iphigenia herself. The three of them then flee Tauris, taking the sacred wooden image of Artemis with them.