CILICIA. Pompeiopolis. Gordian III, 238-244. Hexassarion (Orichalcum, 32 mm, 13.36 g, 6 h), CY 306 = 240/1. AYT K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC CЄB / Π - Π Radiate and cuirassed bust of Gordian III to right, cuirass decorated with gorgoneion. Rev. ΠΟΜΠΗΙΟΠΟΛЄITΩN Bare-headed and draped bust of the astronomer and poet Aratos to right; in field to right, A/ς (mark of value) above ς/T (date). RPC VII.2 online 2956. SNG Levante -. SNG Paris 1250. SNG PFPS 1131. Rare. Somewhat rough, otherwise, very fine.



Aratos of Soli (circa 315-240 BC) was a Greek poet, astronomer, and scholar from the city of Soli in Cilicia. He is best known for his didactic poem Phaenomena, which describes constellations and celestial phenomena, based on a now-lost work by Eudoxos of Knidos. The poem artfully blends scientific content with poetic form and enjoyed lasting influence throughout antiquity, inspiring numerous commentaries and Latin translations by figures such as Cicero and Germanicus. Aratos lived under the patronage of Hellenistic rulers, notably Antigonos II Gonatas of Macedonia. Though his depictions of the heavens were often more literary than precise, his fusion of natural observation and verse helped shape later didactic poetry.

The appearance of Aratos on a coin of Gordian III from (Soli-)Pompeiopolis, issued some 500 years after his lifetime, reflects the enduring pride the city’s inhabitants felt for their most illustrious citizen. In the Roman Imperial period, such commemorations were part of a broader agonistic culture among Greek cities, which, lacking meaningful external political power, increasingly competed through claims of cultural prestige, ancient lineage, and famous historical figures. Coins, inscriptions, and public monuments became tools in this symbolic rivalry for status and recognition within the empire.