[gothic-l] Re: Trailing the Eruli in the North

[faltin2001]

--- In gothic-l at y..., Tore Gannholm <tore.gannholm at s...> wrote:
> >--- In gothic-l at y..., Tore Gannholm <tore.gannholm at s...> wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> Should Theodoric pay Roduulf to be his son-in-arms? The Heruls
> >were
> >> >> mercenaries, when Odoaker became a king, and a coin with 
Odoaker
> >is
> >> >> found in King Ottars Mound in Uppland.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Are you sure about this? The coins of Odoaker are excessively 
rare
> >> >and all known pieces (only about 3 or 4 are in exsistence, are 
well
> >> >recorded). Grierson & Blackburn (Early Medieval Coinage, vol.1)
> >know
> >> >of no Odoaker half-siliqua from Sweden. In fact, only one single
> >> >Ostrogothic coin has ever been found in Sweden (a very worn
> >quarter-
> >> >siliqua of Theoderic). Can you tell me more about this Odoaker-
coin
> >> >in Uppland please.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >You do not know from where
> >> >> they got their tribute and mercenary wages in Moravia at a 
time
> >> >when
> >> >> Byzans was the great power in Europe.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >That might be true, but if Constantinopel-made coinage was 
flowing
> >to
> >> >Moravia at that time - as wages or subsidies- I would have 
expected
> >> >finds of such coins to emerge especially from these areas. In
> >> >general, I said that I don't dispute the possibility of coin 
finds
> >as
> >> >support for a migration, but think that there are a number of
> >> >problems with it as well.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Dirk
> >> >
> >>
> >> The coin in Ottarsh–gen is with Basiliscus
> >>
> >> Tore
> >
> >
> >Do you mean that this is the coin that Troels called 'a coin with
> >Odoacer' in the burial mound of king Ottar? If it carries the name 
of
> >Basiliscus it is not even close to being an Odoaker coin. Odoaker
> >minted only half-siliquae with his portrait. Of these only about 3 
or
> >4 are in existence today. (All in big public collections, like
> >British Museum etc.). Also, Odoaker's monogram is believed to be on
> >some also very rare copper nummi.
> >
> >The only other coins attributable to Odoaker are solidi and 
tremisses
> >minted at Rome and Ravenna in the name of Zeno after 476AD. These
> >coins show neither a monograme nor a name of Odoaker, but are
> >completely imperial in style.  However, the Italian mints have
> >**never** minted in the name of Basiliscus. Thus, this coin of
> >Ottarshoegen must be of eastern, most likely Constantinopolian
> >origin.
> >
> >Here is a picture of a Basiliscus solidus:
> >
> >http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/00928h00.htm
> >
> >And a picture of a Zeno coin (also from Constantinopel, 
identifiable
> >by the officina mark)
> >
> >http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/00927h00.htm
> >
> >And two Ostrogothic Solidi in the names of Anastasius and 
Justinianus
> >from the mint of Rome:
> >
> >http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01019h00.htm
> >http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01020h00.htm
> >
> >For comparison also a Frankish Solidus (from my collection)
> >
> >http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01022h00.htm
> >
> >and a Visigothic solidus
> >
> >http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01023h00.htm
> >
> >
> >I hope these links work. Anyway, I know that Scandinavian solidi
> >finds are concenrated on Gotland and Oeland. One famous hoard from
> >Oeland contained 36 solidi dating to about 400AD.
> >
> >cheers
> >Dirk
> 
> The only coin found in the mound of Ottar in Uppland is the 
Basiliscus coin.
> I didn't know that Odovaker minted this own coins.
> 
> In Swedish litterature we talk about it as minted when Odoaker came 
to
> power in Italy.
> Tore


That makes sense, because the Basiliscus coin dates to 476/77AD, but 
it has absolutely nothing to do with Odoaker himself. Coins of 
Basiliscus are never found in central/western Europe. For one thing 
they are of course rarer because of the shorter reign of Basiliscus. 
For annother, Basiliscus' coins are only minted in the Eastern 
Empire, probably only Constantinopel and they only circulated in the 
Eastern Empire. Central and Western Europe was supplied with coinage 
from the mints of Rome, Ravenna, Arles, Milan, Lyon, Toulouse, 
Narbonne etc. Therefore the occurance of a Basiliscus solidus in this 
grave mound in Uppland suggests that the local elite had some form of 
contact (direct or indirect) with Constantinopel.

The coins of Odoaker are very interesting. They are the first, and 
appart from the Theodahat-folles and Aistulf-folles, the only coin to 
show a genuine portrait of a Germanic king. Thus, Odoaker is 
presented with straight, neck-long hair and a moustache. Theodohat is 
presented in the same fashion. The moustache really is the 
distinguishing feature. Even on the dekanummi of Baduila is the king 
presented with a moustache, although the overall picture is too 
stylised to represent a portrait. In contrast, the Roman emperor 
would be clean-shaven or with full-beard and also with neck-long 
straight hair. The Langobardic king Aistulf is presented with longer 
hair, full beard and the hair is parted in the middle of the 
forehead. The Gothic kings wore the hair unparted.

cheers,
Dirk











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