Cistophoric Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Mark Antony
39-38 BCE, issued by Mark Antony
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 3 cm (1 3/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
142756
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The Roman general Mark Antony forged an alliance with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt in an attempt to capture Rome’s eastern territories. On this coin he had himself depicted wearing the ivy-leaf crown of Dionysos in order to reinforce his claim that he was “the new Dionysos” and therefore had divine right to rule. The Greek historian Plutarch (Antony, 24:3) described Antony’s entry into Ephesus in 41 CE as follows: "When he entered Ephesus, women dressed like Bacchants, men and boys like satyrs and ...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...