Serpentarium Mundi by Alexei Alexeev The Ancient Ophidian Iconography Resource (Mundus Vetus, 3000 BC - 650 AD)
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Figure 004 of 006 TIBERINUS: GALLERY | LIBRARY | REGISTRY Figure 006 of 006
Figure III-3-tib-005. River-god Tiberinus welcoming to Rome the god of medicine Asclepios (Aesculapius), arriving from Epidauros by sea and appearing in the form of a large serpent, rearing and coiling on the prow of a galley, emerging from under the bridge (Pons Aemilius, Pons Fabricius, or Pons Cestius?) near the Insula Tiberina. According to the legendary tradition, the event took place in c. 292 BC after a plague had broken out in the city. | Opposite side (obverse): Antoninus Pius' laureate-diademed bust rightward/leftward.

● Artefact
Object Category: Medallion
View: Reverse
Medium: Bronze
Denomination: N/A
Size/Diameter: ??? mm
Weight: ??? gm
● Context
Creator: Unknown
Mint: Rome
Region: Italy
Authority/Issuer: Antoninus Pius
(r. 138-161 AD)
Sitter(s): Antoninus Pius
(r. 138-161 AD)
Period: Middle Roman Imperial, Nerva-Antonine Dynasty
Date: 140-143 AD
Provenience: Unknown
● Collection
Ownership: TBD
Location: TBD
Inventory №: TBD
 
● Iconographic Type: Hexagenic™ Nomenclature Summary
Type: III.3f.tib.1.rom·anp.0
Ontolocators
(Prefix):
volume: III. coins
chapter (part): 3. deities & spirits (f. aquatic deities & river-gods)
Integrals
(Stem):
subject: tib. Tiberinus
feature: 1. greeting Aesculapius as serpent
Differentials
(Suffix):
idiosyncrasy: rom. Rome (anp. Antoninus Pius)
variation: 0. Ø
● Iconographic Type: Formal Semantic Indicators™
Identifiers
(Beings):
deity.1: Tiberinus
deity.2: [Aesculapius] "creature.1" [serpent]
hero: Ø
mortal: Ø
notable: Ø
anonym.1: unknown notable? [ambassador Quintus Ogulnius?/anonymous priest?]
animal: Ø
creature.1: serpent "deity.1" [Aesculapius]
object.1: river flow [Tiber]
object.2: reed
object.3: galley [ship/boat]
object.4: bridge [Pons Aemilius?/Pons Fabricius?/Pons Cestius?]
object.5: building.A [watch-tower?] "set.1" [architectural complex]
object.6: building.B [shrine?] "set.1" [architectural complex]
object.7: building.C [unidentifiable?] "set.1" [architectural complex]
object.8: tree [Ficus Ruminalis?/Arbor Ruminalis?/
Ficus Navia?] "cluster.1" [urban venue]
object.9: riverbank [hill?] "cluster.1" [urban venue]
symbol: Ø
pair: Ø
duplet: Ø
group: Ø
set.1: [architectural complex] {"object.5" [building.A]; "object.6" [building.B]; "object.7" [building.C]}; "cluster.1" [urban venue]
cluster.1: [urban venue [sacred precinct?/Insula Tiberina?/Lupercal?/Collis Palatinus?]] {"object.8" [tree]; "object.9" [riverbank]; "set.1" [architectural complex]}
artwork: Ø
label.1: AESCVLAPIVS [legend]
Descriptors
(Properties):
epithet: Ø
syncretism: Ø
prosopon: Ø
morphology.1: "deity.1" [Tiberinus] (general: homogeneous; human; male) (head: human; male; horned; with long hair; bearded) (upper·body: human; male; muscular; torso with two arms and two hands) (lower·body: obscured)
morphology.2: "anonym.1" [unknown notable?] (general: homogeneous; human; small; partially obscured) (head: human) (upper·body: human; torso with two? arms) (lower·body: human; with two? legs)
morphology.3: "creature.1" ["deity.2" [Aesculapius] as serpent] (general: homogeneous; ophiomorphic; large) (head: ophidian) (upper·body: ophidian) (lower·body: ophidian)
morphology.4: "object.1" [river flow] (homogeneous; wavy)
morphology.5: "object.2" [reed] (homogeneous; leafed)
morphology.6: "object.3" [galley] (general: composite) (front·section: prow [bow] and rostrum) (middle·section: bridge and bank of four/six oars) (back·section: stern not shown)
morphology.7: "object.4" [bridge] (composite; with two arches)
morphology.8: "object.5" [building.A] (composite; tall; slender; with sloped roof and small rectangular window)
morphology.9: "object.6" [building.B] (composite; with conical? roof, pinnacle, and rectangular portal)
morphology.10: "object.7" [building.C] (composite; with flat? roof and rectangular portal)
morphology.11: "object.8" [tree] (homogeneous; branched; leafed; fruit [figs?]-bearing?)
morphology.12: "object.9" [riverbank] (homogeneous; high; rocky; rugged)
aspect.1: "deity.1" [Tiberinus] (general: upright; reclining leftward-frontward; leaning rightward; unclad) (head: upright; leftward) (upper·body: upright; frontward-leftward; right·arm bent slightly, extended leftward, with right·hand open upward; left·arm bent, rested, with left·hand relaxed) (lower·body: obscured [underwater])
aspect.2: "anonym.1" [unknown notable?] (general: upright; advancing? rightward; partially obscured) (head: upright; rightward) (upper·body: upright; rightward; right·arm? extended rightward; left·arm? obscured) (lower·body: upright; rightward; right·leg? extended rightward; left·leg? obscured)
aspect.3: "creature.1" ["deity.2" [Aesculapius] as serpent] (general: horizontal; rearing rightward-upward; coiling; advancing? rightward) (head: raised, rightward-upward) (upper·body: upright; rearing rightward-upward; swirling) (lower·body: horizontal; coiling; rightward; tail undulating, with tip pointing leftward)
aspect.4: "object.1" [river flow] (horizontal; tumultuous)
aspect.5: "object.2" [reed] (vertical; upward; tilted rightward)
aspect.6: "object.3" [galley] (general: horizontal; upward; rightward) (front·section: horizontal; upward; rightward) (middle·section: horizontal; upward; rightward) (back·section: not shown)
aspect.7: "object.4" [bridge] (horizontal; upward; frontward-rightward; axonometric [isometric] projection)
aspect.8: "object.5" [building.A] (vertical; upward; sideward?; orthographic [elevation] projection)
aspect.9: "object.6" [building.B] (vertical; upward; frontward; orthographic [elevation] projection)
aspect.10: "object.7" [building.C] (vertical; upward; frontward; orthographic [elevation] projection)
aspect.11: "object.8" [tree] (vertical; upward; tilted leftward)
aspect.12: "object.9" [riverbank] (horizontal; upward; frontward)
vector.1: "main composition" (left-bottom →
right-top)
Operators
(Relations):
contact.1: "deity.1" [Tiberinus] ⟨greeting ⟨by right·hand⟩⟩ "creature.1" ["deity.2" [Aesculapius] as serpent]
contact.2: "deity.1" [Tiberinus] ⟨being submerged ⟨below waist into⟩⟩ "object.1" [river flow]
contact.3: "deity.1" [Tiberinus] ⟨holding ⟨by left·arm⟩⟩ "object.2" [reed]
association.4 "anonym.1" [unknown notable?] ⟨emerging ⟨from under⟩⟩ "object.4" [bridge]
association.5 "creature.1" ["deity.2" [Aesculapius] as serpent] ⟨disembarking?⟩ "object.3" [galley]
association.6 "creature.1" ["deity.2" [Aesculapius] as serpent] ⟨approaching?⟩ "object.6" [building.B]
association.7 "object.3" [galley] ⟨carrying⟩ "anonym.1" [unknown notable?]
association.8 "object.3" [galley] ⟨carrying⟩ "creature.1" ["deity.2" [Aesculapius] as serpent]
association.9 "object.3" [galley] ⟨emerging ⟨from under⟩⟩ "object.4" [bridge]
conflict: Ø
context.1: "Central Rome" {"object.1" [river flow]; "object.4" [bridge]; "cluster.1" [urban venue]}
contiguity: Ø
inversion: Ø
● Iconographic Type: Prominence
Occurrences
(Registered Instances):
very rare 1-6 specimens
sparse 7-18 specimens
common 19-60 specimens
abundant 60+ specimens
● Iconographic Type: Selected Universal Subject References
ICONCLASS
(Codes and Descriptions):
96A175 (story of) Tiberinus - non-agressive, friendly or neutral activities and relationships
92F27912 Aesculapius transforms himself into
a serpent (or dragon) and leaves
Epidauros by ship
92F27913 Aesculapius in the shape of a serpent (or dragon) arrives at Rome and hides himself among the reeds of the Tiber island

Source-Image(s): TBD. The full list of numismatic and exonumic images' sources is available on the Coins introductory page. The detailed descriptions of artefacts (provenience, dates, etc.) are generally taken verbatim from the providers of the original source-images. Figure is prepared by Alexei Alexeev.

● Page Publishing Patron: Anonymous Benefactor (will change to your name after the page's adoption).
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