PURSES OF MITHRIDATES’ MERCENARIES FROM THE CIMMERIAN BOSPORUS

Mikhail Abramzon

Makale detayları

PURSES OF MITHRIDATES’ MERCENARIES FROM THE CIMMERIAN BOSPORUS

Yazarlar:

Mikhail Abramzon

Yayıncı:

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Ana Başlıklar:

Nümizmatik

Dergi:

PROPONTICA Vol.2 Issue 3, pp.111-132

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

3/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001314544

pISSN:

2980-132X

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 This article examines the numismatic sources from the Cimmerian Bosporus: hoards representing soldiers purses, cases of cash payments for rations, as well as the coinages minted to make these payments during the Mithridatic Wars. Several hoards of a military context came from this time, consisting of coins, which were precisely used for the allowances of soldiers. On the one hand, these hoards provide evidence of the payment made to Mithridates mercenaries who served in garrisons in cities and in their chora to protect the grain-producing areas that supplied the kings army with bread. Such hoards consist of silver or bronze coinages specially minted for military payments in Bosporus. However, except for two cases of wage payment made to the garrison in silver CH XI, 137, 138, using bronze coins for military payments is characteristic of the Bosporus in the Late Hellenistic period. On the other hand, at least five garrisons in Bosporus, whose existence has been attested due to finds of soldiers purses, are in Tyritace IGCH 1145  СΗ ΧΙ, 140, Myrmecium CH XI, 116, 141, Patraeus CH XI, 142, Phanagoria CH XI, 145A-B and the Vyshesteblievskaya 3 settlement, located in the grain-producing area subordinate to Phanagoria. These purses show that during the Mithridatic Wars, mercenaries were paid in Bosporan and Pontic bronze coins of significant denominations, which apparently amounted to less than an obol per day. The purses of mercenaries containing the same amount indicate the approximate level of their pay, equal to 22? obols per month. The case of Bosporus demonstrates the success of one of the major innovations of the Hellenistic period  the systematic use of bronze for military payment.

 This article examines the numismatic sources from the Cimmerian Bosporus: hoards representing soldiers purses, cases of cash payments for rations, as well as the coinages minted to make these payments during the Mithridatic Wars. Several hoards of a military context came from this time, consisting of coins, which were precisely used for the allowances of soldiers. On the one hand, these hoards provide evidence of the payment made to Mithridates mercenaries who served in garrisons in cities and in their chora to protect the grain-producing areas that supplied the kings army with bread. Such hoards consist of silver or bronze coinages specially minted for military payments in Bosporus. However, except for two cases of wage payment made to the garrison in silver CH XI, 137, 138, using bronze coins for military payments is characteristic of the Bosporus in the Late Hellenistic period. On the other hand, at least five garrisons in Bosporus, whose existence has been attested due to finds of soldiers purses, are in Tyritace IGCH 1145  СΗ ΧΙ, 140, Myrmecium CH XI, 116, 141, Patraeus CH XI, 142, Phanagoria CH XI, 145A-B and the Vyshesteblievskaya 3 settlement, located in the grain-producing area subordinate to Phanagoria. These purses show that during the Mithridatic Wars, mercenaries were paid in Bosporan and Pontic bronze coins of significant denominations, which apparently amounted to less than an obol per day. The purses of mercenaries containing the same amount indicate the approximate level of their pay, equal to 22? obols per month. The case of Bosporus demonstrates the success of one of the major innovations of the Hellenistic period  the systematic use of bronze for military payment.

 This article examines the numismatic sources from the Cimmerian Bosporus: hoards representing soldiers purses, cases of cash payments for rations, as well as the coinages minted to make these payments during the Mithridatic Wars. Several hoards of a military context came from this time, consisting of coins, which were precisely used for the allowances of soldiers. On the one hand, these hoards provide evidence of the payment made to Mithridates mercenaries who served in garrisons in cities and in their chora to protect the grain-producing areas that supplied the kings army with bread. Such hoards consist of silver or bronze coinages specially minted for military payments in Bosporus. However, except for two cases of wage payment made to the garrison in silver CH XI, 137, 138, using bronze coins for military payments is characteristic of the Bosporus in the Late Hellenistic period. On the other hand, at least five garrisons in Bosporus, whose existence has been attested due to finds of soldiers purses, are in Tyritace IGCH 1145  СΗ ΧΙ, 140, Myrmecium CH XI, 116, 141, Patraeus CH XI, 142, Phanagoria CH XI, 145A-B and the Vyshesteblievskaya 3 settlement, located in the grain-producing area subordinate to Phanagoria. These purses show that during the Mithridatic Wars, mercenaries were paid in Bosporan and Pontic bronze coins of significant denominations, which apparently amounted to less than an obol per day. The purses of mercenaries containing the same amount indicate the approximate level of their pay, equal to 22? obols per month. The case of Bosporus demonstrates the success of one of the major innovations of the Hellenistic period  the systematic use of bronze for military payment.

 Bu makale, askerlerin keselerini temsil eden defineler, tayınlar için nakit ödeme kutuları ve Mithridates Savaşları sırasında bu ödemeleri yapmak için basılan sikkeleri içeren Kimmer Boğazından gelen numismatik kaynakları incelemektedir. Bu döneme ait, askerlerin harcırahı için kullanılan sikkelerden oluşan, askeri içerikli birkaç define ortaya çıkmıştır. Bir yandan bu defineler, Mithridatesin şehirlerdeki garnizonlarda ve kralın ordusuna ekmek sağlayan tahıl üretim alanlarını korumak için choralarında görev yapan paralı askerlerine yapılan ödemenin kanıtlarını sunmaktadır. Bu defineler, Bosporusta askeri ödemeler için özel olarak basılmış gümüş ya da bronz sikkelerden oluşmaktadır. Ancak, garnizona gümüş olarak yapılan iki ücret ödemesi örneği dışında CH XI, 137, 138, askeri ödemeler için bronz sikkelerin kullanılması Geç Hellenistik Dönem Bosporusunun karakteristik özelliğidir. Öte yandan, Bosporusta varlığı asker keseleri buluntularıyla kanıtlanan en az beş garnizon Tyritace IGCH 1145  СΗ ΧΙ, 140, Myrmecium CH XI, 116, 141, Patraeus CH XI, 142, Phanagoria CH XI, 145A-B ve Phanagoriaya bağlı tahıl üretim bölgesinde yer alan Vyshesteblievskaya 3 yerleşimidir. Bu keseler, Mithridates Savaşları sırasında paralı askerlere Bosporus ve Pontus bronz sikkeleri ile ödeme yapıldığını göstermektedir ki bu da görünüşe göre günlük bir obolden daha az bir miktara tekabül etmektedir. Paralı askerlerin aynı miktarı içeren keseleri, aylık 22? obole eşit olan ücretlerinin yaklaşık seviyesini göstermektedir. Bosporus örneği, Hellenistik dönemin en önemli yeniliklerinden biri olan bronzun askeri ödemelerde sistematik olarak kullanılmasının başarısını göstermektedir.

Makale detayları

PURSES OF MITHRIDATES’ MERCENARIES FROM THE CIMMERIAN BOSPORUS

Yazarlar:

Mikhail Abramzon

Yayıncı:

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Ana Başlıklar:

Nümizmatik

Dergi:

PROPONTICA Vol.2 Issue 3, pp.111-132

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

3/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001314544

pISSN:

2980-132X

Numismatic

Cimmerian Bosporus

Mithridates VI

Mercenaries

Coin HoardsNumismatik

Kimmer Boğazı

Mithridates VI

Paralı Askerler

Sikke Defineleri

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Mikhail Abramzon

Yayıncı: Ondokuz Mayıs University

Ana Başlıklar: Nümizmatik

Dergi: PROPONTICA Vol.2 Issue 3, pp.111-132

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 3/2024

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001314544

pISSN: 2980-132X

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Mikhail Abramzon

Yayıncı:

Ondokuz Mayıs University

Ana Başlıklar:

Nümizmatik

Dergi:

PROPONTICA Vol.2 Issue 3, pp.111-132

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

3/2024

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001314544

pISSN:

2980-132X