Description: Archaios Numismatics Description: Greek Bronze coin of Birytis in Troas, Asia Minor. circa 4th-3rd Century BC. Obverse: Head of Kabeiros, beardless, Left wearing Pileus with a Star before Reverse: Laurel Wreath enclosing Club with B-I/P-Y around Mint: Birytis, Troas Size: 12 mm Weight: 1.42 g Inventory: 1910.39.2 Ref: SNG Von Aulock -, SNG Cop 249, SGC - Condition: gVF, Really nice example of this small bronze. As always, Please use the Pictures as your judge as grading is subjective. Notes: The coinage of this city Birytis are generally a variety that included the heads of the Kabeiros minted from end of fourth century B.C., and beginning of third century. From Head, Hist. Num. In Greek mythology, the Cabeiri or Cabiri /kəbaɪraɪ/ (Ancient Greek: Κάβειροι, Kábeiroi), also transliterated Kabiri /kəˈbɪəriː/, were a group of enigmatic chthonic deities. They were worshiped in a mystery cult closely associated with that of Hephaestus, centered in the north Aegean islands of Lemnos and possibly Samothrace—at the Samothrace temple complex—and at Thebes. In their distant origins the Cabeiri and the Samothracian gods may include pre-Greek elements, or other non-Greek elements, such as Thracian, Tyrrhenian, Pelasgian, Phrygian or Hittite. The Lemnian cult was always local to Lemnos, but the Samothracian mystery cult spread rapidly throughout the Greek world during the Hellenistic period, eventually initiating Romans. The ancient sources disagree about whether the deities of Samothrace were Cabeiri or not; and the accounts of the two cults differ in detail. But the two islands are close to each other, at the northern end of the Aegean, and the cults are at least similar, and neither fits easily into the Olympic pantheon: the Cabeiri were given a mythic genealogy as sons of Hephaestus and Cabeiro. The accounts of the Samothracian gods, whose names were secret, differ in the number and sexes of the gods: usually between two and four, some of either sex. The number of Cabeiri also varies, with some accounts citing four (often a pair of males and a pair of females), and some even more, such as a tribe or whole race of Cabeiri, often presented as all male. The Cabeiri were also worshipped at other sites in the vicinity, including Seuthopolis in Thrace and various sites in Asia Minor. According to Strabo, Cabeiri are most honored in Imbros and Lemnos but also in other cities too. Etymology and origin The Cabeiri were possibly originally Phrygian deities and protectors of sailors, who were imported into Greek ritual. R. S. P. Beekes believes that their name is of non-Indo-European, pre-Greek origin. In the past, the Semitic word kabir ("great") has been compared to Κάβειροι since at least Joseph Justus Scaliger in the sixteenth century, but nothing else seemed to point to a Semitic origin, until the idea of "great" gods expressed by the Semitic root kbr was definitively attested for North Syria in the thirteenth century BCE, in texts from Emar published by D. Arnaud in 1985–87. Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling connected the Greek word to the Hebrew חבר (khaver "friend, associate") and via this to several priest names as one attached to the Persians ("Chaverim"), linking them to the Dioskouri or priestly blacksmiths alternatively. T. J. Wackernagel produced an Indian etymology in 1907; in 1925 A. H. Sayce had suggested a connection to Hittite habiri ("looters", "outlaws"), but subsequent discoveries have made this implausible on phonological grounds. Dossein compares Κάβειροι to the Sumerian word kabar, "copper." The name of the Cabeiri recalls Mount Kabeiros, a mountain in the region of Berekyntia in Asia Minor, closely associated with the Phrygian Mother Goddess. Exceprts From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia We Thank You for stopping in and taking time to look at and bid on our listings. Good Luck Bidding or Buying ! We encourage you to click the "See other items" link above in the "Seller Information" area of the listing as well to check out our other items posted. We have a variety of great classical and other ancient numismatic items available. We will be regularly continuing to post for sale and auction a wide variety of Ancient Roman, Greek, and Eastern coins as well as Medieval, Byzantine, and some Modern coins as well. We do combine shipping if buying or winning multiple items. Just contact us before you pay and let us know and we will gladly send an updated invoice with the combined shipping amount. You can also follow us to be notified when new listings are posted. 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Price: 62 USD
Location: Seattle, Washington
End Time: 2025-02-11T21:36:39.000Z
Shipping Cost: 3 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Composition: Bronze
Historical Period: Greek (450 BC-100 AD)
Era: Ancient
