Mithra on Kanishka and Huvishka coins

• Autorzy: Emilia Smagur
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Mithra is one of the ancient deities represented on coins of the Great Kushans. The initial Kanishka issue features the Greek version of the solar deity Helios accompanied by the legend in Greek. The next issues feature the identical figure but the legends are in Bactrian and read Mithra in a few varieties of spelling. On the Huvishka coins more diverse types of Mithra in varied positions are observed, as well as together with another deity Mao. The coins are similar to the Roman and Alexandrian coinage as the moneyers probably copied some Roman coin designs and drew the examples from pattern-books. This suggests that Kanishka and Huvishka were inclined to the Greco-Iranian traditions of Bactria, whereas their predecessors and successors gave the priority to the Iranian gods in their coinages. Scholars still dispute the moment when Mithra begun to be represented as himself, not just as a solar deity of a syncretic character.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

coinage of the Great Kushans; Kanishka coins; Huvishka coins; Mithra representations

• Wydawca: Księgarnia Akademicka
• Czasopismo: Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization
• Rocznik: 2012
• Tom: 16
• Strony: 201-211

Twórcy

autor

Emilia Smagur

• Jagiellonian University ,

Bibliografia

• Bivar D. H. 1979. Mithraic images of Bactria: are they related to RomanMithraism? In U. Bianchi (ed.), Mysteria Mithrae: Atti del Seminariointernazionale su “La specificità storico-religiosa dei Misteridi Mithra, con particolare riferimento alle fonti documentarie di Romae Ostia”, Roma e Ostia, 28-31 marzo 1978, 741-759. Leiden
• Bivar D. H. 2009. S.v. Kushan Dynasty. In Encyclopaedia Iranica.Retrieved from http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/kushan-dynasty-i-history (status as of 23 January 2012).
• Callieri P. 1990. On the diffusion of the Mithra images in Sasanian Iran.New evidence from a seal in the British Museum. EW 40, 79-98.
• Cribb J. 2008. Das Pantheon der Kushana-Könige. In C. Luczanits (ed.),Gandhara – Das Buddhistische Erbe Pakistans. Legenden, KlösterUnd Paradiese, 122-125. Mainz, Bonn.
• Dani A. H. 1978. Mithraism and Maitreya. In J. Duchesne-Guillemin (ed.),91-98.
• Duchesne-Guillemin J. (ed.) 1978. Études mithriaques. Actes du 2eCongrès International, Téhéran, de 1er au 8 Septembre, 1975.(Acta Iranica 17). Tehran, Liège.
• Fussman G. 1974. Documents épigraphiques kouchans. Bulletin del’École Française d’Extrême Orient 61, 1-76.
• Göbl R. 1968. Numismatic evidence relating to the date of Kaniska.In A. L. Basham (ed.), Papers on the Date of Kaniska: Submittedto the Conference on the Date of Kaniska. London, 20-22 April, 1960,103-113. London.
• Göbl R. 1984. System und Chronologie der Münzprägung des Kušān-reiches. Vienna.
• Grenet F. 2006. Mithra. Iconography in Iran and Central Asia. Retrievedfrom http://www.caissoas.com/CAIS/Religions/iranian/Mithraism/mithra_iconography_iran.htm (status as of 10 February 2012).
• Harmatta J., Puri B. N., Lelekov L., Humayun S. and Sircar D. C.1994. Religions in the Kushan Empire. In J. Harmatta (ed.), Historyof Civilizations of Central Asia. The Development of Sedentary andNomadic Civilizations: 700 B.C. to A.D. 250, 313-330. Paris.
• Hinnells J. R. (ed.) 1975. Mithraic Studies. Proceedings of the FirstInternational Congress of Mithraic Studies 1. Manchester.
• Humbach H. 1975. Mithra in the Kushana period. In J. R. Hinnells (ed.),135-141.
• MacDowall D. W. 1975. The role of Mithra among the deitiesof the Kushana coinage. In J. R. Hinnells (ed.), 142-150.
• MacDowall D.W. 1978. Mithra’s planetary setting in the coinageof the Great Kushans. In J. Duchesne-Guillemin (ed.), 305-316.
• Mattingly H. 1936. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum 3.Nerva to Hadrian. London.
• Mattingly H. 1940. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum 4.Antoninus Pius to Commodus. London.
• Nabarz P. 2005. The Mysteries of Mithras: The Pagan Belief that Shapedthe Christian World. Rochester.
• Rosenfield J. M. 1967. The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans. Berkeley,Los Angeles.
• Sims-Williams N. and Cribb J. 1995-1996. A new Bactrian inscriptionof Kanishka the Great. Silk Road Art and Archaeology 4, 75-142.
• Sims-Williams N. 2008. The Bactrian inscription of Rabatak:a new reading. Bulletin of the Asia Institute 18, 53-68.
• Stein M. A. 1888. Zoroastrian deities on Indo-Scythian coins. The IndianAntiquary 17, 89-98.