Claudius Aelius Pollio, governor (Pontus-Bithynia) ; Elagabalus, Roman Emperor ; Pactumeius Volosos, agoranomos (Nicomedia)

Nicomedia

1/2 Libra = 1/2 Litra

Lead

Cast

Polygon (pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, etc.)

10.00 cm

9.80 cm

- cm

Mass (g)	Mass (grain)	Date of measurement	Reference	fragmented	cleaned	reference weight
267.91	-	-	Auction Leu 2020	No	No	Yes

Symbol	Technique	Direction	Position	Number	Synecdoche

Haensch 2022: Poids en plomb hexagonal avec des bords surélevés des deux côtés et des champs d’inscription en retrait, délimités par une barre. Une fissure passe du centre du quartier supérieur jusqu´au quartier inférieur. Cela donne l’impression que le poids n’est pas plat, mais décalé vers le haut à la Face B (et donc pressé sur la Face A dans la partie inférieure). Le poids est mal conservé au centre du troisième quartier. Hauteur : 9,8 cm ; largeur maximale : 10 cm ; hauteur des lettres : 0,6 cm. Poids : 267,91 g. Perforation. Sigma angulaire des côtés A et B. Plusieurs ligatures : voir plus bas. Pas de timbres de contrôle. Propriété privée.
Auction Leu 2020: Bithynia, Nicomedia. Elagabalus, 218-222. Weight of 1/2 Libra (Lead, 98x100 mm, 267.91 g, 12 h), Claudius Aelius Pollio, legatus pro praetore of Pontus and Bithynia, and the agoranomos of the city, Pactumeius Volosus. RY 4 and TR POT III COS III of Elagabalus = 23 September-9 December 220. ΕΤΟΥC Δ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑ/TΟΡΟC ΚΑΙCΑΡΟC Μ / AYΡ ΑΝΤⲰΝEΙΝ૪ ΕΥC/ΕΒ૪ ΕΥΤΥΧ૪C CΕΒΑC/Τ૪ APXIEPEⲰC MEΓIC/T૪ Δ[HMAPXI]KHC EZ૪CI/AC TO Γ YΠAT૪ TO Γ A/ΓOPANOM૪NTOC Π/AKT૪MHI૪ BOΛOC/૪ EIMIΛEITPIN. Rev. ΥΠΑΤΕΥΟΝΤΟC / ΤΗC ΕΠΑΡΧΕΙΑC / T૪ ΛAMΠPOTΑΤ૪ Y/ΠATIKOY KΛAYΔI/OY AIΛIOY ΠΟΛΛIⲰN/OC ΠPECB[EYT]OY KA[I] / ANTICTP[AT]HΓ[૪] Γ / T૪ CEBACTO૪ / EIMIΛEITPIN / AΓOPAION ... Unpublished and of great historical importance. A carefully produced and unusually complete weight. Large flan crack, otherwise, very fine.
Öztürk 2021: The weight is catalogued as number 2006 in the catalogue of Action Leu Numismatik. This weight, dating to the second regnal year of Elagabalus, could be from Sakarya or Kocaeli. From the inscription on side B, we learn that a new governor named Claudius Aelius Pollio, whom we know from Cassius Dio, was a centurio who arrested Diadumenian in Zeugma 218.

No

Language	Technique	Legend type
Greek	Relief	Authority, Date, Denomination

Haensch 2022: Ἔτους δ´ αὐτοκρά|τορος Καίσαρος Μ̣(άρκου)| Αὐρ(ηλίου) Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσ|εβοῦς Εὐτυχοῦς Σεβασ|τοῦ ἀρχιερέως μεγίστ|ου δ̣η̣μ̣[αρχι]κ̣ῆς ἐξουσί|ας τὸ γ´ ὑ̣π̣ά̣του τὸ γ´ ἀ|γορ̣ανο̣μοῦντος Π|ακτουμ̣η̣ίου Βολόσ|ου εἱμίλειτριν. || Ὑπατεύοντος | τῆς ἐπα̣ρχείας | το̣ῦ λαμπ̣ρο̣τά̣ του ὑ|πατικοῦ Τ̣ι(̣ βερίου) Κ̣λ̣α̣υδί|ου Αἰλίου Πο̣λ̣λίων|ος πρε̣σβε[υτ]ο̣ῦ κα̣[ὶ̣] | ἀντιστρ[ατ]η̣γ̣ο̣[ῦ] | τοῦ Σεβασ̣τ̣οῦ | εἱμίλε[ι]τριν | ἀγοραῖον. (?)

Ἔτους δ̣´ Αὐτοκρά|τορος Καίσαρος Μ̣(άρκου) | Αὐρ(ηλίου) Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσ|εβοῦς Εὐτυχοῦς Σεβασ|τοῦ ἀρχιερέως μεγίστ|ου [δημαρχι]κ̣ῆς ἐξ̣ουσί|ας τὸ γ̣´ ὑ̣π̣ά̣του τὸ γ´, ἀ|γορ̣ανο̣μοῦντος Π|ακτουμη̣ίου Βολόσ|ου εἱμίλειτριν. || Ὑπατεύοντος | τῆς ἐπα̣ρχ̣είας | το̣ῦ̣ λαμπ̣ρ̣ο̣τ̣άτου ὑ|πατικοῦ . Κ̣λ̣αυδί|ου Αἰλίου Πο̣λ̣λίων|ος πρεσβευ̣τ̣ο̣ῦ καὶ̣ | ἀντιστρα̣τ̣η̣γ̣ο̣ῦ | τοῦ Σεβασ̣τ̣οῦ | εἱμίλε[ι]τρι̣ν | ἀγοραῖ–ον.

GREEK , ROMAN

FROM 220 TO 221

23.9 - 9.12.220 (trib. potest. III, cos. III).
Haensch 2022: La combinaison de la quatrième année impériale mentionnée (dans la province de Pontus et Bithynia), de la troisième potestas tribunicia, et du troisième consulat, conduit à la dater de la période du 23 septembre au 9 décembre 220.

Name	Date of acquisition	Inventory number
Antiquities Trade	Oct. 23, 2020	None

Reference	Page/Column	Reference (number)	Plate / Figure	Comment
Auction Leu 2020d	270–273	2006	fig. 2006	None
Öztürk et al. 2021	304–305	2A	None	None
Haensch 2022	265–271	25	None	None

Auction Leu 2020: The legate Claudius Aelius Pollio is a very interesting figure: we know from Cassius Dio that he was a simple centurio who rose to fame by arresting Diadumenian in Zeugma in 218, thus preventing the escape of Macrinus' son to the Parthians (Cass. Dio 79.40). This act of loyalty to the Severan dynasty greatly accelerated Pollio's career, as he was, to the great indignation of the senatorial historian Dio, raised to senatorial rank in reward and even appointed governor of Pontus-Bithynia and Germania Superior ('As for Avitus [i.e. Elagabalus], he appointed Pollio to govern . . . Germany . . since Pollio had very . . .ly subdued Bithynia' (Cass. Dio 80.3)). Pollio's stellar ascent was one of many controversial measures used by contemporary historians to discredit the dissolute rule of Elagabalus and his entourage; Herodian, undoubtedly having Pollio in mind, even claims that the emperor appointed slaves and freedman to proconsular provincial governors (Herod. 5.7.8), for which there is no evidence. In any case, it was long believed that the social climber served as governor of Pontus and Bithynia early in Elagabalus' reign, but our weight, which is dated to 23 September-9 December 220 (the Bithynian year starts on 23 September), shows that this was not necessarily the case. The ending of his governorship must thus be moved to late 220/1, while his tenure as legate of Germania Superior, which is confirmed by the finding of an honorary inscription in Mogontiacum (CIL XIII 6807), can now be dated to 221/222.