(Greek; Απάμεια) was a place of great trade in the Roman province of Asia, next to importantance to Ephesus. Its commerce was owing to its position on the great road to Cappadocia. When Cicero was proconsul in Cilicia, B.C 51, Apameia was within his jurisdiction but the conventus of Apameia was afterwards attached to the province of Asia. It was built by Antiochus I , who named the city after his beloved mother Apama and soon overtook Celaenae ( which occupied the heights above Apameia ) as the residence and stronghold of the royals. It was situated near the sources of the Maeander (a great many coins from this mint are decorated with the Maeander pattern) and its tributary mountain torrents, Marsyas, Orgas, and Therma. It had a high population of Jews since Antiochus the Great transplanted many Jews there (Josephus, Ant. xii. 3, § 4) hence maybe the tradition that the mountain above the town was Ararat and the Ark of Noah first rested on the hill of Celaenae.
There are 4 issues of Augustus coins and they are as follows;
Attalos Diotrephou (1 coin, bare head right)
obv; ΑΠΑΜΕΩΝ - Head of Augustus right. rev; ΑΤΤΑΛΟΣ ΛIΟΤΡΕΦΟΥ - Two ears of corn above maeander pattern (20mm, 5.98g) RPC 3125, BMC 137
Diodorus (1 coin, bare head right)
obv; ΑΠΑΜΕΩΝ - Head of Augustus right. rev; ΔΙΟΔΩΡΟY- Marsyas playing flute, right. (18mm, 3.34g) RPC 3126.
Meliton (2 coins, both laureate head right, one with aphlaston right, the other with lituus right)
obv; ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ- Laureate head right, lituus right. rev; MEΛITΩN AΠAMEΩN- standing figue of Hekate with 3 faces, holding out torches. (15mm, 3.84g)RPC 3128
Spotlight coin: Masonios (1 coin, laureate head right)
obv; ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ - Head of Augustus laureate right, rev; ΓΑΙΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΓΑΙΟΣ ΜΑΣΩΝΙΟΣ ΡΟΥΦΟΣ ΑΠAΜΕΩΝ - Gaius Caesar in facing quadriga (20.3mm, 6.50g) RPC 3129, BMC 139.
As far as dating goes, the usual problems arise and we have to go by portrait style again, which RPC suggests the Meliton issues are likely to be before Masonios because they wrongly state the Meliton issues are a younger style, bare-headed portraits. They are infact laureate. However it is safe to presume the Attalos and Diodorus are earlier issues, perhaps 15 B.C and since Masonios issued a Gaius Caesar coin then a date of around 5 B.C seems reasonable.
Amorium
The ruins of this city are located near Hisarkoy, Turkey. Excavations have been on going since 1987 and here is a map of the site;
Located in the far east of Phrygia, this was one of the towns which issued bronze coinage before Imperial times. There are four issues by two different magistrates, RPC suggests possibly father and son.
During the time of Augustus the magistrates names are in the nominative case and are as follows;
KALLIPPOS ALEXANDROU (2 Coins, both bare head right, lituus before)
obv; CEBACTOC bare head right, lituus before. rev; KAΛΛΙΠΠΟC AMPPIANWN eagle with caduceus standing right on uncertain object (19mm 6.77g) RPC 3231, BMC 22
obv; ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ- bare head right, lituus before.rev; KAΛΛIΠΠΟΣ ΑΛEΞΑNΔΡ- eagle with caduceus standing left, on uncertain object, monogram below (AMOP)(19mm, 6.74g)RPC 3230
ALEXANDROS KALLIPPOU (2 Coins, both bare head right, lituus before)
obv;CϵBACTOC - bare head right ,before lituus. rev; [ΑΛΕΞΝΔΡΟC] ΚΑΛΛ[ΙΠΠΟΥ] /ΑΜΡ (monogram in left field) Eagle with caduceus on thunderbolt. (18mm, 5.12g) RPC 3232
obv; CϵBACTOC - bare head right ,before lituus. rev; AΛΣΞANΔPOC AMOPIANWN- eagle with caduceus standing right on uncertain object (20mm, 6.76g) RPC 3233
Masonios (1 coin, laureate head right)
