Seleucis and Pieria, Antiochia ad Orontem, struck by Quinctilius Varus. AE 21

Seleucis and Pieria, Antiochia ad Orontem, struck by Quinctilius Varus; Antiochia ad Orontem, Seleucis and Pieria, EK=7/6 BC, AE 21, 7.03g. RPC-4242. Obv: Laureate head of Zeus r.; Rx: Tyche of Antioch seated r., holding palm branch; river god Orontes at feet; EK (date) in r. field. This was struck by P. Quinctilius Varus in 7/6 BC, when Varus was legate of Syria. Varus was a long-time friend of Augustus and had been consul in 13 BC. In the end however he is mostly remembered as the inept general who led three Augustan legions, the XVII, XVIII and XIX, to near-total destruction by a mixed group of Gauls and Germans in the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. According to Suetonius, years later Augustus was known to cry out "Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!" Ex Collection Prof. David MacDonald.. EF