Thrace – Local Coinage and Regional Identity

Thrace, with its heterogeneous population; proximity to the Greek civilisation; and the long-lasting dominance of the Persians, Macedonians, and Romans that has impacted culture, language, and political institutions of this historical landscape, is a unique testing ground for studying regionalism and identity in antiquity. This book explores these topics through the lens of coinage, numismatic iconography, and coin circulation. Including a series of case studies and theoretical chapters, this volume does not offer a conclusive solution to all of the questions that emerge. Yet the articles presented here, both in their entirety and individually, show the intricacy and manifoldness of the problem and outline prospects for further research

Zur Typologie kaiserzeitlicher Prägungen in Moesia inferior: Der Leuchtturm auf Münzen von Istros

In Istros wurden unter Elagabal und Severus Alexander Münzen mit der Abbildung eines Flussgottes und eines Leuchtturms geprägt. In dem Aufsatz werden Interpretationsmöglichkeiten dieses seltenen und bislang wenig beachteten Rückseitentyps in einem breiteren numismatischen, geographischen und kulturgeschichtlichen Kontext aufgezeigt. Während die Darstellung des Flussgottes Istros mit einem Fisch in der Hand deutlich auf den wichtigsten Wirtschaftszweig der gleichnamigen Stadt verweist, ist die gängige Verknüpfung des Leuchtturms mit dem städtischen Hafen von Istros nicht plausibel. Die geomorphologischen Merkmale der Region, die Zeugnisse antiker Schriftsteller zur Navigation sowie archäologische Funde, welche Gefahren bei der Einfahrt in die Lagune Halmyris und die südlichen Donauarme bezeugen, sprechen für eine andere Erklärung: Das auf den Münzen abgebildete Bauwerk hat vermutlich nicht direkt im städtischen Hafen, sondern an einem der Eingänge der Donauarme gestanden. Da die westliche Schwarzmeerküste und das Mündungsgebiet der Donau seismisch sehr instabil sind, zeigt der vorgestellte Münztyp vielleicht den Leuchtturm, der im frühen 3. Jahrhundert n. Chr. nach (erdbebenbedingten?) Beschädigungen wiederhergestellt worden ist.Under Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, coins were minted at Istrus with the image of a river god and a lighthouse. This paper discusses possible interpretations of this rare and previously neglected reverse type by placing it in a broader numismatic, geographical and cultural-historical context. While the depiction of the river god Istrus with a fish in hand clearly points to the most important industry found in the city of the same name, the commonly held view that the lighthouse represents the urban port of Istrus is not plausible. The geomorphological features of the region, the testimony of ancient writers on navigation, and the archaeological finds, which testify to the dangers one faced when entering the Halmyris lagoon and the southern arms of the Danube, support another explanation: the structure depicted on the coins was probably not located in the city harbour itself, but stood at the mouth of one of the arms of the Danube. Since the western Black Sea coast and the estuary of the Danube are seismically very unstable, the coin type presented may show a lighthouse that was restored in the early 3rd century CE after having suffered (earthquake-related?) damage.Sous Élagabal et Sévère Alexandre des pièces de monnaie ont été frappées à Istros, représentant un dieu fleuve et un phare. Dans cet article sont montrées de possibles interprétations de ce rare type de revers, peu pris en considération jusqu’ à présent, le situant dans un plus large contexte numismatique, géographique et historico-culturel. Si la représentation du dieu fleuve Istros, tenant un poisson dans la main, fait référence au secteur économique le plus important de la ville portant le même nom, l’ association courante du phare avec le port urbain d’ Istros n’ est pas plausible. Les aspects géomorphologiques de la région, les témoignages d’ écrivains antiques relatifs à la navigation, ainsi que les trouvailles archéologiques qui attestent des dangers existants en entrant dans la lagune d’ Halmyris et les bras méridionaux du Danube, plaident en faveur d’ une autre explication: le monument représenté sur les pièces de monnaie ne se trouvait probablement pas directement au port urbain, mais à une des entrées des bras du Danube. Étant donné que les côtes de la mer Noire occidentale et l’ estuaire du Danube sont sismiquement très instables, le type de pièce de monnaie présenté, montre peut-être le phare qui a été reconstruit au début du 3ème siècle apr. J.-C. après avoir été endommagé (à la suite d’ un tremblement de terre?)

Safety and feasibility of a novel intravitreal tamponade using a silicone oil/acetyl-salicylic acid suspension for proliferative vitreoretinopathy: first results of the Austrian Clinical Multicenter Study

The safety and efficacy of a new surgical method of intravitreal tamponade using silicone oil suspended with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was investigated for the treatment of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind multicenter study. A total of 29 patients were included; 15 patients were treated with the silicone oil suspended with aspirin, and 14 patients represented the control group receiving only silicone oil. A standard three-port pars plana vitrectomy was performed in 29 eyes of 29 patients. In cases in which the natural lens was present, simultaneous phacoemulsification was required. The control group received as standard therapy a vitreous tamponade with pure 5000 mPas silicone oil and the treatment group received silicone oil containing 0.2 mg/ml aspirin (AS SiO). At 6 months after surgery, the tamponade was removed from all eyes. The main outcome measure was the incidence of retinal redetachment requiring reoperation. Secondary outcome measures were visual acuity and ophthalmic examination results. The rate of redetachment, defined as the primary outcome parameter, was the same for both groups. The AS SiO was well tolerated and remained clear during the 6-month study period. Clinical examination revealed no signs of local or systemic adverse effects. The visual acuities were well matched before inclusion in the study and there were no significant differences during the follow-up period and in the final visual outcome between the two groups. Aspirin delivery by intravitreal silicone oil in the human eye is safe and also may provide a delivery vehicle for other antiproliferative agents to the posterior pole

New approaches in the management of choroidal neovascular membrane in age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly population. The prevalence is reported to be 1.2-1.4% in several population-based epidemiological studies. Currently 25-30 million people worldwide are blind due to AMD. With the aging world population it is bound to increase significantly, and could become a significant public health problem in next two decades, with serious socio-economic implications. Several strategies are today available to treat the wet form of AMD, which is responsible for significant visual loss. These were until recently confined to laser photocoagulation, and subretinal surgery, but today two other modalities, namely, radiation and photodynamic therapy, are available. These treatment modalities however, are aimed at preservation of vision only, and not at reversing the process of the disease. Further research on antiangiogenic drugs and gene therapy could significantly help AMD patients