ATU´SA
ATU´SA a town in Assyria, the exact site of which has been much questioned.
It has, however, been determined lately, by the publication of a very rare and almost unique coin, bearing the inscription
Ἀτουσιέων τῶν πρὸς τὸν καπρόν (Millingen,
Sylloge of Unedited Coins, 4to. 1837).
It had, indeed, been noticed previously, and correctly, by Weston (
Archaeol. xvi. pp. 9 and 89), though Sestini (
Letter. Numism. Ser. ii. vol. vi. p. 80) questioned the attribution, on insufficient grounds.
The fabric, form of the inscription, the arrow symbolical of the Tigris (
Strab. xi. p.529), all combine to refer the coin to a country in that part of Asia, and, if the coin be evidence enough, to a city on the Caprus, now Lesser
Zab. The name, too, is probably Assyrian, and may be derived either from Atossa, which was a national Assyrian name (Euseb.
Chron. an. 583; Conon, vi.), or else a modification of the ancient name Aturia. [
ASSYRIA] A passage of Pliny (
5.40), where the name Attusa occurs, is manifestly corrupt.
Cramer, on the authority of a single autonomous coin, speaks of Atusia, a city of Phrygia, on the river Caprus, which flows into the Maeander; but he probably refers to the coin mentioned above. (Cramer,
Asia Minor, vol. ii. p. 55.)
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