LOT 1796

Greek Mauritanian Kingdom Lead Slingshot of King Mastanesosus

CIRCA 80-49 B.C.

1 5/8 in. (72.8 grams, 40 mm).

Lentoid in form with raised legend to obverse 'REX·SOS'; Neo-Punic monogram to reverse. [No Reserve]

Acquired on the UK art market, early 2000s.
Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

Cf. AE 1942/43, no. 53; J. Marion, Volubilis : balles de fronde estampillées du Ier siècle av. J.-C., BAM, 4, 1960, pp. 488-490; for King Sosus/Mastanesosus, see Encyclopédie berbère 43, 2019, s.v. S80 Sosus (Jacques Alexandropoulos - Gabriel Camps).

This remarkable slingshot offers a rare insight into a little-known period in the history of the Kingdom of Mauretania in the first century BC. The piece can be linked to King Mastanesosus, who is known to have shortened his name to “Sos.” He was the son of Bocchus I (c. 110–80s BC), the ruler who famously betrayed King Jugurtha of Numidia to Sulla and the Roman Republic.

The Latin inscription reflects Rome's growing influence at the time. It may even suggest that Roman slingers were part of Sosus’s army. During this period, Mauretania was already coming under Roman control and influence. Later, Bocchus II, the grandson of Sosus, supported the winning side in Rome’s civil war, and Mauretania became a client kingdom. This eventually led to its full absorption into the Roman Empire after the murder of King Ptolemy, son of Juba, by the emperor Caligula.

The reverse of the slingshot shows a monogram in neo-Punic, similar to those found on coins from the same period. This is almost certainly a personal symbol or mark of Sosus himself. The use of both Latin and Neo-Punic makes the piece bilingual, which is particularly interesting.