1. A NCIENT C OINS FROM G REEK C ITIES AND R OME By Joseph Bringman CLAS 435 Fall Quarter 2015

2. Decadrachma (10 drachmas) silver coin, Syracuse, 413 BC This coin was first issued after the total Syracusan victory against the Athenian invasion force in the Pelopenessian war. The historical general Hermocrates helped lead Syracuse to triumph. The head of Arethusa adorns the obverse of the coin. The Chariot on the reverse alludes to races that the Syracusans conducted near the river Asinaro in celebration of their victory. Athla are depicted under the chariot— either sport prizes or war trophies. The victory coins themselves may have been given as prizes in victory games.

3. This is a silver tetradrachma (worth 4 drachmas) bearing the image of Dionysius I (c.432-367BC), the historical tyrant of Syracuse, who Chariton alludes to in his novel with his fictional Dionysius character.

4. Hellenistic litra (1/5 drachma) from Syracuse. Four-horse chariot driven by Nike Syracuse Silver tetradrachma of Apollo from approximately 415-404 BC. On the right is a lyre and on the left a strung bow

5. A silver decadrachma from Athens, c.467-465BC. Depictions of Athena’s helmet included the laurel leaves after the Battle of Salamis (480BC). This coin contains an abbreviation (ΑΘΕ, Athe) for “of the Athenians” around the owl on the reverse. The owl is an animal sacred to Athena, one of whose epithets is Owl-Eyed. Unlike the coinage of most city states, which varied their designs, Athens almost invariably featured the owl on it and an Athenian coin without an owl was susceptible to suspicions of forgery.

6. Silver tetradrachma from Alexandria, c.99-88BC. The obverse depicts Ptolemy XI wearing a diadem and aegis, a symbol associated with Zeus. The reverse features an eagle of Zeus standing on a thunderbolt. The image of Zeus’ eagle was on almost all silver coins. Ptolemy I adopted a coin standard lighter than the Attic used throughout Alexander’s empire in order to isolate Egypt economically from the Hellenistic world and develop an autarchy.

7. A silver tetradrachma coin from Ephesus. A bee is represented on the obverse because Ephesian Artemis’ virgin priestesses were called melissai (bees) and certain priests “king bees”. The letters epsilon and phi stand for the first two in Ephesus’ name. The reverse features a deer (an animal sacred to Artemis). To the right of the stag is the name of a magistrate, Demagores.

8. This is a second century AD coin from Mytilene on Lesbos. The poet Sappho is represented on the obverse. The reverse appears to show a ship.

9. Electrum coin c.480-440BC from Lesbos featuring a calf’s head. Electrum (gold and silver alloy) coin c.480-440BC from Lesbos depicting the head of a lion.

10. A silver stater from Corinth c.515-500BC. The obverse of this, as of all other Corinthian silver coins, features Pegasus, who was reputed to have been caught by Bellerophon at Corinth’s Peirene fountain. Below Pegasus is the obsolete Greek letter koppa (Ϙ) which was used as a symbol for Corinth since before it was spelled Κόρινθος it was Ϙόρινθος. Despite Aphrodite being the chief goddess in Corinth, the reverse of the coin depicts Athena because she was said to have given a magic bridle to Bellerophon to kill the chimera. Athena was worshipped at Corinth as Chalinitis (“The Bridler”).

11. Rome

12. A gold aureus (54AD) of the emperor Nero and his mother Agrippina the Younger. The coin includes the inscription “Mother of Nero Caesar”. While she wielded influence over him, Agrippina appeared with Nero on coins for the first two years of his reign (54-55AD). In 59AD Nero had her assassinated. The abbreviation “Ex. S. C.” on the reverse stands for Ex Senatus Consulto (by decree of the Senate), indicating that the coin was sanctioned by the Senate.

13. Gold aureus of the emperor Nero from c.64-65AD. The Emperor Nero, for monetary reasons, reduced the weight of aurei (as well as denarii) in 64AD. The original weight of the aureus was 1/42 of a Roman pound of gold before becoming 1/45.

14. Silver denarius of Nero from c.50-54AD. The weight of denarii at the start of Nero’s reign was 1/84 of a Roman pound of silver; after 64AD, Nero reduced it to 1/96.

15. A few major divinities in the ancient novels

16. Roman gold aureaus, c.166-180AD, depicting Venus. She is shown holding a scepter and also the Apple of Discord, which Paris awarded to her after she bribed him, an act that resulted in the Trojan war.

17. Silver tetradrachma from Macedonia during Roman occupation, c.158-149BC, depicting Artemis. The goddess of hunting is shown with a quiver and arrow over her left shoulder. The entire image of Artemis is represented as encapsulated within a Macedonia shield.

18. Silver triobol (three obols or half a drachma) of Megalopolis (c.234-146BC) depicting Pan. Pan is holding a lagobolon (hunter’s stick for striking hares) in his left hand next to a hare. There is a monogram on the left side of the coin.

19. Silver tetradrachma from Aradus, Phoenicia, c.137-46BC, depicting Tyche. She is shown wearing a turreted mural crown and veil. The mural crown symbolizes city walls as the goddess was believed to watch over the city’s good fortune (Τύχη).

20. Images courtesy of ARTstor, the British Museum, and Wikimedia Commons

21. REFERENCES Davis, Norman, and Seattle Art Museum. Greek Coins & Cities; Illustrated from the Collection at the Seattle Art Museum. London: Spink, 1967. Hill, George Francis. Ancient Greek and Roman Coins; a Handbook. New and Enl. Ed. [1st American Ed.]. ed. Argonaut Library of Antiquities. Chicago: Argonaut, 1964. Jenkins, G. K. Ancient Greek Coins. 2nd Rev. ed. Coins in History (London, England). London: Seaby, 1990. Melville-Jones, John R. A Dictionary of Ancient Greek Coins. London: Seaby, 1986. Sutherland, C. H. V. Roman Coins. World of Numismatics. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1974.