Agesilaos Antik Sikkeler Nümizmatik ®

Kheiron/Chiron [ΧΕΙΡΩΝ] was an immortal son of the Titan Kronos [Cronus] and a half-brother of #Zeus. Kheiron/Chiron [ΧΕΙΡΩΝ] was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren, as he was called the wisest and justest of all the centaurs [#Homer, Iliad 11.831]. Throughout #Greek mythology, there were many heroes who were trained by Chiron, including #Achilles, #Ajax, #Asklepios, #Herakles, #Jason, #Perseus and #Theseus. Kheiron's name was derived from the #Greek word for hand [ΧΕΙΡ:Kheir] and meant something like skilled with the hands. In myth it was also closely associated with the word #kheirourgos [ΧΕΙΡΟΥΡΓΟΣ]  #surgeon.

#Greek #Crete #Polyrhenion [ΠΟΛΥΡΡΗΝΙΑ] Polyrhenion, whose etymology is rich in lambs, was one the oldest Dorian settlements of #Crete. According to Strabo it was settled in archaic times by #Achaian and #Lakonian immigrants who gathered into one city the existing population, who had lived in villages, some 7 km inland from the Bay of Kissamos. Excavations from 1938 have exposed several building foundations which defy identification, but it may safely be presumed that one of these was a temple dedicated to #Zeus. The bull sacrifice was a universal and key element of #Greek religion, and it held particular significance in #Crete which was rich in mythological traditions relating to the bull as a divine animal, being either divinely directed or itself a theriomorphic god in bull form. Indeed, the central importance of the bull in Cretan culture was an ancient one predating even the arrival of the Mycenaean Greeks in the fourteenth century BC; twentieth century archaeological excavations begun by Arthur Evans in 1900 dramatically resurrected the lost Minoan civilisation and uncovered a wealth of artefacts which, among other things, portray the bull as a major religious symbol. The mythical origin of the idea of bull or ox sacrifice was believed to be from the story of #Prometheos in #Hesiod's #Theogamy [521-616]. At Mekone, in a sacrificial meal marking the 'settling of accounts' between mortals and immortals, #Prometheos purposely deceives #Zeus by assigning to him a good-looking portion wrapped in glistening fat that consists of nothing but bones, thus ensuring humans would keep the meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering to the gods.

#Bizye #Thrace Capaneus, an Argive warrior, was one of the seven heros who went against Thebes in the legend, famously dramatized by Aeschylus [ΑΙΣΧΥΛΟΣ 525-456 BC] Capaneus was so arrogant and proud that he offended Zeus, who killed him with a thunderbolt while he was climbing a ladder set against the walls of Thebes. This is one of the rare representations of this myth on coinage, but why it should appear at #Bizye is a mystery (it must refer to a local version of the myth). In any case, according to Pausanias [X.10,3], at Delphi there was a statue of Capaneus, which had been dedicated by the Argives after their victory over the Spartans at the battle of Oenoe [460 BC]. Interestingly enough, the story of Capaneus was taken up by #Dante to illustrate the sin of blasphemy in the #Inferno [14.43-72]; this was based on Book X of the Thebaid of Statius [written 80-92 AD].

This sample coins, were minted in the ancient city of #Constantinople to commemorate Constantine the Great's consecration of the city of Constantinople [#Istanbul] on 11 May 330. These ceremonial coins were thrown into the crowds during the festivities that took place at the dedication of the city in 330. The legends K [#Constantinople] and P [#Rome] appear on the reverses of these ceremonial coins, representing the first letter of each city in #Greek form, with the P [#Rome] equating the holy city of #Constantinople with #Rome.

Griffon, the Protector of #Gold in #Ancient #Coins

#Ganymede was the son of Tros, founder of Troy, or of Laomedon, father of the Trojan king Priam. A youth of great beauty, he was abducted by the gods, to live with them and to be cup-bearer to Zeus, in place of Hebe. Later writers say that Zeus, in love with Ganymede, disguised himself as an eagle and carried him off to be his eromenos and set him in the sky as the constellation of Aquarius, the water-carrier. This myth was extremely popular in #Greece and #Rome and gave religious respectability to #homosexuality, for which the #Greeks and #Romans had neither a separate conception nor word until the arrival of #Christianity.

#Byzantine Manuel I Comnenus The #Π in the center of Manuel's monogram stands for ΠΟΡΦΥΡΟΓΕΝΝΗΤΟΣ:Porfirogennetos, which literally means born in the purple and refers to the fact that Manuel I was born after the accession of his father John II Comnenus to the throne of the Empire, as opposed to his three older brothers.

Roman Provincial #Lydia #Nysa The Nysaean Theogamia were games held in honor of the marriage of Hades [Pluto] and Persephone. ΘЄOΓAMIA:Theogamia literally means marriage of the gods. ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΑ:Public games in which the contests were open to all comers. This coins struck in honour of the Theogamia, the games celebrating the marriage of Pluto and Persephone.

#Greek #Mysia #Kyzikos #Erdek This type coins depicts the myth of Erichthonios [ΕΡΙΧΘΟΝΙΟΣ], a legendary early king of Athens. According to myth, the warrior goddess #Athena was said to have visited the smith-god #Hephaistos in order to request more arms be forged for her. Overcome by desire, Hephaistos attempted to seduce Athena, and when he was rebuffed, chased her and tried to rape her. Though Athena fought him off, in the struggle Hephaistos' seed fell upon her thigh. In disgust, she wiped it from her leg and flung it to the earth. Upon contact with Gaia, the earth-goddess, an autochthonous boy was born and named Erichthonios [earth-shaker]. This coins depicts the moment the new-born boy was presented by the personified Earth to the goddess of wisdom.  Athena accepted the child, and gave him to the three daughters of Kekrops, the first king of Athens, in a box for safekeeping, warning the three daughters never to open it. Overcome by curiosity the sisters decided to take a fateful look inside, and the sight that greeted them [depending on the version of the myth] was the infant Erichthonios who either was encircled by a snake, or was himself half-man and half-serpent. Terrified and driven mad, the daughters threw themselves from the cliff-face of the Acropolis [or were killed by the snake]. In this depiction of the myth, the pair are classically idealised, perhaps inspired by a statue group. This coins, with its clear pro-Athenian type, was almost certainly struck during the period of the city's membership of the Delian League [478-411 BC]. TR 👇 https://lnkd.in/dqPi8EJe

This Roman Republic coins reverse depicts the myth of Jupiter [Zeus] and Europa. Transforming into a white bull to join the herd of Europa's father, the king of the gods abducted the maiden and carried her across the sea to Crete, where according to legend she was made the first queen of the island. As commonly depicted in ancient art, Europa is seen here seated on the bull's back with her drapery billowing in the wind. The myth is featured in Ovid's Metamorphoses [II.873-5] who describes Europa's emotions as she is carried away by the god: #Fear filled her heart as, gazing back, she saw. #The fast receding sands. Her right hand grasped. #A horn, the other lent upon his back. #Her fluttering tunic floated in the breeze. This myth is also prominently depicted on coins from the ancient city of #Gortyna on the island of #Crete.