4602) The Demareteion decadrachm of Syracuse, Greece minted during the reign of Gelon - the tyrant of Syracuse to commemorate Syracuse's victory over Carthage at the Battle of Himera around 480 BC:
The Demareteion decadrachm of Syracuse is one of the most fascinating pieces of ancient Greek coinage. Struck around 480 BC under the rule of Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse, it’s remarkable for several reasons:
Historical Context: It was issued to commemorate Syracuse’s victory over Carthage at the Battle of Himera. The coin is named after "Demarete", Gelon’s wife, who is said to have influenced its creation.
Ancient sources even mention a gold version, though surviving specimens are silver.
Rarity: Only a small number were struck, making it one of the rarest coins of antiquity. It’s also among the earliest examples of a decadrachm (worth ten drachmas), a denomination so significant that classical authors actually named it.
5th Century BCE Demareteion the Silver Coin variant:
An illustration of the Demaretéion is a silver coin of ancient Syracuse (weighing around 43 g) rather rare and worth 10 drachmas.
It is also known as a “pentekontalitron” because it was equivalent to 50 litrae (the litra was a silver Sicels coin weighing about 0.87 g).
Until recently it was believed that it was the famous coin ordered by Demarete (wife of the tyrant Gelon) after the Syracusan victory of Himera (480 BCE).
The Reverse design depicts the head of Arethusa, a nymph from Greek mythology, turned to the right. She wears a pearl diadem, and four dolphins swim around her, symbolizing Syracuse’s maritime power. The inscription ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ (“of the Syracusans”) encircles the design.
She has a crown of laurel leaves and her hair is gathered behind by a ribbon.
Four dolphins are swimming clockwise around.
The ethnic name, "ΣΥ - RA - KΟΣ - ΙΟΝ (SYRAKOSION)", in the plural genitive case, is written anti-clockwise and interspersed with dolphins.
This imagery reflects Syracuse’s prestige in both warfare and athletics.
"Nike" is flying above to crown the horses.
In the exergue, a lion is running to the right. The back of the coin shows a female head turned towards the right.
Typically depicts a quadriga (four-horse chariot) driven by a charioteer, with Nike flying above to crown the victor.
This Demaretéion (Decadramm) seems to have different origins:
Recent studies hypothesised that this decadramm is not the one mentioned by Diodorus Siculus (XI, 26.3), but it would have been coined to celebrate the fall of the Dinomenides, around 461 BCE.
This assumption, among other things, is supported by a tetradrachm publication coined in Aitna, which on the obverse presents a very similar quadriga to that of the so-called Demaretéion.
The Syracusan coin seems stylistically more recent than the tetradrachm of Áitna, and therefore could be called Hieronèion, that is a coin minted by Hieron around 470 BCE to propagate his government.
Cultural Significance: Arethusa’s presence ties the coin to local myth and identity.
In legend, she was transformed into a fountain on Ortygia, the island at the heart of Syracuse.
Her image became a recurring motif in Syracusan coinage, symbolising the city itself.
This coin is not just currency—it’s a piece of political propaganda, mythological storytelling, and artistic achievement rolled into one.
Collectors and historians prize it for its beauty and the glimpse it offers into the ambitions of Syracuse at the height of its power.
2) Some ancient coins depicting Greek mythology & history
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2) Some ancient coins depicting Greek mythology & history
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Santosh Khanna has commented: ·
ReplyDelete"Thanks for sharing this informative post.".
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab
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