Attractive Greek Art

Newmismatist · January 18, 2014 9:08AM

TomB · January 18, 2014 10:26AM

That's a heck of a coin and I think I would be twisting like mad to get out of the way, too, if a lion were heading toward me like that (and aiming for those parts!).

Swampboy · January 18, 2014 3:17PM

Wow!
That's gonna hurt.

Do you know the legend or myth behind the scene?

Newmismatist · January 19, 2014 1:29AM

<< <i>Wow! Do you know the legend or myth behind the scene? >>

It depicts the first of the 12 labors of Hercules: To slay the Nemean lion. Hercules was commanded to bring the hide of the Nemean Lion. The lion that had been terrorizing the valley of Nemean. Heracles tried to shoot the lion with arrows, not knowing that its golden fur was impenetrable; he then attacked it with his clubs, but to no avail. The lion hid in a cave with two entrances. Hercules blocked the one entrance, entered the other, and when he found the lion, Heracles stunned the beast with his club and, using his immense strength, wrestled with the lion and strangled it to death. After slaying the lion, he tried to skin it with a knife from his belt, but failed. He then tried sharpening the knife with a stone and even tried with the stone itself. Finally, Athena, noticing the hero's plight, told Heracles to use one of the lion's own claws to skin the pelt.
He then skinned it and wrapped himself in its skin.

On the tetradrams of Alexander the Great, we see Hercules with the lions scalp on his head. Here’s an example.

Swampboy · January 19, 2014 3:22PM

Thank you Newmismatist.

OldEastside · January 20, 2014 4:00AM

WOW, that explains why there an ancient civilization

Steve

NiceCurrency · January 20, 2014 11:04AM

gorgeous, what's on the other side? where's it from? when?
what do those greek letters mean?

Newmismatist · January 20, 2014 3:15PM

<< <i>gorgeous, what's on the other side? where's it from? when?
what do those greek letters mean? >>

A Coin of the Kings of Paeonia. Lykkeios. Circa 358/6-335 BC. AR Tetradrachm. The Obverse has a Laureate head of Zeus facing right / Reverse depicts Herakles strangling the Nemean Lion with a bow and quiver to right. The Greek letters are L Y K K.

Here's the Obverse

Swampboy · January 21, 2014 1:49PM

The obverse texture is fascinating.

nicholasz219 · January 21, 2014 6:25PM

That is a great looking coin! I never realized that the headdress of Hercules was the Nemean lion's head because I always try to buy lower priced (and therefore quality) examples of Hercules coins, so the detail is not as outstanding as on that coin.

Learn something new everyday!

Attractive Greek Art

Comments