HERAKLES
Probably
the most celebrated hero of classical mythology, Herakles, despite his
"merely semi-divine" origins, outshined many of the Olympic
deities
in terms of popularity and importance. It is somewhat curious that his
deeds of bravery and chivalry were somehow destined to survive even the
Christian revolution, which, with its emphasis on chastity and disdain
for the bodily and all physical, quickly dispensed with most classical
celebrities and their values.
Indeed, Herakles (often transliterated as Heracles, and better known
in English by the Romanized name of Hercules) had his star shine throughout
the Antiquity, on through the Medieval era, and to this day (and not only
in simplified Disney movies). Numerous cities and even dynasties of the
ancient world had some form of special veneration for Herakles or were
named after him. Alexander the Great was immensely inspired by the hero,
as evidenced by his coinage, and echoes of that are to be found well into
the Middle Ages; numerous Roman emperors did so as well, like Maximianus
and the Herculian dynasty of the early 4th century.
For that much of a man and fame, Herakles had to have had an eventful
life, and indeed it seems so - his heroics start right from the crib, where
he had to deal with nasty snakes sent by his jealous stepmother Hera,
through
his famous 12 labors, onto fighting at Troy, joining the Argonauts in their
quest for the Golden Fleece, and more. Most of these topics are not easily
found on coins, but when so, they are typically impressive and
refreshing.
SEA CREATURES
Seafarers whose culture originated and flourished in the Eastern
Mediterranean, the
ancient Greeks obviously had a special bond and relationship with the sea
- something the intervening couple of millenia have actually not changed.
As usual, this all finds an appropriate reflection in the products of Greek
mints, starting with the first strictly Greek trade coin issue, the silver
staters of Aigina near Athens - featuring a sea turtle in high relief.
Subsequently, a long parade of mythical personalities and creatures
starting
with the Lord of the Seas, Poseidon himself, followed by marine animals
big and small, sea vessels of various kinds and more - all reinforce the
importance of this bond and reflect its various aspects.
MYTHICAL CREATURES
What would a mythology be without mythical creatures - and the Greco-Roman
one
is no exception here. The list of these fantastic beings is long, with
one of them - Chimaira - even supplying a generic English term for the
fantastic or imaginary - "chimerical". This group is of a
somewhat
fluid boundary - bordering, say, on one side with demi-gods and other
lesser
deities - but is typically characterized by a combination of certain human
and animal traits, as well as supernatural powers. Some are on-of-a-kind
- like Minotaur, Skylla or Pegasos, and others come in many instances,
like nymphs, satyrs or hyppocamps - but they all reveal different aspects
of ancient beliefs, and make an interesting topic for coin collecting.
The selection presented here is of course limited by representations
available
on monetary issues, but includes some rather colorful characters...
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OLYMPIC PANTHEON
 Powerful,
yet hardly infallible, the Hellenic gods of Mt. Olympus and their
adventures
reflect as much the mentality of the ancients, as their pagan traditions.
Their cults actually originated at different times and places, but
eventually
they all amalgamated in the family of the chosen twelve, with its family
feuds and dealings with mortals. Of course, not (even) all gods were
created
equal - as evidenced, among other things, by the frequency of their
presence
on coinage - with Zeus, Athena and Apollo being the most popular. Many
of them served as patrons of certain city-states or monarchies, or were
awarded other forms of special veneration, which is also apparent on
monetary
issues. Finally, one must remember that there are numerous other deities
that have been worshipped, Hellenized and placed on coinage in the vastly
expanded Hellenistic realm following the Macedonian conquests.
ISLAND of LESBOS
Geographic-thematic collecting is an excellent way to dive into the ancient
history of different
regions of the ancient Greek world, as well as its economic, military and
cultural aspects. Traditionally, Ancient Greek coinage is classified in
catalogs by geographical criteria, as opposed to the later, less diverse
and largely linear presentations by rulers of the Roman Empire and beyond.
Indeed, for some of these regions one can trace the rich heritage through
the characteristics of coinage and its evolution from the oldest, Archaic
times, through the Classical and Hellenistic periods - even during Roman
times, when "provincial" Imperial coinage displayed much respect
for local Hellenistic Greek traditions. Other times, studying these
regional
series might simply evoke added interest in visiting places that exist,
some with their visible historical monuments, to this day. In any event,
geographic collecting can be a lot of fun - and it's hard to run out of
areas to collect!
The island of Lesbos (modern Greek transliteration is usually
"Lesvos")
may not be an easy region to collect, as its coinage is relatively scarce
today, but it does exemplify the rewards of focusing on a historically
rich locale, in this case within well-defined island boundaries. One of
the largest, yet most underdiscovered (so far, that is) Greek isles, Lesbos
boasts a historical heritage that surpasses that of many presently more
touristy places. In the words of a 19th century English scholar,
"Lesbos,
the center of Aeolian culture, was the island of overmastering passions:
the personality of the Greek race burned there with a fierce and steady
flame of concentrated feeling." Indeed, the impressive list of lyrical
masters that bloomed on the island, straddling the line between history
and myth, human and divine - like Sappho, Alkaios, even Arion and Orpheus
- amply justifies the lyre, the badge and symbol of the island and its
capital city, appearing prominently on numerous coinage issues
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