#gelon i of syracuse

[allbeendonebefore]

me reading this book like damn i need a personification for syracuse because I need a character thats (at least in the classical period) worse and more annoying than athens

[dankusner]

The Death of Harmonia

Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre

French, Paris

1714-1789

Paris

The Death of Harmonia ca. 1740-40il on canvas

Harmonia, the daughter of Gelon II, king of Syracuse, was threatened by conspirators.

Her governess tried to save her by exchanging her clothes with those of a slave girl, who, dressed as a princess, was murdered.

Moved by the girl's courage, Harmonia revealed her identity and was put to death in 214 B.C.

The picture was engraved by Charles Nicolas Cochin I in 1751 and was much praised when it was exhibited at the Salon later in the same year.

Toward the middle of the eighteenth century, historical subjects with moral overtones were again coming into fashion.

[gardenofkore]

For when the ambassadors who had been dispatched from Carthage came to him [Gelon I of Syracuse] begged him with tears to treat them humanely, he granted them peace, exacting of them the expense he had incurred for the war, two thousand talents of silver, and requiring them further to build two temples in which they should place copies of the treaty. The Carthaginians, having unexpectedly gained their deliverance, not only agreed to all this but also promised to give in addition a gold crown to Damarete, the wife of Gelon. For Damarete at their request had contributed the greatest aid toward the conclusion of the peace, and when she had received the crown of one hundred gold talents from them, she struck a coin which was called from her a Damareteion.

Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History, book 11, 26

Demàrete (or Damàrete) was a V century BC Siceliot princess daughter of Theron, tyrant of Akragas (modern-day Agrigento). In order to get a powerful ally, Theron gave his daughter in marriage to Gelon, previously ruler of Gela (491 BC -485 BC) and starting 485 BC first tyrant of Syracuse. At the same time Theron married the daughter of Gelon’s younger brother, Polyzelus. According to the tradition, Demàrete had been started to the mysteries of Demeter of Kore in her youth. This means she was fluent in Greek and had a pure soul, blameless of any crime, as these were fundamental conditions for joining. The cult of Demeter and Kore was especially supported by the Siceliot ruling class as a way to integrate with the natives and obtain their consensus, as the two goddesses were in fact particularly loved by the locals. Moreover Herodotus states that the members of Gelon’s family (the Deinomenid) were ministering priests of the goddesses of the nether world.

Despite that very little is known about Demàrete’s life, her figure is linked to an extremely important event. In 480 BC a combined force led by Demàrete’s father and husband defeated the Carthaginian troops of Hamilcar the Magonid near Himera (in the area of modern-day Buonfornello, province of Palermo). The defeated Punics, deprived of a leader (Hamilcar died during the fight), begged for the victors’ magnanimity. Demàrete then interceded with her husband and obtained a clement treatment for the defeated. Her only request was the Carthaginians would have to stop sacrificing their children to the gods Baal and Tanit. Satisfied with the benevolent terms, the gratefully Punics donated to Demàrete a golden crown worthy of 100 talents as thanks to her mediation. To share the gift with her people, the noblewoman ordered to melt the crown and use the gold to mint a new coin, the demaréteion. This dekádrachmos (worthy of 10 drachms) is one of the few coins mentioned by ancient sources.

In 478 BC, two years after the battle of Himera, Gelon I died. He was succeeded by his brother Hiero I. His wife (whom Gelon had left his inheritance) and young unknown son were put into care of his other brother, Polyzelus, who will marry Demàrete. The couple was soon forced to leave Syracuse and took refuge at the court of the woman’s father, Theron. The new tyrant of Syracuse, Hiero I, didn’t in fact appreciate his brother’s influence over his people (increased after his marriage with Gelon’s widow). The war between Theron and Hiero to restore Polyzelus’ power was avoided thanks to the mediation of the poet Simonides. Followed the reconciliation between the two brothers and Polyzelus and Demàrete were finally able to return to Syracuse and restored to all their former honours. It is unknown when Demàrete died. As for Polyzelus he must have died before Hiero I since it was the youngest Deinomenid brother, Thrasybulus, to become the tyrant after Hiero’s death. Thrasybulus had convinced Gelon and Demàrete’s son to give up his claims over Syracuse. He would be overthrown by his own relatives after a couple of months and forced to go into exile to  Epizephyrian Locris (near modern Capo Zefirio, southern Calabria). A democracy was established in Syracuse.

In 396 BC the Carthaginian general Himilco, at war with Syracusan tyrant Dionysius I, put the city under siege. He proceeded to raid the area called Akradina, which was situated outside the city’s walls. His troops destroyed the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, built by Gelon I after the victory in Himera. Moreover they desecrated many burials and, among them, the ones of Gelon and Demàrete.

Even after death, the memory of Gelon and Demàrete would be dearly preserved. Hiero II, tyrant of Syracuse from 270 BC to 215 BC, will name two of his three children Gelon and Demàrete (the third being another daughter, Heraclea). It was an attempt to reconnect himself to Gelon I, from whom he declared to descend.

[wisdom-and-such]

In Archimedes ‘The Sand Reckoner’, he attempted to count, using mathematical operations, the number of grains of sand it would take to fill the known universe.

It’s believed he lived around 300 BCE

"THERE are some, King Gelon, who think that the number of the sand is infinite in multitude; and I mean by the sand not only that which exists about Syracuse and the rest of Sicily but also that which is found in every region whether inhabited or uninhabited. Again there are some who, without regarding it as infinite, yet think that no number has been named which is great enough to exceed its multitude. And it is clear that they who hold this view, if they imagined a mass made up of sand in other respects as large as the mass of the earth, including in it all the seas and the hollows of the earth filled up to a height equal to that of the highest of the mountains, would be many times further still from recognising that any number could be expressed which exceeded the multitude of the sand so taken. But I will try to show you by means of geometrical proofs, which you will be able to follow, that, of the numbers named by me and given in the work which I sent to Zeuxippus, some exceed not only the number of the mass of sand equal in magnitude to the earth filled up in the way described, but also that of a mass equal in magnitude to the universe”

[awed-frog]

Stuff I Never Learned In Uni and Now I’m Gonna Sue:

When he was young, Plato used to wear a ridiculous earring and everybody made fun of him behind his back. Also his original name was Aristocles: ‘Plato’ (= Broady) is a nickname his trainer gave him because he was so stupidly buff.

Aristotle was fond of flashy clothes and flashier rings and spent ages doing his hair.

Socrates used to turn a stick into a pretend horse to amuse his children.

Alcibiades and his friends once got high on stolen Pythia’s herbs and risked the death penalty.

Plutarch literally said “Sex is nice, but have you tried reading Aristobulos?” (his books are now lost, btw, and that goes on my list ‘things to be furious and sad about’)

Empedocles, a vegetarian who won the Olympics, made an ox out of frankincense and myrrh and sacrificed it as a tribute to the gods instead of a real animal. Pythagoras also sacrificed an ox-shaped cake to the gods when he discovered that hypotenuse thing.

Sophist Anchimolus happily survived on figs and water, but people avoided him at the baths because he just stank so much.

Philoxenus and Gnathon the Sicilian used to blow their noses over the best dishes of a buffet, so that other guests wouldn’t eat them first.

The philosopher Crates was called ‘the Door-Opener’ because he had this habit of randomly walk into people’s houses and offer them unwanted and unsolicited advice.

Alcibiades once sent Socrates a gigantic cake for sex-related reasons, and Socrates’ wife was so mad she threw it on the floor and trampled it.

(As a reminder, Alcibiades tried everything he knew to get into Socrates’ pants but the guy just. never. shut. up. and Alcibiades would usually fell into a stupor and sleep.)

Many statues had little umbrellas on their heads so birds wouldn’t poop on them.

A guy once invited King Philip (Alexander’s dad) for dinner, but forgot kings usually travel with dozens of people. When Philip realized his host was embarrassed because there wasn’t enough food for everyone, he discreetly told his companions to leave room for cake. People ate very little in expectation of a glorious dessert, and so there was enough for everyone.

“Dreaming about cakes without cheese is a good omen, but cheesecakes signify deceit and trickery.” (Artemidorus, who totally wasn’t pulling things out of his own ass)

Proving nothing ever really changes and time is an illusion, Plutarch complained that the guides at Delphi would bore everyone to death by reading every single inscription while their audience baked in the sun.

“If a cucumber is bitter, just throw it away...Don’t go and complain Why do such things exist in this world?” (Marcus Aurelius, unproblematic fave; also filed under ‘does it spark joy?’)

Wine jars had a piece of wood inside it, so the mice who fell in could climb back out (a Most Civilised custom imo).

“Those drunk on wine fall on their faces; those drunk on beer fall on their backs.” (this from Aristotle, I dare hope from personal experience)

Empedocles once attended a party where the host told his guests they could either drink or be drenched in wine. The next day, he had the man executed. “This was the beginning of his career in politics”.

Alexander put collars on a number of deer to determine how long they lived. When they were caught, more than a hundred years later, they had not aged a day. (*stanning intensifies*)

A good method to stop children from crying: fasten a sponge on a jar of honey and give it to them. Probably also doubles as a good method for making their teeth fall out.

Several people tried to pass laws against children’s tantrums.

A flying pig once devastated the Ionic city of Clazomenae.

Greek divers had snorkels so they could stay longer underwater.

“The students nod to each other about charioteers, or mime-actors, or horses, or dancers, or about some gladiatorial fight; some just stand there like a block of stone, others pick their noses...Anything is preferable to paying attention to their teacher.” (Libanius, #bless; he also complained that students would rather handle snakes than touch their textbooks)

Aristotle made fun of Herodotus for saying a black man’s semen must also be black.

When Gelon, the future tyrant of Syracuse, was a boy, a wolf came into his classroom and stole his writing tablet. Gelon ran after him, and as soon as he’d stepped outside the school there was an earthquake: all the other children and their teacher died.

Archimedes once built a big-ass ship for king Hieron of Syracuse. It had a gymnasium, gardens, a library, a seawater pond full of fish and mosaics detailing the entire Iliad.

There was a rumor Sophocles died when he tried to recite his Antigone and couldn’t stop for breath because he never used commas. (#KarmaIsABitch)

In Sparta, all the girls and young men who were unmarried were locked together in a dark room. The men then grabbed a girl, and whoever they grabbed, they had to marry. Lysander, the famous Spartan general, was fined for abandoning the girl he caught and scheming to marry a prettier one.

Crocodile dung was considered an essential ingredient in face masks, but dishonest sellers would often present starling dung as crocodile’s.

There were beauty contests in several cities, both for men and for women. Some cities also held modesty contests for women.

The only valid reasons for being late at the Olmypics were illness, shipwreck and capture by pirates.

Pythagoras was shocked by how women lend each other clothes and jewelry without paperwork or a witness to the transaction.

Demosthenes refused to pay the prostitute Lais (a man) half a million dollars to sleep with him, declaring “I don’t buy regret at such a high price”. 

Bald men made money by allowing people to break pots over their heads for fun.

In Southern Italy there was a breed of sheep whose wool was so valuable, shepherds put leather jackets on them so it wouldn’t be ruined by bushes and thorns.

The Gauls used to throw letters on funeral pyres so the dead could read them in their next life.

In Sparta, every year boys were whipped for an entire day on the altar of Artemis. Some died, but the ones enduring it most gracefully received the highest honors.

Plato once gave a public reading of his treatise On the Soul and Aristotle was the only person who stayed until the end.

The statues of unpopular politicians were thrown in the sea or turned into chamber pots.

Apsethus the Libyan trained some parrots to say ‘Apsethus is a god’, and the Libyans, impressed by the miracle, started to worship him. Then a Greek came along and trained the parrots to say ‘Apsethus put me in a cage and forced me to say Apsethus is a god’ so when the Libyans heard that, they seized Apsethus and burned him to death.

An idiot named Marcus insisted in running a race in full armour. He was so slow, at midnight the stadium authorities locked everything up because they mistook him for one of the statues. When they opened up again in the morning, they found he’d finished his first lap.

Athens was plagued with gangs of rich kids running around and stealing the offerings left for the gods. One of them was called The Hard Dicks.

Some many men died in the Peloponnesian War the city of Athens made polygamy legal. Euripides thus had two wives, but wasn’t happy with either of them.

A character in one of Euripides’ plays argued that wealth matters more than morality and the audience got so mad Euripides had to come on stage and beg them to wait for the end of the play - promising the guy would be revealed as the villain and meet a dreadful end.

When Rhodopis, a beautiful prostitute, was taking a bath, an eagle stole her shoe. It carried it all the way to Memphis and dropped it on the lap of Pharaoh Psammetichus, who immediately ordered the whole country to be searched for the owner of such a beautiful and shapely shoe. When Rhodopis was found, he married her.

In Elysium, the fortunate dead enjoy checkers, horse riding, gymnastics and playing the lyre.

[Source: various Greek authors, collected by J.C. McKeown in A Cabinet of Greek Curiosities. Also available: Ancient Medical Curiosties and Roman Curiosities.]

[thesciencenut]

Continuation of the earlier post.

In the earlier post, I was talking about the great mathematicians of the world. In this post, I am gonna talk about - Archimedes and Pythagoras.

ARCHIMEDES

Archimedes was the most-famous mathematician and inventor in ancient Greece. Archimedes is especially important for his discovery of the relation between the surface and volume of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder.He is known for his formulation of a hydrostatic principle (known as Archimedes’ principle) and a device for raising water, still used in developing countries, known as the Archimedes screw. Archimedes probably spent some time in Egypt early in his career, but he resided for most of his life in Syracuse, the principal Greek city-state in Sicily, where he was on intimate terms with its king, Hieron II. Archimedes published his works in the form of correspondence with the principal mathematicians of his time, including the Alexandrian scholars Conon of Samos and Eratosthenes of Cyrene. He played an important role in the defense of Syracuse against the siege laid by the Romans in 213 BCE by constructing war machines so effective that they long delayed the capture of the city. When Syracuse eventually fell to the Roman general Marcus Claudius Marcellus in the autumn of 212 or spring of 211 BCE, Archimedes was killed in the sack of the city.

TOP QUESTIONS

What was Archimedes’ profession? When and how did it begin?

What accomplishments was Archimedes known for?

What specific works did Archimedes create?

What is known about Archimedes’ family, personal life, and early life?

Where was Archimedes born? How and where did he die?

Study how turning a helix enclosed in a circular pipe raises water in an Archimedes screw

Study how turning a helix enclosed in a circular pipe raises water in an Archimedes screw

An animation of Archimedes screw.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

See all videos for this article

Far more details survive about the life of Archimedes than about any other ancient scientist, but they are largely anecdotal, reflecting the impression that his mechanical genius made on the popular imagination. Thus, he is credited with inventing the Archimedes screw, and he is supposed to have made two “spheres” that Marcellus took back to Rome—one a star globe and the other a device (the details of which are uncertain) for mechanically representing the motions of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. The story that he determined the proportion of gold and silver in a wreath made for Hieron by weighing it in water is probably true, but the version that has him leaping from the bath in which he supposedly got the idea and running naked through the streets shouting “Heurēka!” (“I have found it!”) is popular embellishment. Equally apocryphal are the stories that he used a huge array of mirrors to burn the Roman ships besieging Syracuse; that he said, “Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth”; and that a Roman soldier killed him because he refused to leave his mathematical diagrams—although all are popular reflections of his real interest in catoptrics (the branch of optics dealing with the reflection of light from mirrors, plane or curved), mechanics, and pure mathematics.

According to Plutarch (c. 46–119 CE), Archimedes had so low an opinion of the kind of practical invention at which he excelled and to which he owed his contemporary fame that he left no written work on such subjects. While it is true that—apart from a dubious reference to a treatise, “On Sphere-Making”—all of his known works were of a theoretical character, his interest in mechanics nevertheless deeply influenced his mathematical thinking. Not only did he write works on theoretical mechanics and hydrostatics, but his treatise Method Concerning Mechanical Theorems shows that he used mechanical reasoning as a heuristic device for the discovery of new mathematical theorems.

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His Works

There are nine extant treatises by Archimedes in Greek. The principal results in On the Sphere and Cylinder (in two books) are that the surface area of any sphere of radius r is four times that of its greatest circle (in modern notation, S = 4πr2) and that the volume of a sphere is two-thirds that of the cylinder in which it is inscribed (leading immediately to the formula for the volume, V = 4/3πr3). Archimedes was proud enough of the latter discovery to leave instructions for his tomb to be marked with a sphere inscribed in a cylinder. Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE) found the tomb, overgrown with vegetation, a century and a half after Archimedes’ death.

sphere with circumscribing cylinder

sphere with circumscribing cylinder

The volume of a sphere is 4πr3/3, and the volume of the circumscribing cylinder is 2πr3. The surface area of a sphere is 4πr2, and the surface area of the circumscribing cylinder is 6πr2. Hence, any sphere has both two-thirds the volume and two-thirds the surface area of its circumscribing cylinder.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Measurement of the Circle is a fragment of a longer work in which π (pi), the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle, is shown to lie between the limits of 3 10/71 and 3 1/7. Archimedes’ approach to determining π, which consists of inscribing and circumscribing regular polygons with a large number of sides, was followed by everyone until the development of infinite series expansions in India during the 15th century and in Europe during the 17th century. That work also contains accurate approximations (expressed as ratios of integers) to the square roots of 3 and several large numbers.

On Conoids and Spheroids deals with determining the volumes of the segments of solids formed by the revolution of a conic section (circle, ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola) about its axis. In modern terms, those are problems of integration. (See calculus.) On Spirals develops many properties of tangents to, and areas associated with, the spiral of Archimedes—i.e., the locus of a point moving with uniform speed along a straight line that itself is rotating with uniform speed about a fixed point. It was one of only a few curves beyond the straight line and the conic sections known in antiquity.

On the Equilibrium of Planes (or Centres of Gravity of Planes; in two books) is mainly concerned with establishing the centres of gravity of various rectilinear plane figures and segments of the parabola and the paraboloid. The first book purports to establish the “law of the lever” (magnitudes balance at distances from the fulcrum in inverse ratio to their weights), and it is mainly on the basis of that treatise that Archimedes has been called the founder of theoretical mechanics. Much of that book, however, is undoubtedly not authentic, consisting as it does of inept later additions or reworkings, and it seems likely that the basic principle of the law of the lever and—possibly—the concept of the centre of gravity were established on a mathematical basis by scholars earlier than Archimedes. His contribution was rather to extend those concepts to conic sections.

Quadrature of the Parabola demonstrates, first by “mechanical” means (as in Method, discussed below) and then by conventional geometric methods, that the area of any segment of a parabola is 4/3 of the area of the triangle having the same base and height as that segment. That is, again, a problem in integration.

The Sand-Reckoner is a small treatise that is a jeu d’esprit written for the layman—it is addressed to Gelon, son of Hieron—that nevertheless contains some profoundly original mathematics. Its object is to remedy the inadequacies of the Greek numerical notation system by showing how to express a huge number—the number of grains of sand that it would take to fill the whole of the universe. What Archimedes does, in effect, is to create a place-value system of notation, with a base of 100,000,000. (That was apparently a completely original idea, since he had no knowledge of the contemporary Babylonian place-value system with base 60.) The work is also of interest because it gives the most detailed surviving description of the heliocentric system of Aristarchus of Samos (c. 310–230 BCE) and because it contains an account of an ingenious procedure that Archimedes used to determine the Sun’s apparent diameter by observation with an instrument.

Method Concerning Mechanical Theorems describes a process of discovery in mathematics. It is the sole surviving work from antiquity, and one of the few from any period, that deals with this topic. In it Archimedes recounts how he used a “mechanical” method to arrive at some of his key discoveries, including the area of a parabolic segment and the surface area and volume of a sphere. The technique consists of dividing each of two figures into an infinite but equal number of infinitesimally thin strips, then “weighing” each corresponding pair of these strips against each other on a notional balance to obtain the ratio of the two original figures. Archimedes emphasizes that, though useful as a heuristic method, this procedure does not constitute a rigorous proof.

On Floating Bodies (in two books) survives only partly in Greek, the rest in medieval Latin translation from the Greek. It is the first known work on hydrostatics, of which Archimedes is recognized as the founder. Its purpose is to determine the positions that various solids will assume when floating in a fluid, according to their form and the variation in their specific gravities. In the first book various general principles are established, notably what has come to be known as Archimedes’ principle: a solid denser than a fluid will, when immersed in that fluid, be lighter by the weight of the fluid it displaces. The second book is a mathematical tour de force unmatched in antiquity and rarely equaled since. In it Archimedes determines the different positions of stability that a right paraboloid of revolution assumes when floating in a fluid of greater specific gravity, according to geometric and hydrostatic variations.

Archimedes is known, from references of later authors, to have written a number of other works that have not survived. Of particular interest are treatises on catoptrics, in which he discussed, among other things, the phenomenon of refraction; on the 13 semiregular (Archimedean) polyhedra (those bodies bounded by regular polygons, not necessarily all of the same type, that can be inscribed in a sphere); and the “Cattle Problem” (preserved in a Greek epigram), which poses a problem in indeterminate analysis, with eight unknowns. In addition to those, there survive several works in Arabic translation ascribed to Archimedes that cannot have been composed by him in their present form, although they may contain “Archimedean” elements. Those include a work on inscribing the regular heptagon in a circle; a collection of lemmas (propositions assumed to be true that are used to prove a theorem) and a book, On Touching Circles, both having to do with elementary plane geometry; and the Stomachion (parts of which also survive in Greek), dealing with a square divided into 14 pieces for a game or puzzle.

Archimedes’ mathematical proofs and presentation exhibit great boldness and originality of thought on the one hand and extreme rigour on the other, meeting the highest standards of contemporary geometry. While the Method shows that he arrived at the formulas for the surface area and volume of a sphere by “mechanical” reasoning involving infinitesimals, in his actual proofs of the results in Sphere and Cylinder he uses only the rigorous methods of successive finite approximation that had been invented by Eudoxus of Cnidus in the 4th century BCE. These methods, of which Archimedes was a master, are the standard procedure in all his works on higher geometry that deal with proving results about areas and volumes. Their mathematical rigour stands in strong contrast to the “proofs” of the first practitioners of integral calculus in the 17th century, when infinitesimals were reintroduced into mathematics. Yet Archimedes’ results are no less impressive than theirs. The same freedom from conventional ways of thinking is apparent in the arithmetical field in Sand-Reckoner, which shows a deep understanding of the nature of the numerical system.

In antiquity Archimedes was also known as an outstanding astronomer: his observations of solstices were used by Hipparchus (flourished c. 140 BCE), the foremost ancient astronomer. Very little is known of this side of Archimedes’ activity, although Sand-Reckoner reveals his keen astronomical interest and practical observational ability. There has, however, been handed down a set of numbers attributed to him giving the distances of the various heavenly bodies from Earth, which has been shown to be based not on observed astronomical data but on a “Pythagorean” theory associating the spatial intervals between the planets with musical intervals. Surprising though it is to find those metaphysical speculations in the work of a practicing astronomer, there is good reason to believe that their attribution to Archimedes is correct.

PYTHAGORAS

Pythagoras of Samos[a] (c. 570 – c. 495 BC)[b] was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. His political and religious teachings were well known in Magna Graecia and influenced the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and, through them, Western philosophy. Knowledge of his life is clouded by legend, but he appears to have been the son of Mnesarchus, a gem-engraver on the island of Samos. Modern scholars disagree regarding Pythagoras's education and influences, but they do agree that, around 530 BC, he travelled to Croton in southern Italy, where he founded a school in which initiates were sworn to secrecy and lived a communal, ascetic lifestyle. This lifestyle entailed a number of dietary prohibitions, traditionally said to have included vegetarianism, although modern scholars doubt that he ever advocated for complete vegetarianism.

In the next post, I will be talking about ramanujan and shakuntala devi.

Follow me, stay tuned, next post will be uploaded soon.

[dolamduc]

QUÂN BINH TỘC SICEL

I. Sơ lượcNgười Sicel  a.k.a Sikel, Siculi là 1 tộc người bản địa Italia từng cư ngụ trên  đảo Sicily vào Thời đại Đồ Sắt (bắt đầu khoảng năm 900 TCN) cho tới khi lần lượt bị dân di thực Hy Lạp và người La Mã tới áp đảo và dần cai trị và đồng hóa để rồi về sau tên gọi của tộc người này được dùng làm tên cho cả hòn đảo SicilyDù người Sicel là dân bản địa cư ngụ ở Sicily vào thời kỳ Đồ Sắt song vào thời Hậu kỳ Đồ đồng thì 1 loạt quốc gia cổ đại ở bờ Đông Địa Trung Hải như Hittite, Byblos, Ugarit và Ai Cập… đều chịu sự tấn công của  1 liên minh các dân tộc bí ẩn đến từ phía biển khơi được  gọi chung là người Hải Nhân khiến cho 1 số quốc gia như Hittite, Ugarit…từng 1 thời hùng cường bị tiêu vongTrong số khoảng 8-9 bộ tộc thuộc Liên minh Hải Nhân được nhắc đến 1 cách rời rạc, rải rác trong các tài liệu cổ của người Ai Cập cổ đại như câu chuyện của pharaoh Merneptah (1213 TCN -1203 TCN) được khắc ở Minh Văn Đại Karnak và trên bi ký Athribis cũng như chuyện của pharaoh Ramesses Đệ Tam (1186 TCN -1155 TCN) được khắc tại Đền thờ Ramesses Đệ Tam ở Medinet Habu thì nổi lên cái tên bộ Sherkeslesh là bộ tộc từng liên minh với dân Libya cổ tấn công Ai Cập cũng như hủy diệt xứ Ugarit của người Phoenicia vốn được nhà Ai Cập học người Pháp Emmanuel de Rouge cho rằng là biến âm từ tên gọi tộc Sicel Ngoài ra thì cũng theo 1 vài sử gia thời cổ đại thì nguồn gốc chính xác của người Sicel lại đến từ vùng trung bộ bán đảo Italia để rồi thời cuộc đưa đẩy họ xuống Sicily để định cư và trở thành 1 nhóm trong khối các tộc bản địa thời kỳ tiền Hy Lạp và CarthagoNguyên quán ban đầu chính xác của người Sicel  thì khác nhau tùy theo các sử gia với việc sử gia Pliny cho rằng quê gốc của người Sicel là ở phía đông và phía nam vùng Umbria ở miền trung Italia để rồi sau đó họ bị dân Umbria và Picentes từ bắc kéo xuống đuổi điTrong khi đó thì sử gia Dionysius lại  cho rằng người Sicel từng cư trú trên vùng đất mà về sau thành Rome được xây dựng nên  cho tới khi họ bị người bản địa Latin dồn đuổiSau khi bị đánh bật khỏi miền trung thì người Sicel đã nam hạ và dừng chân trên vùng Basilicata hiện tại vốn về khoảng thời gian gần những năm đầu Công Nguyên được chiếm giữ bởi tộc LucaniaDù vậy thì sự dừng chân này mang tính ngắn hạn khi mà theo sử gia Thucydides thì cuộc nam tiến của các tộc người hiếu chiến gồm tộc Oenotri và Opici từ phía bắc vùng Calabria đã đẩy người Sicel cùng tộc Elymi  1 lần nữa dồn về phía nam Calabria  khiến họ sau cùng phải vượt  eo biển Messinia để đổ bộ lên đảo Sicily vào mốc thời điểm khoảng thế kỷ thứ 10 TCNDù vậy thì đảo Sicily bấy giờ cũng chả phải đất hoang gì cho ai đó mở cõi khi mà trên đảo tồn tại sẵn 1 nhóm dân bản địa khác lâu hơn 2 nhóm Ấn-Âu Sicel và  và Elymi chính là dân SicaniaSau khi bị buộc phải rời khỏi bán đảo Italia thì người Sicel và tộc Elymi đã vượt biển đổ bộ lên định cư đảo Sicily song ở 2 hướng khác nhauTrong khi dân Elymi đổ bộ lên cư ngụ miền tây đảo Sicily  mà về sau trở thành 1 phần địa bàn của Carthago thì người Sicel lại đổ bộ lên đảo Sicily từ phía bán đảo  Italia lên tức là ở phía đông hòn đảo để rồi cả 2 nhóm người  sau đã dồn ép tộc Sicania tới định cư từ trước  co cụm theo cả 2 hướng Đông – Tây về cư ngụ ở phần nội địa nằm giữa đảo SicilyDù vậy thì người Sicel cũng không vui mừng được lâu khi mà vào khoảng thế kỷ thứ 9 TCN, người Phoenicia đã đổ bộ lên duyên hải đảo Sicily và lập nên 1 số thuộc địa độc lập của họ ở đây vốn sẽ tồn tại riêng rẽ cho tới khoảng năm 540 TCN khi các thành bang Phoenicia đọc lập ở Sicily đều bị 1 thành bang Phoenicia mới nổi khác ở vùng Bắc Phi là Carthago chinh phục để rồi sang khoảng thế kỷ thứ 8 TCN và thứ 7 TCN thì 1 bộ phận người Hy Lạp sau sự bùng nổ dân số ở Balkan cũng đã di thực tới lập các thành phố riêng ở duyên hải miền nam Italia nói chung và đảo Sicily nói riêng và các thành phố này được gọi chung dưới tên gọi là Magna Gracia/Đại Hy LạpTrong số các thành bang thì có thành bang Syracuse lập năm 743 TCN bởi di dân Corinth và thành Agrigento lập khoảng năm 580 TCN do di dân từ một thành bang Đại Hy Lạp khác là Gela vốn được dân di thực từ Rhodes và Crete lập nên  689 TCN/688 TCN là có ảnh hưởng trực tiếp tới vận mệnh người SicelCũng như việc người Sicel đã làm trước kia với dân Sicani thì người di thực Hy Lạp cũng đã tiến hành chinh phục và dồn đẩy người Sicel vào sâu trong nội địa với 1 bộ phận bị nô dịch trong khi số khác thì dần bị  Hy Lạp hóa theo cách này hay cách khácDù vậy thì mối quan hệ giữa người Sicel và người Hy Lạp cũng tùy thuộc vào các dân di thực Hy Lạp thuộc nhóm nào khi mà người Hy Lạp thuộc nhóm Chalcis thì hòa hiếu hơn trong khi mối quan hệ ấy lại căng thẳng và thù địch hơn với nhóm Doria hiếu chiến Tuy vậy thì cũng có trường hợp cá biết biệt như ở Morgatina khi người Hy Lạp và dân Sicel cùng chia sẻ chung không gian sốngSyracuse vào giai đoạn đầu thế kỷ thứ 5 TCN dưới sự lãnh đạo của các quốc chủ nhà Deinomeneid như Gelon và Hieron Đệ Nhất đã từng có chiến sự với Carthago để rồi sau cái chết của quốc chủ cuối cùng của họ Deinomeneid vào năm 467 TCN thì Syracuse đã chuyển sang chính thể cộng hòa lần thứ 2Dưới sự cai trị của các quốc chủ họ Deinomeneid mà nhất là Hieron Đệ Nhất thì Syracuse đã chinh phục vài thành phố Hy lạp ở Sicily bao gồm cả Catana và thay máu dân cư nguyên gốc của thành phố này vốn thuộc nhóm Chalcis bằng dân cư từ thành Leontini vốn là hỗn hợp giữa người từ Peloponnesus và người thành Syracuse như đã làm với vài thành bang khác bị Syracuse chinh phụcĐi kèm với việc thay máu dân cư Catana chính là cải tên gọi thành phố sang Aetna nhằm đánh dấu việc thành phố chính thức được tái thành lập bởi người Syracuse để rồi khi nền thống trị của họ Deinomeneid bị lật đổ ở Syracuse thì mối quan hệ giữa chính mẫu quốc Syracuse với thuộc địa Catana/Aetna này nhanh chóng bị phai mờTrong lúc này thì người Catana lại thi hình chính sách bành trướng khi tiến hành cuộc chiến để chiếm đất của người Sicel bản địaVào thời điểm này thì người Sicel đang do 1 thủ lĩnh Ducetius cai trịTuy không rõ hành trạng, thời điểm lên nắm quyền cai trị người Sicel của Ducetius song dựa vào các thông tin rời rạc ban đầu được sử gia người Hy Lạp là Timaeus xứ Tauromenium  (355 TCN/350 TCN – 260 TCN) ghi chép rồi được tái sử  dụng bởi 1 sử gia khác nguyên quán Sicily sống vào thời đại Augustus là Diodorus Siculus thi Ducetius là người Sicel bị Hy Lạp hóa khi được giáo dục theo cách của người Hy LạpSau khi bị thành Catana chiếm đất thì Ducetius đã liên thủ với Syracuse cùng hiệp binh đánh bại Catana vào năm 460 TCN và 1 lần nữa thay thế lại dân cư Catana  từ chỗ là dân vùng khác bị tiền triều Deinomeneid của Syracuse thay thế bằng dân cũ của thành phố vốn người gốc ChalcisSau khi giành chiến thắng trước Catana thì Ducetius đã thừa thắng chiếm luôn thành Morgantina cũng như là thành lập nên thành phố mới là thành phố Menai để rồi sang năm 452 TCN thì Ducetius đã thống nhất hết trung bộ đảo Sicily và lập nên thành PaliceDucetius sau đó đã công chiếm Aetna rồi bắt đầu nhòm ngó tới thành Agrigento của người Hy LạpTới lúc này thì Syracuse sau quãng thời gian ngồi yên nhìn người Sicel phát triển thực lực đã quyết định không thể tiếp tục ngồi yên để cho người Sicel tiếp tục có cơ hội trở thành mối đe dọa đối với các thành bang Hy Lạp ở Sicily mà trong đó bao gồm có SyracuseVà cơ hội để Syracuse ngăn cản sự lớn mạnh của người Sicel dưới sự dẫn dắt của Ducetius cuối cùng cũng đến vào năm 451 TCN khi thành Agrigento cầu viện Syracuse giúp mình chống lại người Sicel giữa lúc Ducetius đang vây hãm thành Mortyon của Agrigento và được Syracuse đồng ý hỗ trợLiên quân Agrigento - Syracuse sau đó đã kéo đến tấn công vào đội quân Ducetius đang vây hãm thành Mortyon song bị đánh cho đại bại và Ducetius đã thừa thắng mà chiếm luôn MortyonSau khi chiến bại trận đầu trước người Sicel thì lực lượng liên quân các thành bang Hy Lạp đã tái tập hợp và tổ chức lại lượng để rồi sang mùa xuân năm 450 TCN thì liên quân Hy Lạp chia đường phản kích người Sicel với quân Agrigento kéo tới tái chiếm Mortyon trong khi lực lượng Syracuse gồm khoảng 4500 -5500 mạng đã kéo tới Nomae để giao chiến với quân chủ lực Sicel do chính thủ lĩnh Ducetius chỉ huy và tại chiến trường Nomae thì quân Sicel đã bị quân đội Syracuse đánh bại hoàn toàn buộc Ducetius phải đầu hàng Syracuse cũng như phải chịu cảnh lưu đày tới mẫu quốc Corinth đã lập nên SyracuseCùng với chiến bại ở Nomae thì đế quốc Sicel do Ducetius mới thành lập tới đây bị tan rãDù vậy thì sự tồn tại của liên minh Syracuse – Agrigento sau chiến thắng Nomae trước người bản địa Sicel cũng chẳng thể kéo dài được lâu khi liên minh bắt đầu bị đổ vỡ do tranh chấp về vấn đề ai sẽ là người nắm lấy quyền thống trị Sicily để rồi việc Ducetius rời  nơi lưu đày Corinth để về Sicily và lập nên 1 thành phố mới là Caronia/Cale Acte vào năm 446 TCN đã tạo ra cái cớ cần thiết để cuộc chiến tranh giữa Agrigento và Syracuse bùng nổ khi mà Agrigento cáo buộc Syracuse đã tự ý giữ lại mạng của kẻ thù chung Ducetius mà không hỏi trước ý kiến đồng minh AgrigentoNăm 446 TCN, quân đội 2 xứ Agrigento và Syracuse đã giao chiến ở sông Himera để rồi tại trận chiến này thì Syracuse đã đánh bại và buộc Agrigento phải cầu hòa kết thúc chiến tranhTrở lại với người Sicel thì sau khi thủ lĩnh Ducetius bị đánh bại thì người Sicel dần phải thần phục Syracuse và góp các chiến binh vào chiến đấu trong quân ngũ Syracuse cho đến khi Syracuse mất vào tay La Mã năm 212 TCN để rồi sau đó thì người Sicel dần bị chủ nhân mới của đảo Sicily là người La Mã đồng hóa và biến mất khỏi lịch sửII. Quân sựVề quân sự thì quân sự của người Sicel đa phần mang đậm phong cách chiến đấu của người nhóm tộc Osca với 1 vài các đặc điểm quân sự của người Latin cổ thời điểm trước khi họ sử dụng đội hình bộ binh trang bị nặng hoplite trong chiến đấuVề đại thể thì nhân sự lực lượng chiến đấu của người Sicel gồm các tráng đinh trong bộ lạc được tổ chức theo hệ thập phân với toàn thể lực lượng chiến đấu của người Sicel có thể chia làm 2 bộ phận chính là bộ binh và kỵ binhTrong số 2 bộ phận binh chủng trên thì lực lượng bộ binh Sicel gồm phần nhiều các dân binh trang bị giáo với 1 số chiến binh Sicel được trang bị 2 ngọn giáo ngắn  với 1 cây dùng để ném tầm xa, và cây còn lại dùng để xiên khi giáp lá cà trong khi 1 số khác thì chỉ có mỗi 1 cây giáo dài dùng cho việc xiên đối phương cũng như có 1 số khác nữa hì ngoài việc được trang bị giáo thì họ cũng mang thêm các vũ khí thứ cấp như kiếm ngắn hoặc rìu vung bằng 1 tayBên cạnh các vũ khí chiến đấu thì với các chiến binh xuất thân từ các tầng lớp cao trong xã hội thì họ còn được trang bị thêm 1 bộ giáp trụ hộ thân bằng đồng gồm mũ trụ, đai rộng bản bảo vệ thắt lưng cũng như giáp hộ tâm pectoral hình tròn, vuông hoặc chữ nhật cùng giáp bảo vệ ống chân vốn là xà cạp thường mang vào ống chân bên tráiNgoài ra thì các chiến binh Sicel còn được trang bị thêm 1 thứ hộ thân khác chính là tấm khiên scutum hình bầu dục kiểu của người Latin bằng gỗ phủ da có kích thước tương đương với tấm khiên apis tròn lớn của Hy LạpNgoài ra thì trong quân Sicel còn có 1 bộ phận bộ binh trang bị nhẹ gồm các binh sỹ ném lao và binh sỹ đánh rìu được trang bị khiên nhỏ với mũ trụ xuất thân từ các tầng lớp thấp kém trong xã hộiVề phần lực lượng kỵ binh thì tương tự  như các đơn vị kỵ binh của các tộc người cổ đại sống ở Italia thời bấy giờ khi mà các chiến sỹ kỵ binh xuất thân là các quý tộc bộ lạc hay những người đủ điều kiện để tự trang bị ngựa chiến giáp trụ với trang bị hộ thân của kỵ binh cũng tương tự loại trang bị của các binh sỹ bộ binh xuất thân từ tầng lớp cao trong xã hội trong khi trang bị chiến đấu của kỵ binh thì chỉ gồm có laoVề chiến thuật thì với các trang bị thích hợp để chiến đấu ở các địa hình gồ ghề như trên nên người Sicel thường dùng các chiến thuật phục kích cũng như tấn công bất ngờ bằng các đội hình mởDù vậy thì cũng có đôi khi người Sicel chiến đấu quy ước  khi dàn các đội hình đánh trận với tuyến đầu gồm các binh sỹ được trang bị giáp, mang giáo ngắn vốn có thể được dùng cho nhiều việc từ xiên đối thủ khi ở gần cho đến ném vào bên kia ở cự li xa trong khi các tuyến tiếp theo là các binh sỹ được trang bị giáo chuyên dùng cho mục đích đâm, xiên đối thủ

[latintrash]

@footnotestoplato asked me this but it deleted itself?? Anyyways:

1. ancient Greece or ancient Rome? Aaah i hate you for making me choose!! Erm, Ancient Greece for the art and culture and philosophy, Ancient Rome for the politics

3. which is your favourite Greek city-state? Syracuse:- the political turmoil and dichotomy of a benevolent dictator (Gelon) fascinates me, and the cultural richness attracting philosophers including Pindar and Simonides is interesting in such a volatile environment. Also all the Alexandrias. Because kudos to Alexander the Great for pinning his name on his success. (even though this makes him the ancient Trump in some ways)..

13. if you could time-travel to the classical world for a day, where would you go and why? Cicero’s house on the Palatine during his Consulship, stewing in the half light of the Senator’s study, watching the eyes’ weary lines as their owner revises the phraseology again and again, seeking my advice in the form of mock discourse, strengthening his position. He sits, a glass of wine in hand, stooped over his mahogany desk. Reading, rereading. Drafting his meteoric rise and setting the path for his fall.

[ialanjohnson]

Guide to Ancient Greek Coins of Sicily Examples on VIDEO

Ancient Coins of Sicily Explained in Video & Article

Learn about the rare Sicilian ancient Greek coins and the cities that struck them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=petOafNL7D0

A list of all the ancient Greek cities in Sicily which minted coins with examples of them.

The ancient Greek Island of Sicily has a variety of history and amazing coins to explore. Some of the cities had some of the rarest coins possible. The best standard reference work on the subject of these coins is Handbook of Coins of Sicily by Oliver D. Hoover. I cite coins from this book quite often, as HGC 2, (and the coin number). It is full of history and a variety of types not usually seen anywhere. I highly recommend it.

Over the years I have had a collection of thousands of ancient Greek and Roman coins that is over 13,000 items now. This inventory includes some very rare coins from many cities of Sicily.

Some common problems with rare ancient coins in general are:

People don’t know exactly what to search for.

There are limited amounts of ancient coins available.

There is not a lot of information that can help a beginner collect this series.

There is usually not one source that has many of the rare types available.

This article is to provide people with solutions to this issue. My name is Ilya Zlobin, and I am an expert, enthusiast, author and dealer in ancient Greek Roman Byzantine and even world coins and medals. The reason for this article is that I believe an educated customer is the best customer, as only someone that knows about a specific subject can appreciate the value and beauty of it. I have many articles and videos on many subjects, teaching about different ancient coins. It took me years of experience to have the inventory I have available for you to explore. When you deal with me, you are leveraging my vast experience of working with over 53,000 items over the years.

This article is full of links to the specific coins and cities and the coins shown here are ones available in my eBay store at the time of the writing of this article. You can use the links to search my store for the specific items, of which I have many. Some links may or may not yield results, but may in the future. So in other words you can use this list  in order to put together a collection, or check back at later dates for certain cities. You city names are quite hard sometimes to spell so it is another way it is really helpful.

Click here to see all coins of ancient Sicily I have available.

A List of the Cities that Issued Coins in Ancient Sicily

This list of ancient Sicilian cities is comprehensive, including some of the super rare mints which are usually not seen. If you decide to put together a collection, you can click on each of the cities below of your interest and search my eBay store with over 14,000 items for those specific coins. You can also use the list below for your own searches.

Abakainon

Adranon

Agyrion

Aitna

Akragas

Akrai

Alaisa Aitnai

Alaisa Archonidea

Alontion

Ameselon

Amestratos

Apollonia

Assoros

Ath Athl

Entella (“The Camp”)

Eryx

Galaria

Gela

Henna (Enna)

Herakleia Minoa

Herbessos

Herbita

Himera

Hipana

Hybla Megala (Hybla Geleatis)

Iaiton (Iaitia)

Imachara

Kainon

Kalakte (Kale Akte)

Kamarina

Katane

Kentoripai

Kephaloidion

Kimissa

Kronia

Leontinoi

Lilybaion

Longane

Megara Hyblaia

Menainon (Menaion)

Messana (Zankle) and the Mamertini

Morgantina

Motya

Mytistraton

Nakone

Naxos

Panormos (Sys)

Paropos

Petra

Piakos

Segesta (Egesta)

Selinous

Sergitaians

Solous

Sielane (Stiela)

Syracuse Kings: Agathokles (Agathocles) Hieron II, Philistis, and Gelon II Hieronymos

Tauromenion

Thermai Himeraiai

Tyndaris

The Tyrrhenians

The island of Lipara

or Explore all coins of Sicily

AITNA in SICILY after 210BC Ancient Greek City Coin Apollo Warrior i37922 Rare

Greek city of Aitna in Sicily Bronze 18mm (3.38 grams) after 210 B.C. Reference: Sear 1018 var. (three dot in field to left and head left); Calciati III, S. 148, Em. 8 Radiate bust of Apollo right, wearing chlamys. AITNAIΩN, Warrior standing facing, head right, holding spear and shield; three pellets in field to left.

The Syracusan colonists expelled from Katane in 461 B.C. founded a new settlement about ten miles to the north-west, ad to this place they transferred the name of Aitna which they had previously bestowed upon Katane. 

AKRAGAS in SICILY 420BC Hemidrachm Crab Hare Eagle Ketos Fish Silver Coin i40761

Greek city of Akragas in Sicily Silver Hemidrachm 15mm (1.84 grams) Struck circa 420-406 B.C. Reference: HGC 2, 105; SNG ANS 1010–3 Eagle standing right on hare; barley grain to left. Crab; below, ketos left with fish in its mouth.

SICILY city AKRAI 210BC Underworld queen Demeter Cult Ancient Greek Coin i28403

Greek city of Akrai in Sicily Bronze 22mm (9.01 grams) After 210 B.C. Reference: Sear 1014; Calciati III pg. 37, 1; SNG ANS 902ff Wreathed head of Persephone right. AKPAIΩN, Demeter standing left, holding torch and sceptre.

ALONTION in SICILY 400BC Hercules Club Quiver Ancient Greek Coin i41711

Greek city of Alontion in Sicily Bronze 15mm (2.63 grams) Struck circa 400 B.C. Reference: CNS 6; SNG ANS 1193 Bearded head of Hercules right. ΑΛΟΝΤΙNON, Club and quiver.

Athl / Atl / AΘA Mint in SICILY Rare 340BC Athena Rare Ancient Greek Coin i47252

 Greek city or town Athl / Atl / AΘA Mint in Northwestern Sicily Bronze 30mm (26.95 grams) Struck circa 340-330 B.C. Reference HGC 2, 232; CNS III, p. 287, no. 1 AΘA, Head of Athena in Attic helmet right. Female figure enthroned right, holding palm branch or scepter and grounded bow; all within incuse circle.

Numismatic Note: This mint’s name has been previously misread as AΘΛ (Athl), in light of modern numismatic scholarship, AΘA is actually a Doric abbreviation for Athena. So therefore, the name of this mint is unknown. What is known is that the larger bronzes were re-struck on Syracusan issues from the period of 375-345 B.C.

ERYX Sicily 400BC Female & Crab Rare Authentic Ancient Greek Coin i28255

Greek city of Eryx in Sicily Bronze 11mm (1.56 grams) Struck circa 400-330 B.C. Reference: Calciati I pg. 288, 28 var.; Gabrici pg. 131, 46-48 Female head right. Crab.

Gela in Sicily 339BC Rare Ancient Greek Coin Demeter River god Gelas i41739

Greek city of Gela in Sicily Bronze 15mm (2.90 grams) Struck circa 339-310 B.C. Reference: Sear 1099; Jenkins 549; B.M.C. 2.77-8 ΓΕΛΩΙΩΝ, Head of Demeter three-quarter face to right, wreathed with corn. Bearded head of river-god Gelas left, horned, and wreathed with horn.

HIMERA Greek city in SICILY 420BC Hemilitron Large Ancient Coin Gorgon i37118

Greek city of Himera in Sicily Bronze Hemilitron 24mm (15.98 grams) Struck circa 450-420 B.C. Reference: Sear 1105; B.M.C. 2.,p.39,27-30 Gorgon’s head facing. Six pellets.

Numismatic Note: Fantastic coin in the most fantastic condition you can find, especially such a rarity!

Hybla Megala in Sicily 210BC Hyblaia Modius Dionysus Panther Greek Coin i38058

Greek City of Hybla Megala in Sicily Bronze 19mm (7.30 grams) After 210 B.C. Reference: Sear 1115; Calciati III pg. 41, 1; SNG ANS 195ff Veiled head of Hyblaia right, wearing modius; behind, bee. ΥΒΛΑΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΑΣ, Dionysus standing left, holding kantharos and scepter, panther leaping up at feet.

Iaitia in Sicily 241BC Zeus Hercules Authentic Ancient Greek Coin RARE i38057

Greek City of Iaitia in Sicily Bronze 17mm (2.26 grams) After 241 B.C. Reference: BMC – . SNG Cop. 333 var. SNG ANS – . SNG München – . Calciati I, S. 384, 6 Laureate head of Zeus left. IAITOY, Hercules

Alaisa “Kainon” in Sicily 360BC Rare Ancient Greek Coin Griffin Horse i43976

Greek city of Alaisa ” Kainon” in Sicily Bronze 23mm (8.72 grams) Struck 360-340 B.C. Reference: Calciati I pg. 252, 10; SNG ANS 1175ff Griffin running left; grasshopper below. Horse prancing left, reins loose; star above, KAINON in exergue.

Kamarina in Sicily 413BC Authentic Ancient Greek Coin OWL Athena i46586

Greek city of Kamarina in Sicily Bronze Trias 15mm (3.36 grams) Struck 413-405 B.C. Reference: Sear 1063; B.M.C. 2.40 Head of Athena left, in crested helmet ornamented with wing. KAMA – Owl standing left, head facing, holding lizard in right claw; in exergue, three pellets.

Katane in Sicily 413BC Ancient Greek Coin River god Winged thunderbolt i37312

Greek city of Katane in Sicily Bronze 12mm (1.93 grams) Struck 413-404 B.C. Reference: Sear 1067; Gabrici (La monetazione del bronzo nella Sicilia antica), pl. 2,7 AMENANOΣ, Horned head of young river-god Amenanos left. Winged thunderbolt dividing small K – A.

Kentoripai (Centuripae) in Sicily 211BC Ancient Greek Coin Demeter Plough i41811

Greek city of Kentoripai (Centuripae) in Sicily Bronze Hexas 17mm (3.95 grams) Struck 211-200 B.C. Reference: Sear 1084; B.M.C. 2.15; SNG Lloyd 928; Calciati 7; Campana 5 Bust of Demeter right, wreathed with corn; behind, tripod. KENTOPIПINΩN, Plough right, bird right on the share; two pellets in field to left.

Kephaloidion in Sicily 344BC Ancient Greek Coin Pegasus winged horse i36972

Greek city of Kephaloidion in Sicily Bronze 13mm (2.26 grams) Struck 344-336 B.C. Reference: Calciati pg. 371, 3; SNG ANS -. Head of Hercules right, wearing lion’s skin headdress. Pegasus flying right.

LEONTINOI in SICILY 475BC Lion Corn grain Ancient Silver Greek Coin i18500

Greek city of Leontinoi in Sicily Silver Obol 12mm (0.49 grams) Struck 475-466 B.C. Reference: Sear 828; B.M.C. 2.19 Lion’s head facing. ΛEON – Corn-grain.

MENAINON in SICILY 2ndCenBC Hercules Club QUADRANS Ancient Greek Coin i46600

Greek city of Menainon in Sicily Bronze Quadrans 17mm (2.64 grams) Struck late 2nd Century B.C. Reference: HGC 2, 763; CNS III, pp. 188-189, nos. 12-12/6 Bearded head of Hercules right. MENAINΩN, club; mark of value, three pellets below.

MESSANA in SICILY 480BC Tetradrachm Rare Silver Greek Coin Hare Chariot i40765

Greek city of Messana in Sicily Silver Tetradrachm 26mm (17.38 grams) Struck circa 480-461 B.C. Reference: SNG München 363 var.; Caccamo Caltabiani 218, 97 var.; Randazzo 59, 162 var. Charioteer driving biga of mules right; leaf in exergue. ΜΕSSΕ-N-ΙΟ-N, Hare springing right.

Messana in Sicily under Mamertini 220BC Greek Coin Ares Cult Dioskouros i46604

Greek city of  Messana in Sicily under the name of Mamertini “Sons of Mars” Bronze Pentonkion 27mm (10.14 grams) Struck circa 220-200 Reference: Sear 1143; B.M.C. 2. 32 Laureate head of  Ares left. MAMEPTINΩN – Horseman (Dioskouros) standing left, holding spear and touching the head of his horse standing left behind him; Π in field to left.

NAXOS in SICILY 461BC Silver Hexonkian Dionysus Kantharos Greek Coin i38811

Greek city of Naxos in Sicily Silver Hexonkion – Hemilitron 8mm (0.18 grams) Struck circa 461-430 B.C. Reference: Cahn 97 var. (V64/R– [unlisted rev. die]); Campana 12; Rizzo –; SNG ANS (Part 5) 1360 (same obv. die); SNG Lloyd –; SNG München –; Weber 618

Head of Dionysus right, wearing ivy wreath. Kantharos; six pellets around (mark of value).

Very rare.

PANORMOS in SICILY 3rdCenBC Athena Persephone R1 Ancient Greek Coin i43658

Greek city of Panormos in Sicily Bronze 23mm (9.99 grams) Struck late third-early second centuries B.C. Reference: HGC 2, 1065 (R1); CNS I, pp. 331-332, nos. 12-12/6 ΠΑΝΟΡ/ΜΙΤΑΝ, Head of Athena in Corinthian helmet right. Head of Persephone left, werated with grain.

PETRA in SICILY 340BC Zeus Aphrodite RARE Authentic Ancient Greek Coin i47250

Greek city of Petra in Sicily Bronze 32mm (34.09 grams) struck circa 340-330 B.C. Reference: HGC 2, 1097 (R2); CNS III, p.317, no. 1 ΠΕΤΡΙΝΩΝ, Head of bearded Zeus right. Aphrodite enthroned right, holding dove.

Not much is known about the settlement, although it could be believed it was fortified as it’s name translates to “the Rock”. Numismatic evidence locates the city to have been located in the area of northwestern Sicily, and that it was founded before circa 350 B.C. The city gave itself over to Roman control in 254 B.C. during the First Punic War. The community survived until the second century A.D.

SEGESTA in SICILY 410BC Hound Dog Authentic Ancient Greek Coin i43985

Greek city of Segesta in Sicily Bronze Triantes 19mm (7.95 grams) Struck 410-400 B.C. Reference: HGC 2, 1181 Head of Aigiste right, wearing sphendone. Hound standing right, four round punched value marks around.

Solus in Sicily 2ndCenBC Dolphin Tuna Fish Authentic Ancient Greek Coin i43653

Greek city of Solus in Sicily Bronze 12mm (2.17 grams) Struck late second-early first centuries B.C. Reference: HGC 2, 1269 (R3); CNS I, p. 312, no. 17 COΛΟΝ/ΤΙΝWΝ, dolphin leaping right. Tuna swimming right.

Syracuse in Sicily 344BC Timoleon Ancient Greek Coin Athena Dolphins i46625

Greek city of Syracuse in Sicily Time of Timoleon Bronze Litra 30mm (31.71 grams) Struck 344-336 B.C. Reference:  Sear 1189; B.M.C. 2. 287 ΣΥΡΑ, Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian helmet bound with olive-wreath. Starfish between two dolphins.

Syracuse in Sicily AGATHOKLES 317BC Persephone Bull Dolphins Greek Coin i46589

Greek city of Syracuse in Sicily Agathokles ( Agathocles)- Tyrant of Syracuse 317-289, King of Sicily 304-289 B.C. Bronze 23mm (9.04 grams) Struck circa 317-310 B.C. Reference: HGC 2, 1444 ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, Head of Persephone left, wreathed with grain; symbol behind. Bull charging left; dolphin above and below; NK monogram above.

Syracuse Sicily 270BC King Hieron II Ancient Greek Coin Poseidon Trident i39151

Greek city of Syracuse in Sicily Bronze 20mm (7.13 grams) under king Hieron II, 270-215 B.C. Reference: Sear 1223; B.M.C. 2. 603 Head of Poseidon left, wearing tainia. Ornamented trident-head, between two dolphins, dividing IEPΩ – NOΣ.

[goldeagleprice]

Third Tyrant display at Long Beach

A rare doppio ducat of French King Louis XII as the Duke of Milan (1499-1512) is one of the many highlights of the $8 million “Tyrants of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas” exhibit at the September 2018 Long Beach Expo. (Photo courtesy Lyle Engleson/Goldberg Coins & Collectibles)

More gold and silver coins from the Tyrant Collection – ranging from Gelon, tyrant of the cities of Gela and Syracuse in 485 B.C.E., to King Victor Emmanuel III in 1933 – will be displayed together for the first time Sept. 6-8, 2018.

“Tyrants of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas” will be a featured attraction at the September 2018 Long Beach Coin, Currency, Stamp & Sports Collectible Expo in Long Beach, Calif.

There are 365 historic coins in the $8 million display, which celebrates numismatic treasures from Sicily on the south to Turin on the north. The exhibit is divided into regions by their boundaries with bodies of water, such as the Arno and Po rivers as well as the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas, and showcases some exceedingly rare issues.

“This part of the extensive Tyrant Collection, the world’s most valuable rare coin collection in private hands, encompasses the expansive area that evolved into modern Italy. The impressive coins in the exhibit range from frequently seen ancients to medieval and modern issues of great rarity,” said Ira Goldberg, president of Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, Inc. (www.GoldbergCoins.com) in Los Angeles, Calif. Goldberg is one of the numismatic professionals providing guidance in assembling the wide-ranging collection.

“It is a massive collection that vividly depicts the generations of rulers who held sway in their respective regions of old Italy,” said Bruce Lorich, who cataloged the exhibit.

Among the many high-quality rarities in the display are gold ducats and zecchino of the Venetian doges, including Giovanni Dandalo, Giovanni I. Corner and Francesco Contarini, as well as a doppio ducat of the French King Louis XII when he was the Duke of Milan from 1499 until his death in 1512. The Venetian gold ducat collection is complete, and the exhibit features the only complete set in private hands of every doge of Venice who struck a gold ducat.

Also on display will be this historic gold zecchino (1625-1629) of the Venetian Doge, Giovanni I. Corner, which depicts him kneeling while being blessed by Mark, the patron saint of Venice, and depicts Christ on the back giving a benediction. (Photo courtesy Lyle Engleson/Goldberg Coins & Collectibles)

The extensive array of Sicilian coins in the Tyrants of Charybdis section of the exhibit includes an ancient gold 100 litrae of Dionysios I and a rare gold 1727 4 ducati of Carlo III of Palermo.

This is the third display in a multi-year series planned by the anonymous owner. Detailed catalogs will be available at the show for $10.

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[gardenofkore]

"For what," he [the praetor Sopater] asked, "could a boy like Hieronymus, who was hardly in his teens, have done on his own initiative? His guardians and masters reigned unmolested because the odium fell on another; they ought to have perished before Hieronymus or at all events when he did. [...] But it was really the wives who were responsible and who, being of royal blood, had filled their husbands with a passion for royalty, for one of the men had married Hiero's daughter, the other a daughter of Gelo." At these words shouts rose from the whole assembly declaring that neither of these women ought to live, and that no single member of the royal family ought to survive.

Livy, History of Rome, book 24-24

The Women of the House of Hiero II of Syracuse (3rd century BC)

Philistis was the daughter of an influential Syracusan citizen, Leptines. Through her father, she descended from Siceliot historian Philistus. Around 275 BC Philistis married Hiero, who will become tyrant of Syracuse in 270 BC. This man was the illegitimate son of a Syracusan nobleman, Hierocles. Hiero served under Pyrrhus I of Epirus during the Sicilian campaign, and after the King of Epirus left the Island, Hiero was appointed arcontes together with another man, Artemidorus. While the latter, at some point, simply disappeared from the chronicles, Hiero managed to establish a personal rule resembling the contemporary Hellenistic reigns. Philistis would give birth to three children: Gelo, Demarata and Heraclia. Nothing more is known about her life or death, although she’s portrayed in various coins minted during the reign of her husband. In these coins Philistis appears veiled and with idealized traits, resembling the type of Demeter, but also in the style of the coins of the Ptolemaic queens of Egypt.

Demarata was daughter of Hiero II and Philistis. Her name was chosen to honor late queen Demarete of Syracuse and in an attempt to link Hiero’s dinasty to previous tyrant Gelon’s, from whom Hiero declared to descend. Demarata married Adranodoros, one of Hieronymus’ fifteen guardians and part of the pro-Carthaginian faction. Hieronymus was Hiero’s grandson and heir as well as Demarata’s nephew and became Syracuse’s tyrant after his grandfather’s death in 215 BC. Taking advantage of his nephew’s young age (he was 15 at that time), Adranodoros concluded an alliance between Syracuse and Carthage, thus betraying Rome. Moreover he dismissed the other guardians and became Hieronymus’ sole ward with the title of chief counsellor. Hieronymus was killed (stabbed to death) in 214 BC in Leontini by a band of conspirators led by the Syracusan Deinomenes. He had ruled for just 13 months. At first, Adranodoros attempted to seize the power and become the new tyrant. When he understood it was too difficult and risky, he surrendered the power to the Syracusan people and was appointed general. But soon the people became wary of Adranodoros, especially after Ariston, a comedian and friend of the general, declared that Adranodoros and Themistos (brother-in-law of the late Hieronymus) were plotting to massacre the other influential citizens to establish their personal tiranny. Syracusan senate then gave order to eliminate the threat and so Adronodoros and Themistus were killed as soon as they entered the Senate building in 214 BC. Not satisfied with just those two murders and with the intent to justify his decision, the other general Sopater (member of the pro-Roman faction) accused the two men’s wives. In particular, Demarata was depicted as ambitious and power-hungry. She was accused of being the real mastermind behind the idea to remove Hieronymus’ other guardians, as a matter of fact starting Adranodoros’ scramble for power. Demarata’s supposed (or not) aspiration to become Syracuse’s queen was shattered the moment she was killed by the angry mob incited by Sopater’s accusations.

Heraclia was daughter of Hiero II and Philistis, as well as sister of Demarata and Gelo. She married Zoippus, who together with Adranoros was one of his nephew Hieronymus’ guardians. Like his brother-in-law, Zoippus was part of the pro-Carthaginian faction and worked to distance Syracuse from Rome. He was sent to a diplomatic mission to Ptolemy (most certainly Ptolemy IV Philopator). When in 214 BC Zoippus was reached by the news of Hieronymus’ death, he decided to remain in Alexandria in a self-imposed exile and so he survived his family’s massacre. His wife, Heraclia, and his two unnamed daughters weren’t equally lucky. No importance was given to the fact they were extraneous of plots and political schemes, what mattered was they were members of the royal family. They seeked refuge in a temple, hoping the mob would have respected the sacrality of the place. Heraclia implored the crowd to at least spare the girls, who were so young and innocent and just kill her. She was dragged outside the temple and killed before her daughters’ eyes with her blood splattering them. The girls, at first, managed to resist, but in the end they fell lifeless to the ground with their bodies full of wounds and whole place was covered in their blood. Soon after a messenger arrived with the order they were not to be killed, but it was already too late.

Nereis was an Epirote princess and the daughter of Pyrrhus II of Epirus and an unnamed woman. Her sister Deidameia was the last Aeacid sovereign of Epirus. Nereis descended from both Pyrrhus I of Epirus (her great-grandfather) and the Syracusan tyrant Agathocles (her great-great-grandfather). Her marriage to Gelo, Hiero’s son, was part of her father-in-law’s policy to strenghten and validate his dynasty. A similar alliance had been established in the past, and  Nereis was the result of it. The marriage pact was concluded just before the fall of the Aeacid dynasty. The princess bore at least two children to Gelo, a girl and a boy: Harmonia and Hieronymus. Nothing is known about her fate, but it’s implied she survived her sister, making Nereis the last surviving Aeacid royal member.

Harmonia was the only daughter of Gelo of Syracuse and Nereis of Epirus. This made her the granddaughter and then the sister of the last two Syracusan tyrants. She married Themistos, member of the pro-Carthaginian faction and possibly one of the 15 guardians of Hieronymus. Themistos was accused together with Adranodoros to aspire to a personal tyranny following the murder of his brother-in-law and then killed. Like her aunt Demarata, Harmonia was considered a schemer and a puppetmaster of both her husband and young brother. After the murders of her aunts and cousins, it was only a matter of time Harmonia would have followed them. Her nurse then found a girl of the same age and resembling her protegée. The girl accepted to pass off the princess and was dressed in royal attire by the nurse, then she proceded to draw all the attention to her. In the meantime, Harmonia went hiding, but seeing the murderous crowd killing the innocent girl was too much for the princess. Tradition says she killed herself, although according to Valerius Maximus she revealed herself in front of the killers, claiming to be the real Harmonia, and was instantly murdered.