Dear friends of ancient mythology! There are rare depictions of Herakles in which he holds a kantharos in addition to his usual attributes. This representation occurs in imperial times in Smyrna for Domitian, Julia Mamaea, Julia Domna and Gordian III. (I don't know if the list is complete!). The coin: Ionia, Smyrna, Gordian III., 238-244 A.D. AE - AE 21, 5.69g, 0° struck 241-244 (without official names) obv.: A K M ANT - ΓOPΔIANOC Bust, draped and cuirassed, laureate, r. rev.: CMVPNAIΩN.Γ - NEΩKOPΩN Herakles, naked, standing frontal, head turned l., holds in extended right hand kantharos to pour out and in his left arm his club and the lion's skin. ref.: SNG Munich 3244; SNG by Aulock 230; SNG Copenhagen 1397 (rev); BMC Ionia, 445 rare, almost VF, olive green patina, usual roughness Mythology: The story to which this coin from Smyrna refers takes place in the time after the famous 12 deeds which Herakles had to spend for Eurystheus (Dodekathlos). After that he travelled the world and did heroic deeds everywhere. He liberated Prometheus, fought against centaurs, defeated the Amazons, accompanied the Argonauts and killed the giant Antaios in Africa, to name but a few. On this train he finally came to Spain, after digging through the narrowness between Africa and Europe and unifying the ocean with the Mediterranean Sea (Diodor Sic. I.c.c.17.18.p.157). On this train the sun burned him so strongly in Africa that he finally shot at it with an arrow out of impatience. For this bold act Apollo worshipped him a golden cup, which he used instead of the ship, and thus not only went over to Spain but also together with the captured cattle of the sun god in the same cup again went back, and afterwards Apollo returned his cup again (Apollodor I.II.c.4.§10). He still carries this cup on several Smyrnian coins in his hand (Froel. sensam.p.355). He appears with it also still on other old monuments, albeit from other causes. Herakles and Dionysos: Actually the kantharos is the typical attribute of Dionysos beside the thyrsos. Now Herakles and Dionysos have a lot in common. Both are demigods, who were taken up then however into the Olymp. Both died and rose again afterwards. Both were therefore identified with Christ in the late period. But here I will limit myself to their relationship to wine! Dionysos had spread the cultivation of wine throughout the world. But Herakles was not an anti-alcoholic either. So there is a coin which shows him how he has to be held drunk by wine and staggering by 2 companions. And then there's the famous booze competition between him and Dionysos. It does not belong to the classical deeds of Heracles, but this theme was very popular especially in Hellenistic times. In the atrium house in Antioch there was found a famous mosaic from the 2nd century AD. The god Dionysos lies on a kline (a kind of couch) and holds a drinking vessel and the thyrsos. Next to him stands the dark-skinned Herakles with a wine glass, his club leaning against his knees. Dionysos is accompanied by a flute-playing mainad, his satyr boy Komos, who holds his wine vessel, and the old god Silen. The victorious Dionysos holds his vessel upside down to show that he was the first to empty it. The mosaic is now in the Worcester Museum in Worcester/Massachusetts in the USA. Background: The participation of Herakles in the Dionysian Thiasos is not based on any concrete event from the myth; it is probably a Hellenistic invention, but above all popular in the Roman imperial period, which probably arose from the hero's repeated preference for wine, even proverbial drunkenness, mentioned in the sources. In addition, both Dionysos and Herakles are sons of mortal mothers and relatively "new" Olympians, which favors a connection between them. The portrayal of Herakles in the Dionysian context was popular throughout the Roman Empire; however, these images do not have any special significance, for example in the creation of new myths or as an indication of cult practices. Rather, they express a general symbolism of happiness, in the sense of an idea of paradisiacal states and well-being, with the presence of the drunken Herakles adding a humorous touch to the whole. Drunkenness and the unbridled appetite of Herakles were also popular topoi of comedy poets, e.g. Aristophanes. Literature: (1) Benjamin Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon (2) http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/2002/16/kap12.pdf Best regards
He definitely didn't mind a drink or two every now and then. SEVERUS ALEXANDER AE25. 6.37g, 25mm. TROAS, Alexandria Troas, circa AD 222-235. RPC Online temp #3987 var. (obv legend); Bellinger A335. O: IM AR ƧE AΛEXANDROS, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: COL AV-G TROA, drunken Herakles stumbling right, an arm around the shoulder of Pan to his right, a satyr on his left holding his hand and another behind him supporting (or restraining) him with both arms. Sometimes, things got a bit rowdier and they'd have wrestling competitions as well... ELAGABALUS AE19. 6.36g, 19.1mm. SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria, Laodicea ad Mare, AD 218-222. SNG Cop 372. O: IMP C M AVR ANTONINVS, Radiate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder. R: LAVDICEON, Herakles and Dionysos wrestling; Herakles bearded on left, his club behind him; Dionysos on right, his thyrsus behind him; ΔE in ex.
The depicting on the reverse of the last coin shows that there have been any certamina or public sports festivals in Laodikeia. Perhaps it even concerns the Olympic Games, which took place under Caracalla even in Tyros. After Pausanias, Herakles was the founder of the Olympic Games. On the other side he and Dionysos were known as great drinkers and around Laodikeia there was important wine-growing. So this scene probably does not refer to a mythological event. Jochen
