Of Nymphs: Satyr's dreams and stranger things still/ Oh, what the hekte

Nymphs: deities and personifications of nature almost always in the guise of beautiful young women... that Satyrs just can't keep their filthy hands off of.
Nor me for that matter.
I spoiled myself and bought my first hekte
Though worn from honest usage, I actually enjoy her eyes looking as though they are shut, thanks to wear. Adds a uniqueness to it and her beauty still shines through:

IONIA. Phokaia. (Circa 477-388). EL Hekte.
Obv: Head of nymph left, hair in sphendone; seal to right.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square.
SNG von Aulock 2120; Boston MFA 1908-9.
Condition: Fine.
Weight: 2.52 g.
Diameter: 10.19 mm.

I found only 1 similar, and slightly better, coin on acsearch:


Her having a dolphin behind her head makes me think she is a Nereid- sea nymph.
Nymphs were grouped into different categories.
We had Nereids, Naiads, Meliae, Dryads and Oreads.
Nymphs of the sea,


fresh water, ash tree, oak tree and mountain.
Ironically, the most beautiful female creatures that the Greeks imagined were constantly being stalked by the most loathsome males they ever dreamt up... and Zeus


Satyrs- satirical versions of men at there most debased. Drunk and sexual maniacs... but they had bad qualities as well.
Often used as foils to both the gods and the nymphs. Every now and then they'd catch their pray:

My latest satyr trying his best to see what's at the bottom of that amphora:

(Holed to perfection)

Back to beauty...

(The nymphs were so awesome they even tended to the apples of the Hesperides)

A few more of my favorite nymphs:

Sicily. Syracuse. Dionysos I (406-367 BC). AE Hemilitron. Obv. Head of Arethusa left, wearing necklace, hair bound in ampyx and sphendone; olive leaves behind. Rev. Dolphin swimming right; Σ Y P A and cockle shell below. CNS II 24/1-7; HGC 2 1480. AE. 2.58 g. 16.00 mm. Good VF.
Purchased from Artemide Aste Aug 2021


Q. Crepereius M.f. Rocus (69 BC). AR serratus denarius (19mm, 1h). NGC Choice Fine, bankers marks. Rome. Draped bust of Amphitrite right, seen from behind; Sea anemone (erroneously listed as oenochoe by Heritage) left, I right / Q•CREPER•M•F / ROCVS, Neptune driving biga of hippocamps right, brandishing trident in right hand, reins in left; I above. Crawford 399/1b. Sydenham 796. Crepereia 1. Ex: CNG 261 lot 239 Aug 2011, Auctiones GMBH #67 March 2020, Purchased from Heritage Feb 2022. From the Werner Collection.


Thessaly, Larissa. AE 20 mm. c. 370-360 BC. Obv. Head of the nymph Larissa facing slightly left. Rev. Horseman, wearing kausia, riding right. Cf. SNG Cop. 141. AE. 5.15 g. 20.00 mm. Green-brown patina. Good VF/VF.
Purchased from Artemide Aste Aug 2021



So please share your nymphs, Satyrs, hekte or anything you can tie in

No nymphs were harmed during the creating of this write up.

 

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That's a lovely hekte, @Ryro, and an entertaining and educational write-up. It's only missing several risque works of art by J. William Waterhouse, who was into painting nekkid Victorian women and making the whole enterprise "respectable" by setting them in quasi-classical contexts and calling them nymphs.

I have two sets of three nymphs, though nobody knows the exact identity of these nymphs. They are probably nymphs of local water sources.


Lucius Verus, AD 161-169.
Roman Provincial Æ assarion, 4.23 g, 18 mm.
Thrace, Augusta Traiana, AD 161-169.
Obv: ΑV ΚΑΙ Λ ΑV-ΡΗ ΟVΗΡΟϹ, bare head, right.
Rev: ΑV-Γ-ΟV-ϹΤΗϹ | ΤΡΑΙΑΝΗϹ, three nymphs, stolate, standing facing, arms draped on each other's shoulders and holding unknown objects (thymiatera? tripods?) at sides.
Refs: RPC IV 10343 (temporary); Schonert-Geiss 89; Varbanov II 909; Moushmov (1912) --; Moushmov Online 2987A; Staal, pl. 2, fig. 12.


Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ triassarion, 24 mm, 7.77 g.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: IOVΛIA ΔO-MNA CEB, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN, three nymphs standing facing, wearing tunics over long, lightly billowing skirts and clasping hands, the two outer nymphs with heads turned inwards and each holding a jug in her free hand.
Refs: Varbanov 892 var (obv. legend); Staal 89.15 (plate 3, fig. 15, p. 157); BMC --; Moushmov --; SGI --; AMNG I (Pick) --; Lindgren --; Winsemann --.

 

Nice coin and congrats on your first hekte!

I've always wanted a hekte, or even a hemi, but given today's market, I'll have to postpone that project.

The few nymphs I have I've already posted not too long ago, so instead, I'll throw in a satyr to chase your sleepy nymph:

 

Great writeup, @Ryro!

It just so happens that this coin came in the mail this week - it's a hemidrachm of Elis / Olympia and features the nymph Olympia (seller's pics, as I have not had time to photograph the coin myself yet).

This is an interesting type. There only seems to have been one die set for this series as all of the ones I have found share obverse and reverse dies. Perhaps this was because they were only minted for Greek tourist use during the given Olympiad for which it was minted?? I know that @TIF has a nice collection of Olympic coins; maybe she and / or others can share their knowledge around these coins and their use in ancient times. I missed out on another Olympian coin a long time ago, and they don't come along often, so when this one came up, I had to nab it!

Olympia, ELIS
CNG lists mint date at 340-330 BC (111th - 114th Olympiad)
"Hera" mint
BCD Olympia (same dies)
obv: head of nymph Olympia, small "delta" below neck
rev: eagle standing left, FA behind head; below, grape bunch on vine with leaf to left
Diameter: 15 mm
Weight: 2.74 g

 

I very much like your new hekte. It's a beautiful coin, and the bit of honest wear doesn't change that at all.

Here are a few nymphs from my collection. First is Larissa, daughter of Pelasgus and amante of Poseidon. H sons provided for the origin myth of the Thessalians:

Thessaly, Larissa, AR obol, ca. 344–337 BC (?). Obv: head of the nymph Larissa facing slightly l., hair in ampyx, with necklace. Rev: [ΛΑΡΙΣ]-ΑΙΩΝ; horse grazing r. 11mm, 0.79g. Ref: BCD Thessaly I (2011), no. 1163; BCD Thessaly II (2013), no. 328, 342–344; SNG Copenhagen 135. Ex FSR, auction 106, lot 59; ex CNG, e-auction 395, lot 94; ex BCD collection.

My second coin probably shows Phalanna. According to Stephanus of Byzantium, she was the daughter of the Thessalian princess Tyro and the river god Enipeus:

Thessaly, Phalanna, AE17, ca. 400–344 BC. Obv: Head of Ares r. Rev: ΦΑΛΑΝΝΑΙΩΝ; head of nymph (Phalanna?) r., with hair in sakkos. 17mm, 5.15g. Ref: SNG Copenhagen 205; BMC 4–7.

Third is Hypereia, the nymph of a local fountain at or near Pherai:

Thessaly, Pherai, hemidrachm, ca. 302–286 BC. Obv: Head of Ennodia left, torch behind. Rev: ΦΕΡΑΙΟΥΝ, the nymph Hypereia left, touching the top of lion's head fountain right, from which water pours forth, ΑΣ/TΟ within wreath to lower left. 15mm, 2.72g. Ref: BCD Thessaly I, 1321; BCD Thessaly II, 714; SNG Copenhagen 239; BMC 20. Ex CNG, e-auction 432, lot 27; ex BCD collection.

Finally, here is Histiaia, daughter of Hyrieos:

Euboia, Histiaia, AR tetrobol, ca. 196–146 BC. Obv: head of Maenad wearing wreath of grapes r.; Rev: [IΣTI]-AIEΩN; nymph Histiaia seated right on prow decorated with wing, holding stylis; below, labrys and unclear monogram. 16mm, 2.34g. Ref: BMC 59–64.

 

These are the coins that will star in the next season of Stranger Things.

 

Ryro, An interesting article, coins, & illustrations ! I love that painting by Bouguereau .

 

Thanks for all the response, naughty nymphs and salacious Satyrs!
Good call and great coins with the three nymphs/Graces (or are they? Too many clothes to be the Graces, right?) @Roman Collector

Here's my three Graces:

Of course, once the church took over they became almost unrecognizable:


Sweet Satyr @Ignoramus Maximus
I've looked out for the type for some time. But when they come in that kind of condition
I do have a young Satyr from Frank Robinson:


Wonderful highly desirable and sought after Olympic coin of Elis @romismatist HUGE COINGRATS!!!
Beautiful bevy of beauties @Orielensis
Here's a recent sakkos win of mine:

And a recent Histiaia:


Good call going punic Sicilian @Andres2

 

Indeed, three nymphs, not the Three Graces. Too many clothes!

 

Why is it that nymphs, Graces, and Mudd's women always come in threes?