Dear Friends of ancient mythology! Preparing a longer article about Janus I came across the old silver coins of Tenedos which show a double head too but a mixed male and female. Here is the background. The coin: Troas, Tenedos, 555-470 BC AR - Obol, 0.51g, 8.29mm, 270° obv. Janiform head, female l., male r. rev. Labrys (double axe), l. and r. beside the shaft T - E all within a square incus ref. Rosen 536; SNG von Aulock 1587 rare, about VF Note: The Labrys (Greek Pelekys) was the sign of Tenedos. Its meaning was discussed controversially already in ancient times. Aristoteles writes, that it represents the axe by which adultery was punished on Tenedos. Ridgeway says, that the axe was a kind of pre-monetary currency. But because on later coins the axe was accompanied by a bunch of wine-grapes it is more probably an attribute or cult object of a Dionysos cult who perhaps was worshipped as Dionysos Pelekes like in Pharsa Thessaly (HN). There was an old sanctuary too on Tenedos for Apollo known from the 8th century BC who was mentioned by Homer (Ilias I) as 'Supreme deity of Tenedos'. Geography: Tenedos is a small island direct in front of the coast of Troy. Mountainous, water-rich and famous already in ancient times for its wine. Especially because its situation and two natural harbours Tenedos played an important role already in ancient times for the control of the Dardanelles and the access to the Black Sea. Tenedos was settled by Aiolians from Lesbos and became Persian after the Ionian Revolt. The coinage of silver coins starts already before the Persian times. By the Delian League Tenedos had to pay a tribute, and so too by the 2nd League. After the naval victory of Lucullus against Mithradates Tenedos became Roman. The infamous Verres who later was accused by Cicero ('In Verres') looted its treasures. Later it joined Alexandreia/Troas. Aristoteles refers to 'the Politics of the Tenedians'. 'Tenedian' was proverbial for severity, crudeness and falsehood (Pauly). In the beginning Tenedos has the name Leukophrys, Today it is Bozcaada in the Turkish province Canakkale Mythology: The double head on the silver coins of Tenedos were often called Hera and Zeus. This is surely true for the later coinage (HN). But there is another interpretation which I want to present here: It can be Tennes and Hemithea! Calling it Tennes and Philonome which I have read too must be refused if you know the mythology. Tennes (or Tenes), twin brother of Hemithea, was the son of Apollo or the son of Kyknos, king of Kolonai in Troas, a son of Poseidon, and his wife Prokleia, daughter or grand-daughter of Laomedon of Troy. When Prokleia died Kyknos married Philonome, daughter of Tragasos (or Kragasos). Pholonome fell in love to her stepson Tennes who didn't answer her advances. Deeply offended she accused him at Kyknos for attempted rape. Kyknos believed in her accusation because she had a witness, the flute player Molpos, and in his rage he condemned Tennes to death. He csaged him into a wooden chest together with his twin sister Hemithea, because she didn't want to live without her brother or because she lamented too loud about the death sentence, and let them throw into the sea. But the chest, perhaps by the help of Poseidon, was washed up on the beach of Leukophrys and both twins survived. The inhabitants choosed Tennes for their king and the island was named Tenedos after him. Later on Kyknos learnt the full truth, killed Molpos and buried his wife Philonome alive. To reconcile with his children he sailed to Tenedos. But Tennes refused any contact with his father took his axe and cut the ropes of the ship. The phrase 'cut with the axe of Tennes' should be originated from this story. It means something like 'nothing to deal with somebody'. About the death of Tennes we know several different versions. He has fought with the Trojans against the Greeks and was slain by Achilles though Thetis has warned her son to do that because Apollo surely would take vengeance for the death of his son. Tenedos stood under the special protection of Apollo. Others tell that Achilles has slain Tennes together with his father Kyknos when he on the voyage to Troy has made an indermediate stop on Tenedos. Another version reports that Achilles during this intermediate stop has pursued Hemithea and Tennes has tried to stop him. But Achilles not knowing that Tennes was a son of Apollo has slain him (Plutarch). It is told too that Poseidon has made his son Kyknos invulnerable so that no sword could wound him. In the Trojan War against the Greeks he was strangled by Achilles. After his death Poseidon has changed him into a swan (Greek kyknos = swan). But there are several heroes named Kyknos too, all connected to the swan. After their death Tennes and his twin Hemithea were worshipped as divine. Diodorus Siculus reports that the inhabitants of Tenedos has built a sanctuary for Tennes to celebrate his virtues. It was not allowed for flute players to enter the sanctuary and to pronounce the name of Achilles was prohibited. Hemithea was equated with Leukothea, mother of the sea-god Palaimon and venerated as deity too. It is known that the inhabitants of Tenedos has sacrificed children to the gods until historic times, the rare example of human sacrifices in ancient Greece! Tennes (or Tenes) is the eponym of Tenedos. But probably it was the other way around: Tennes was named after the island. The reported mythology is dated back to later times. The story with the axe can be explained aetiologically and refers to the double axe on the Tenedian coins. The mythology itself is the well known Potiphar theme (Pauly). But probably we have a mix of several different myths. So we have another myth of king Staphylos from Naxos who too has a daughter Hemithea and we find the motive with the chest thrown into the sea. Hemithea was rescued by Apollo and a big sanctuary was built for her in Kastabos on the Chersonesos (Diodorus Siculus). Tenedos in the Trojan War: Later Tenedos played an important role in the Trojan War. When the Greek armada sailed aginst Troy it made a stop on Tenedos to take water and provisions. At a sacrificial meal the famous bowman Philoktetes was bitten by a snake. Probably at the behest of Apollo because of the murder of his son Tennes by Achilles. Philoktetes was brought back to Lemnos but his companions let him alone because they were not able to take the stink from his wound (Kypries). But because the Trojan seer Helenos - captured by Odysseus - forecasted that without Philoktetes and his bow it would be impossible to conquer Troy Diomedes brought him back to Troy. When the Greeks after 10 years of war realized that they couldn't achieve anything against Troy they tried a trick. On the advice of Odysseus they built a wooden horse in which Odysseus with some companions were hidden, left it on the beach, entered their ships and sailed away. Actually the Greek armada concealed itself behind the island of Tenedos so that the Trojans must believe that they have sailed back to Greece (Vergil, Aeneis). The rest is known: The Trojans pulled the horse into the city and celebrated their victory. In the night the Greek warriors climbed out of the horse, opened the gates of the city for their companions which has been back with their armada. The two giant snakes which strangled Laokoon and his two sons are said to have come from Tenedos on behest of Apollo because he has married against his command and has get two sons. The Phrygians thought that he was killed because he has thrown a spear against the wooden horse (Pseudo-Hyginus fab. 135; Vergil Aeneis 2.214). History of Art: I couldn't find any pic dealing with this myth. The added pic shows a view of Tenedos with a fortress, probably Venetian. In the background you can see the Troic coast. Sources: [1] Homer, Odyssee [2] Vergil, Aeneis [3] Apollodor, Bibliotheka [4] Diodorus Siculus [5] Pausanias, Voyages in Greece Literature: [1] Lessing, Laokoon oder über die Grenzen der Mahlerey und Poesie, 1766 [2] Der kleine Pauly [3] Benjamin Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon [4] Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher, Lexikon der Mythologie Online-sources: [1] www.theoi.com/Heros/KyknosKolonaios.html [2] www.theoi.com/Ouranios/ApotheothenaHemithea.html [3] Wikipedia Best regards
Awesome, in-depth article! Thanks for sharing I don't generally collect ancient coins, but I learned a lot from this article!
Thanks for the great write-up and coin, @Jochen ! You added a lot of flesh to the history around my / our coin. Troas Tenedos late 5th-early 4th C BCE AR Obol 8mm 0.60g Janiform hd female-male - Labrys within incuse square SNG Ash 1235 HGC 6 387
