The Λεον Νεμειος (Nemean Lion) was an enormous lion who was the offspring of Orthros, a two-headed, serpent-tailed dog, and Chimera, a fire-breathing creature with the body and head of a lion, a goat's head rising from its back, the udders of a goat, and a serpent for a tail (Hesiod Theogony 327). With parents like that, the Nemean lion was badder than old King Kong and meaner than a junkyard dog! Its hide was impervious to all human weapons and it ravished the city of Nemea. King Eurystheus of Argolis commanded Herakles to destroy the beast as the first of his twelve labors. Herakles cornered the lion in its cave and seized it by the neck and wrestled it to death. He then skinned its hide to make a lion-skin cape, one of his most distinctive attributes. Hera afterwards placed the lion among the stars as the constellation Leo. While I have coins featuring Herakles with his lion-skin cape (and don't we all?), I didn't have one featuring Herakles actually wrestling with the lion -- until now! It's tiny -- probably a diassarion -- but detailed and has a pretty patina. Post your Herakles coins! Bonus points for the Nemean lion! Julia Domna, AD 193-217. Roman provincial Æ 16.8 mm, 4.33 g, 1 h. Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211. Obv: IOVΛIA ΔO-[MNA CEB], bare-headed and draped bust right. Rev: [MAPKI]ANOΠOΛITΩN, Herakles standing right, wrestling the Nemean lion. Refs: AMNG I 606; Varbanov 673; Moushmov 419; SNG Copenhagen --; SNG Budapest --.
Interesting coin. Also, thanks for the Jim Croce reference. His material is tough but interesting to play on guitar.
That's an interesting coin – congratulations on the new acquisition! The reverse really captures the movement of wrestling. Also, thanks for the informative write-up. Here are some of my Roman Hercules coins. None has the Nemean lion, but all of them show its skin in one way or another: Roman Republic, moneyer: M. Atilius Serranus, AE quadrans, 148 BC, Rome mint. Obv: Head of Hercules r.; behind, three pellets. Rev: Prow r., above, M . ATILI (die break); below, [ROMA]. 17mm, 4.16g. Ref: Crawford 214/5a. Ex Savoca, Blue Auction 16, lot 913. Roman Republic, moneyer: Q. Sicinius and C. Coponius, AR denarius, 49 BC, Rome mint. Obv: Q·SICINIVS III·VIR; head of Apollo right, hair tied with band; below, star. Rev: PR·S·C C·COPONIVS: Club upright, on which hangs lion's skin with head in profile; in fields, bow and arrow. 19mm, 3.75g. Ref: RRC 444/1a. Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 196–197 AD, Rome mint. Obv: [L SEP S]EV PERT AVG IMP VI[II]; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: HERCV[LI DEF]ENS; Hercules standing r., leaning on club and holding bow, draped with lion skin. 16mm, 3.10g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 79. Gordian III, Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 241–243 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI; Hercules, nude, standing r., r. behind back and resting l. hand on club set on rock; beside club, lion-skin. 22mm, 3.49g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 95.
Love that reverse, RC. I recently added this little bronze with Herakles holding a lion skin. Kings of Bithynia, Prusias II Cynegos, 182-149 BC, AE Dichalkon (18 mm, 4.28 g). Head of Prusias II to right, wearing winged diadem. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΠΡΟYΣΙΟΥ Herakles standing front, head to left, holding club set on ground in his right hand and lion skin in his left; to lower right, monogram.
Two coins from my collection of bronze coins of Constantine I ("the Great"): 1) Hercules, in the process . . . Ticinum mint, A.D. 307-308 RIC 99 Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AGV[sic] Rev: VIRTVS PER-PETVA AVG - Hercules, strangling Nemean lion; club behind left leg ST in exergue 26 mm, 7.1 g. 2) . . . and afterward, resting on his laurels, or club. Or lion skin. Or whatever. Cyzicus mint, A.D. 311-312 RIC 89b (var.) Obv: IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: HERCVLI VICTORI - Hercules, leaning on club covered by lion skin MKV in exergue; Γ in left field 21 mm, 4.2 g.
C POBLICIUS QF ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS POBLICIA AR Serratus Denarius OBVERSE: ROMA, draped bust of Roma right, helmeted & decorated with corn ears, control mark letter above REVERSE: C•POBLICI•Q•F, Hercules strangling the Nemean lion, club at his feet Struck at Rome 80 BC 3.88g, 16mm Cr380/1, Syd 768, Poblicia 9 TARAS, CALABRIA AR Diobol OBVERSE: Head of Athena in crested helmet left decorated with Skylla REVERSE: Herakles kneeling right, strangling lion Struck at Taras 380-334 BC 1.2g, 11mm Vlasto 1316
Athena / Herakles diobols were minted in Herakleia and Tarentum and they are difficult to attribute. Specimens of Tarentum are flat and thin so they often seem slightly concave, with the imprint of Athena's head on the convex face; those of Herakleia on the other hand are thicker, almost of lenticular form, and this not only for diobols with the group of Heracles, but also for the other earliest coinage. The difference, of course, is very slight and can be felt especially in hand. Another difference is the different alloy of silver, but at least for me it is impossible to determine. From Tarentum ca. 380 - 334 BC: AR Diobol, 10 x 11 mm, 1.04 g Ref.: Vlasto 1263 or Vlasto 1290, not sure which is the right one Ob.: Athena in crested helmet decorated with Hippocampus Rev.: Herakles to r. strangling Nemean Lion; club at his right leg
MAXIMIANUS AE Antoninianus. 3.81g, 23.5mm. Lugdunum mint, AD 287-289. RIC 458; Cohen 647; Bastien 218. O: IMP C MAXIMIANVS P AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust right, wearing radiate crown. R: VIRTVTI AVGG, Hercules standing right, strangling Nemean Lion, his club on ground behind.
I bought this coin a while ago just because it depicted the 12th and final labor of Herakles. I'm not sure we've ever had a thread with coins depicting all 12. Saïtta Lydia, Civic Issue. 3rd century AD : Ae Hemiassarion Obv: Turreted and draped bust of Tyche right Rev: Herakles advancing right, head left, holding club over his shoulder and dragging Kerberos behind him
Great coin, @Roman Collector ! I really like that AE! I have a triple-bonus version: Hercules / Herakles strangling the Nemean lion, AND the reverse has a Stannard Scoop out of Hercules’ leg. To-boot, it is Serratus. Nemean Lion Roman Repubic C POBLICIUS Q f 80 BCE AR Denarius serratus 3.94g Rome mint Obv: Helmeted and Draped Bust; Feathers in Hlmet (always reminded me of the Samnium feather dressing) Rev: Stannard Scoop on reverse - Flan al Marco weight control gouge Hercules strangling the Nemean lion club quiver Craw 380-1 Syd 768
