The Labyrinth of Knossos: Get lost! In the house of the double axe/ Maybe I'm amazed

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ryro, Feb 28, 2021.

  1. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Like a bull faced man stalking the halls of his labyrinth for the next sacrificial victim, I've been searching for a coin with the "house of the double axe".
    However, for such a well known myth, the type is as hard to find as the exit sign in this place!
    c101e9a611358671dab2340bf86b880a.gif

    Fortunately, BAC had over priced so many of their items, that folks just weren't looking at the inventory. I snagged this at opening bid:D
    1645638_1611569933.l-removebg-preview.png
    CRETE, KNOSSOS.
    AE (2.54 g), approx. 200-67 BC BC: head of the bearded Zeus to the right. Back: Labyrinth between ΚΝΩΣΙ / ΩΝ. Svoronos, Crete 116.2.00, Lindgren. Nice. Ex BAC Numismatics 2/9/20201

    "Knossos, the famous city of the mythical King Minos, is closely linked to the mythical tales of Daidalos and Ikaros, Theseus and Ariadne, Minos and Pasiphai, and of course, the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. According to legend, Daidalos built the labyrinth at the request of King Minos, who wanted a secure place to confine the son of his wife, Pasiphai. The son - the Minotaur - was the unnatural result of the union of Pasiphai with a sacrificial bull, and was monstrously half-human and half-bull. Daidalos cleverly built the labyrinth so that the Minotaur could never escape (and according to Ovid, in doing so almost lost himself within its walls).
    Each year seven youths and seven maidens were brought from Athens, at the time subject to Knossos, to be sacrificed to feed the Minotaur. One year, wishing to free Athens from this ghastly tribute, Theseus, son of King Aigeus of Athens, connived with his father to join the next shipment of youths so that he could slay the Minotaur and free his fellow victims. With the help of King Minos' daughter, Ariadne, he smuggled into the labyrinth a sword and some string to help him navigate his way out again. He slew the beast, but on his return voyage to Athens he neglected to raise a white sail, the signal by which his father the king would know of his success. King Aigeus, in despair at seeing a black sail on the returning ship, hurled himself into the sea, which now was henceforth called the Aegean."

    Though, not as lovely nor as silver as the two beauties of @AncientJoe, that woke me up to the type, I'm thrilled to own one (hopefully he'll share his:))
    As we know, the site of Knossos doesn't have any "labyrinths" but just a big palace complex.
    So, how did ancient Greeks confuse a palace of their even more ancient predecessors for a maze?
    Pretty easily when you borrow Daedalus' wings:
    0e913ea1c513c947b93c50b767cd7e12--knossos-palace-crete-greece-1.jpg
    3559844e2db1c43d621e5f7d1a56fe03.jpg

    But Ry to the ro, you might say, where did the term labyrinth come from?
    The walls of the palace at Knossos were decorated with numerous labyrs or double headed axes. Hence our origin for the word labyrinth.
    For those unfamiliar with labyrs, here's some on the obverse and reverse of MSCs:
    IMG_3530.jpg
    IMG_1107.PNG

    So misunderstood, what can we glean of who they were?

    How about we look at some of the stunning art showing the advancement of a people, from 3 to 4 millennia ago, found at the "labyrinth"? knossos-palace-crete-heraklion.jpg
    (They appreciated beautiful woman)

    uzmzi08gtl421-1.jpg
    (Athletic contests like bull leaping)

    _1800_1400_knossos_dolphins.jpg
    (They appreciated the under water world as well)

    All I can say looking at these wonders from the dawn of history is...


    So please, post your coins of labyrinths, labyrs, Minotaurs, Perseus, coins from Crete, corrections or anything that slays your beast!:jimlad:
    giphy-28.gif
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2021
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  3. Silphium Addict

    Silphium Addict Well-Known Member

    Good topic!
    I have a similar AE:

    jt271.jpg
    Knossos AE 2nd century BC 10.2 gm 24 mm SNG Cop 383
    O: laureate head Zeus left
    R: labyrinth

    Not my area of focus but got this soon after I started collecting ancients. Haven't sold it because sometimes I just want to keep an interesting coin like this.
     
  4. NewStyleKing

    NewStyleKing Beware of Greeks bearing wreaths

    upload_2021-2-28_19-29-8.png
    NOT MINE.
    Athens NewStyle type imitation from Knossos Crete featuring DJ Labyrinth. temp 1st Mithridatic war.
     
  5. Pavlos

    Pavlos You pick out the big men. I'll make them brave!

    Congratulations @Ryro!!! Amazing addition and nice write-up.

    A coin from Knossos:
    upload_2021-2-28_20-38-33.png
    Crete, Knossos. AE. 40/30 B.C.
    Obverse:
    Laureate head of Zeus to right; to right, vertical thunderbolt. Counterstamp: eagle right.
    Reverse: K-Y/ Δ-A/ Σ. Eagle with spread wings standing to right.
    Reference: RPC 934; Slg. Traeger 193; Svoronos 142, Pl. VII, 19.
    11.06g

    This coin from Crete has a pattern as well on the reverse, not sure what it means:
    upload_2021-2-28_20-39-12.png
    Crete, Kydonia. AR Diobol. Early 2nd century B.C.
    Obverse:
    Head of a nymph to left.
    Reverse: Raised \'skew\' pattern.
    Reference: Dewing 2000. SNG Lockett 2548.
    1.40g; 15mm
     
  6. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    :wideyed:very nice... doublie so as it's not an area of your focus! That's a big one too:singing:

    Not that I'd do anything to remove it, but I'm not such a fan of mine's cruddy patina. But many examples I looked at had the yellowish patina.
    Yours has a lovely bit of green patina coming in.
    I wonder if yours was cleaned of the old patina at some point? Either way, excellent example:cigar:
     
  7. AncientJoe

    AncientJoe Well-Known Member

    I've always loved the coinage of Knossos and my stater is one of my favorite coins:

    Knossos.jpg

    I was fortunate to be able to visit Crete a few years ago (mid-pandemic, it feels like decades ago). They embrace their numismatic history: this was hanging on the wall in the airport:

    20170522_130252.jpg
     
  8. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    That's one of my favorite coins as well:woot:
    Much as I LOVE that labyrinth, Hera is drop dead gorgeous:kiss:
    Everytime I see it I stare for an awkward amount of time:snaphappy:
    giphy-22.gif
    And how cool are those folks in Crete!... guess my maybe I'm amazed pun isn't so unique
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2021
    +VGO.DVCKS, Alegandron and ominus1 like this.
  9. Herodotus

    Herodotus Well-Known Member

    Cool type! For obvious reasons.

    To snag it @ opening bid is even more sweet.

    Congrats!

    Heres’ a pic of a nice little restaurant I ate at while @ Sarantari Beach in Crete:
    upload_2021-2-28_14-34-20.jpeg
     
  10. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Wooohoo! Congrats on the score, @Ryro! It seems like it has some really nice details beneath the encrusted dirt too, but I have to say I like how it looks just as it is.

    Mine is a mash-up of a Gortynian Europa-on-bull obverse and the Knossos Labyrinth on the reverse, from when the two traditional rivals were briefly allied.

    Crete Gortyna-Knossos - AE Europa Labyrinth 2909.jpg
    CRETE, Knossos
    AE19. 5.83g, 19.4mm. Knossos-Gortyna alliance issue, struck circa 220 BC. Svoronos 122; SNG Copenhagen 378; Lindgren II 1721. O: Europa, holding veil, seated left on bull leaping left; radiating lines in periphery, two dolphins below. R: [Κ-Ν-Ω-ΣΙ-ΩΝ], Labyrinth; star above.

    Another mash-up, but this time courtesy of the Gortynian mint overstriking their Europa/Bull type over an earlier Minotaur/Labyrinth stater of Knossos. The distinctive square incuse corners of the Labyrinth are still obvious on the reverse, but the head of the Minotaur is pretty well hidden (upside down) below the figure of Europa.

    Crete Gortyna - Stater 1877.jpg
    CRETE, Gortyna
    AR Stater. 11.77g, 29.8mm. CRETE, Gortyna, circa 330-270 BC. SNG Cop -; Svoronos 36/62 (same obv die as 36, pl. XIII, 10; rev of 62, pl. XIV, 9); BMC Crete pg. 38, 7/8, pl. IX. 6 (same obv die) and 7 (same rev die?). O: Europa, wearing chiton with short sleeves and peplos over lower limbs, seated right in platanus tree; right hand on tree, head resting pensively on left arm, which is bent and supported by her knee. R: Bull standing to right, head turned back left to lick its flank.
    Notes: Overstruck on a stater of Knossos, circa 425-360 BC (Svoronos 23), with visible undertypes of the Minotaur on obverse and Labyrinth of Knossos on reverse.
     
  11. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ..great catch @Ryro!..a coveted coin to be sure!...congrats!...:)
     
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  12. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    What an entertaining and informative thread, @Ryro! I see the coin has made such an impression on you that it has become your avatar! Cool!!!
    I have but one coin from Crete -- and it's from Cnossos, even -- this barely identifiable provincial of Nero and poor ol' Claudia Octavia.

    [​IMG]
    Nero and Claudia Octavia
    Roman provincial Æ 24.6 mm, 8.60 g
    Crete, Cnossus, AD 54-62
    Obv: NERO CLAV CAES AVG IMP LVPINO VOLVMINIO II, bare head of Nero right, scepter over left shoulder
    Rev: NERO CLAV CAES AVG IMP ET OCTAVIA AVGVSTI, bare head of Nero, left, star above, facing draped bust of Octavia, right, crescent above
    Refs: SGI 655; RPC 1005-6; Svoronos 95, 217 var; Cohen 313, 1-2.

    I hope you'll forgive a little divertimento (which is, after all, a labyrinthine thing, if you think about it) toward some historical and comparative linguistics.



    The American Linguist, John McWhorter, has suggested that Greek words that end in -inth, such as Corinth, labyrinth, plinth and hyacinth are of ancient Cretan origin and were incorporated as loan words into the Greek of the Mycenaeans. If so, they may be some of the oldest words in a European language. :wideyed:

    I hope you'll also forgive yet another divertimento toward a personal anecdote.



    And thanks for the pleasant Paul McCartney earworm! It took decades, however, to finally hear the correct lyrics in my brain. When I was a kid, I -- like many others before me -- thought the lyrics were "Baby, I'm amazed." Then, in college, I dated a girl named Amy and I purposely sang the song to myself as "Amy, I'm amazed," all the while still thinking the song was "Baby, I'm amazed." Only now, after finally seeing the correct name of the song in print and after being married to someone not named Amy for the last 30 years, am I able to hear "Maybe" in the lyrics when I think of the song.
     
  13. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    9fbd0f4f.gif
    That coin answers the age old question, is there such thing as too much of a good thing.
    And the answer is, no!
    Seriously though, Knossos not only borrows the new style tet from Athens but puts their claim to fame on it aaand does it with style :artist::jawdrop: How much more desirable do coins get:bookworm:?
    It's a shame history has never had another mash up on silver merging two empire's so far...
    Screenshot_20200604-184750_PicCollage-removebg-preview.png
     
  14. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    That is SO cool. The game Assassin's Creed: Odyssey lets you explore a rather fantastical version of the palace of Knossos. The time period you're in, in the game, has the palace in ruins, but still intact enough to waste a couple hours wandering around the maze-like structure.
     
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  15. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Congrats, @Ryro ! Nice coin and great writeup. That is a super find.

    Here is a mini labyrinth

    [​IMG]
    RI
    Augustus 27BC-AD14
    Æ20 5.5g 12h
    Apameia Phrygia
    Magistrate Attalos c 15BC
    Two corn-ears above maeander pattern
    RPC I, 3125 SCARCE


    And a Labrys

    [​IMG]
    Troas Tenedos late 5th-early 4th C BCE AR Obol 8mm 0.60g Janiform Hera-Zeus - Labrys within incus sq RARE SNG Ash 1235 HGC 6 387
     
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