A Celebration of Music

Fearful of Athens and the growing power of the Macedonian Kingdom, Olynthus and the other free cities of the Chalcidice banded together in 432 BC, forming the Chalcadian League as a defensive coalition. Athens failed to break up this union due to its focus on the Peloponnesian War and its general disinterest in the region, helping solidify the strength of the League.

The capital was placed at Olynthus on a peninsula of northern Ancient Greece, on the shores of the Aegean Sea. The name Olynthus originates from the Greek “olunthos”, a fig which matures early, as this fruit was plentiful in the area.

The Chalcadian League was at the height of its power in the late fifth century BC but soon became the center of conflict. In 393 BC, Amyntas III of Macedonia was under attack by the Illyrians and temporarily transferred territory to Olynthus for protection. When he regained control, the League refused to return his lands and he called upon Sparta to intervene. At the same time, there was unrest in the League and some members claimed that they were being forced to remain in the League against their will.

This forced Sparta to act and after a lengthy war, the cities were subjugated by Sparta in 379 BC, with their power divided. Despite being summarily defeated, the Chalcadian League quickly began to regain power, which frightened Philip II of Macedon. To ensure his continued success in the region, Philip proactively attacked Olynthus, destroying the city in 348 BC and disbanding the League permanently.

This coin was minted at Olynthus during the period in which the Chalcadian League was under Spartan oversight but regaining strength. They minted their own silver coinage on the Macedonian standard, functioning as legal tender within all cities of the League.

The overall design elements remained consistent but style varied substantially over time. This coin’s depiction of the head of Apollo is a superb example of die engraving, remarkable for the strength and beauty of its style. These heads served as the predecessor for the portraits on the gold staters of Philip II.

The reverse depicts a professional version of the lyre, a kithara. As opposed to the standard lyre, which was predominately used as a folk instrument, the kithara was reserved for skilled musicians called kitharodes and the singers of Greek epic poetry. The name “guitar” is derived from the Greek kithara.

The kithara was an attribute of Apollo and symbolized wisdom. It resonates in its box-shaped body which holds two parallel arms connected by a crossbar. Depending on the type and desired complexity, up to a dozen strings could be attached. It was played vertically, plucked with a plectrum in the right hand with the left hand damping the strings.

According to mythology, the kithara was invented accidentally by the Greek messenger god Hermes, Apollo’s brother. Mere hours after being born, Hermes immediately embarked upon a journey to steal oxen from his brother who was away from his herd.

During his trip, Hermes brushed against a turtle shell on the ground, and thought to stretch seven strings across it. He plucked them and was instantly able to play exquisitely, creating the kithara.

After reaching the herd, Hermes attempted to steal fifty oxen but Apollo discovered the theft and the brothers began to quarrel, only to be interrupted by their father Zeus. To repay his brother, Hermes offered Apollo his kithara. Having only ever heard a standard three string lyre before, Apollo was so enthralled by the beautiful sound that he not only forgave Hermes, he granted him full dominion over all flocks and herds.

Hermes agreed and formally became the god of herdsmen, swearing to never steal the kithara. Apollo fully devoted himself to the art of music and was said to bring stability and order into chaos with his playing.

This coin resided in the collection of René Baron, the head of a French hospital, who focused on collecting artistic and historic coins.

Olynthus, 355-352. Chalcidian league, 432-348. Tetradrachm, silver, 14.40 g. Obv. Laureate head of Apollo to right, his hair flowing down the back of his neck / Rev. Kithara with five strings; below, επι αριστωνοσ. Traité IV, 942; BMC Macedonia 68, 10; SNG ANS 496-497; SNG Copenhagen - ;AMNG III/II, 85, 8, pl. 17, 12; D.M. Robinson, P.A. Clement, groupe V, 130 (A80-P111), pl. XVI, 130 (same dies); Boston 582 (same dies).
Beautiful style, finely toned, and well centered. Extremely Fine.
Ex. René Baron Collection, acquired at Crédit de la Bourse, Paris, March 1990

 

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What a gorgeous coin and great writeup!

Do the arms this kithara's body intentionally resemble an animal (below the crossbar), or is that my imagination? They look a bit like roe deer, and I think that animal is associated with Apollo-- or could be, since he is a protector of herds and such.

 

Very cool addition, AJ ... I really like the musical reverse (congrats once again)

Ummm, I don't have an example with Apollo and his kithara, but I do happen to have a sweet example with Hermes and his Lyre (close enough for your thread?)

Sestus, Thrace

 

A wonderful coin, thank you for sharing it! I'm sure Mr. Baron is thrilled with your photograph.

I'm as interested in ancient music as I am in ancient coins. Most ancient instruments have been reconstructed from archaeological finds, so that we have some idea of what they sounded like. We also have ancient Greek documents that attest to their scale modes, and in two rare instances, some actual notated music.

Here is Michael Levy playing an arrangement of one of those ancient Greek melodies on a kithara...

 

Here's my very modest Apollo-with-lyre contribution, an ant of Gordian III...

 

An amazing piece with an awesome write-up AJ!

 

Thanks! Although I think my pedigree note was unclear: as far as I'm aware, René Baron passed away a few years ago; I purchased this coin earlier this year from a dealer's inventory and found the pedigree/detail on previous owners through an older catalog. I always try to piece together the stories behind the earlier caretakers of coins I acquire.

 

Can someone say 'Cincinnati'?



I'll go stand in the corner........

 

LOVELY! man the details on that kithara are amazing.

i'll give than 9 turtles!

 

A beauty

 

Well then, congratulations on a wonderful find!

A celebration of ancient music must include the legend of Marsyas. Marsyas played the aulos and had the hubris to challenge Apollo to a musical duel. The contest was judged by the Muses, and naturally the god won. Marsyas was flayed. Here he is on a small bronze of Apameia...



The aulos gets described as a "double flute" but it's actually a reed instrument. Each of the pipes has a primitive double-reed, the precursor to the modern oboe and bassoon reeds. The sound is very raw and nasal...

 

You'll notice that the aulos player in the last video was accompanied by someone playing a tympanum - this is a frame drum, or tambourine, with skin stretched over a frame, played either with a stick or the hand.

The tympanum is frequently seen in portrayals of Cybele on Roman imperial coins. Cybele was originally an Anatolian earth-mother goddess, adopted into the Roman pantheon. She had a huge following. Here she is on a denarius of Julia Domna. The tympanum is the round object on the throne, above the lion...

 

It's interesting to note that these three types of instruments, dating back to prehistory, were the foundation of all modern instruments. They include the manipulation of vibrating strings, a vibrating air column, and percussion. Every instrument in the modern symphony orchestra is a sophisticated variation of one of these three classes.



It is also interesting to note that a new class of instrument did not appear on the scene until the 20th-century, when various engineers began experimenting with the manipulation of flowing electrons to generate sound. The first commercially-available Moog synthesizer, 1964...

 

The Conch shell has been used for centuries as an instrument in South East Asia.

 

The kazoo has also been used for several years as a wind-instrument and as a ceremonial pipe at a few beach parties ...




=> again AJ, that's a fantastic OP-coin (another winner in your elite collection)

 

This is an incredibly cool thread. That write-up and coin in the OP is AWESOME!

 

That's a pretty cool racket. It's funny that at the very end of that very Eastern-sounding music, somebody starts playing something that sounds like Russian folk music on the accordion, lol. Where did that come from?

 

I'd become homicidal if I had to listen to that for more than a couple of minutes.

LOL! You're right... but damn you for making me listen until the end just to hear it.

 

Open your mind to the Zen, TIF.

 

Love the coin and writeup!

This clip features no ancient music, but like Hermes, Ibanez thought to make a wicked 7-string 'kithara'...