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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Terence Cheesman, post: 7699144, member: 86498&quot;]Neat coin Only a Poor Man</p><p>&nbsp;There are a number of fatal misconceptions about this coinage. However before tackling the specific imagery on this&nbsp; series one has to first understand how the ancient Greeks viewed their world. Greeks believed that the natural state of the world was chaos. Civilization in the form of cities brought order out of chaos however it was never far from the surface and had to be both feared, respected and guarded against. This bestial state was best represented by the Satyr. Though well muscled and strong he was a totally worthless being, completely useless for any kind of work.&nbsp; Satyrs were considered to be subversive dangerous and cowardly. They were always ready for any form of physical pleasure whether it be wine, music,&nbsp; or the pursuit of women all of which they do to excess. Thus he was a slave to his animalistic nature and was the complete opposite to the Greek ideal of a civilized man who was somebody who did all things in moderation.</p><p>&nbsp; The nymph in Greek mythology is a&nbsp; minor female nature deity, usually associated with a particular place such as a woods or spring. They are usually depicted as beautiful young women who love to sing and dance. They are not immortal though they can be very long lived and can give birth to immortal children should they mate with a god. Satyrs are obsessed with them. Unlike satyrs&nbsp; nymphs have a positive reputation. Both satyrs and nymphs are associated with the worship of Dionysos . He is usually described as a god of wine but he is also the god of chaos, of all forms of unreason and of the unexpected dangers that can only explained as the will of the gods. Any one familiar with &quot; The Bacchae&quot; by Euripides would understand the power of this god.</p><p>&nbsp;Thus it would seem puzzling that a city would chose such a design based on this image. A satyr carrying off a nymph would appear to be the complete opposite of what would be considered to be civilized behavior. It could be an oblique advertisement for the regional wine trade. However the coinage could also emphasize the fact that Thasos was on the edge of the civilized world&nbsp; beyond which only&nbsp; animalistic barbarians live . By advertising the bestial nature of its surroundings&nbsp; Thasos could be celibrating its claim to be civilized and therefor Greek.</p><p>&nbsp;Thasos Ar Stater 480-463 BC Obv. Ithyphaliic satyr in a running kneeling position right carrying a nymph who protesting. Rv. Quadripartite square. Anepigraphic 8.88 grams Rosen 142 Photo by W. Hansen[ATTACH=full]1321425[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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