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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;JBGood, post: 2385716, member: 38987&quot;]This is one of my earliest purchases and one of my favorite coins. Poseidon looks very god-like and the trident is cool.&nbsp; So post your coins of <u><i>Syracuse or anything with Poseidon or tridents.</i></u></p><p><br /></p><p>And here is some interesting reading about the tyrant Hieron II (wiki) especially the bit where Archimedes works out his calculations for density. Cool story, probably apocryphal.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Hiero II(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" rel="nofollow">Greek</a>:Ἱέρων Β΄; c. 308 BC – 215 BC) was the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks" rel="nofollow">Greek</a>Sicilian king of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_Italy" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_Italy" rel="nofollow">Syracuse</a>from 270 to 215 BC, and the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hierocles_of_Syracuse&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hierocles_of_Syracuse&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" rel="nofollow">Hierocles</a>, who claimed descent from<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelo" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelo" rel="nofollow">Gelon</a>. He was a former general of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhus_of_Epirus" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhus_of_Epirus" rel="nofollow">Pyrrhus of Epirus</a>and an important figure of the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Punic_War" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Punic_War" rel="nofollow">First Punic War</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-1" rel="nofollow">[1]</a></b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>On the departure of Pyrrhus from<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicily" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicily" rel="nofollow">Sicily</a>(275 BC) the Syracusan army and citizens appointed him commander of the troops. He strengthened his position by marrying the daughter of Leptines, the leading citizen. In the meantime, the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamertines" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamertines" rel="nofollow">Mamertines</a>, a body of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campania" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campania" rel="nofollow">Campanian</a>mercenaries who had been employed by<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathocles_of_Syracuse" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathocles_of_Syracuse" rel="nofollow">Agathocles</a>, had seized the stronghold of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messana" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messana" rel="nofollow">Messana</a>, and proceeded in harassing the Syracusans. They were finally defeated in a pitched battle near<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylae" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylae" rel="nofollow">Mylae</a>by Hiero, who was only prevented from capturing Messana by<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage" rel="nofollow">Carthaginian</a> interference. His grateful countrymen then made him<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King" rel="nofollow">king</a>(270).</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>In 264 BC he again returned to the attack, and the Mamertines called in the aid of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome" rel="nofollow">Rome</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-2" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-2" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>Hiero at once joined the Punic leader<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanno,_son_of_Hannibal" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanno,_son_of_Hannibal" rel="nofollow">Hanno</a>, who had recently landed in Sicily; but fighting a battle to an inconclusive outcome with the Romans led by the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consul" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consul" rel="nofollow">consul</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius_Caudex" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius_Caudex" rel="nofollow">Appius Claudius Caudex</a>, he withdrew to Syracuse.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-8-16-3" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-8-16-3" rel="nofollow">[3]</a></b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Pressed by the Roman forces, in 263 he concluded a treaty with Rome, by which he was to rule over the south-east of Sicily and the eastern coast as far as<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauromenium" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauromenium" rel="nofollow">Tauromenium</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-8-16-3" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-8-16-3" rel="nofollow">[3]</a></b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>From this time until his death in 215 BC he remained loyal to the Romans, and frequently assisted them with men and provisions during the Punic war.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-4" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-4" rel="nofollow">[4]</a>He kept up a powerful fleet for defensive purposes, and employed his famous kinsman<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes" rel="nofollow">Archimedes</a>in the construction of those engines that, at a later date, played so important a part during the siege of Syracuse by the Romans.</b></p><p><br /></p><p><i><b>According to a story told by<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvius" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvius" rel="nofollow">Vitruvius</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-5" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiero_II_of_Syracuse#cite_note-5" rel="nofollow">[5]</a>Hiero suspected he was being cheated by the goldsmith to whom he had supplied the gold to make a<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Votive_crown" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Votive_crown" rel="nofollow">votive crown</a> for a temple. He asked Archimedes to find out if all the gold had been used, as had been agreed. Archimedes, on discovering the principle of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displacement_(fluid)" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displacement_(fluid)" rel="nofollow">displacement</a>needed to measure the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Density" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Density" rel="nofollow">density</a> of the crown is said to have shouted &quot;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_(word)" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_(word)" rel="nofollow">eureka, eureka!&quot;</a>while running naked through Syracuse. Vitruvius concludes this story by stating that Archimedes&#039; method successfully detected the goldsmith&#039;s fraud; he had taken some of the gold and substituted silver instead.</b></i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]489529[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sicily, Syracuse, Hieron II </b></p><p><b>Æ19 6.9 grams</b></p><p><b>275-215 BC</b></p><p><b>Head of Poseidon left</b></p><p><b>Ornamented trident head flanked by two dolphins</b></p><p><b>Cf. SNG ANS 964 ff.</b></p><p><b>19 mm 7 grams</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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