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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Pavlos, post: 7375695, member: 96635&quot;]Silenos was the companion and tutor of Dionysos, the well-known god of wine. He was a constant and big consumer of wine, and was therefore usually drunk and had to be supported by satyrs or carried by a donkey. When intoxicated, Silenos was said to possess special knowledge and the power of prophecy.</p><p><br /></p><p>At Lesbos island Dionysos and the associated Silenos were both primarily worshipped. Pausanias relates a story of Methymnaean fishermen dragging up in their nets a <i>xoanon</i> (Archaic wooden cult image) of olive wood which was prounced by the Delphic oracle to be Dionysos <i>Κεφαλλήν</i> (head). The people of Methymna started to offer sacrafices to it and sent a bronze copy to Delphi. This led to a cult on the island and the two gods were primarily placed on the coinage, both silver as electrum. Strange enough, among the Dionysiac types that are frequently seen on the coinage of Methymna and Lesbos, the famous <i>xoanon </i>is never seen on the coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>I obtained this silver fraction from Methymna with a very clear face of Silenos. A nice addition to my Greek islands collection!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1284681[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Islands off Mysia, Lesbos, Methymna. AR Tetartemorion. Circa 500/480-460 B.C.</b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Facing head of Silenos.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> Quadripartite incuse square.</p><p><b>Reference:</b> Hauck &amp; Aufhäuser 14 (1998), 75. Leu Web Auction 11 (2020), 859.</p><p>0.31g; 6mm</p><p><br /></p><p>Please share your coins of Silenos and of Lesbos island.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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