Another little Greek pickup, one of my favorites so far this year. The wonderfully-styled lion's head carrying a spear in its jaws is an arresting, if somewhat inscrutable, choice for a city badge, and I admit the main reason I was drawn to it. The Herakles reverse, though, is where more of the tale of the Oitaioi and their city is told... In 426 BC, five years after the Peloponnesian War began, the Spartans established a colony at Trachis, four miles west of Thermopylae, renaming it Herakleia Trachinia, after the demigod Herakles. It was the hope of the Spartans that the strategic location of the city would serve them in their war against the Athenians. Their dominion over the city, however, proved to be short-lived. In 409 BC, the Spartan harmost (military governor) of Herakleia, Labotas and seven hundred of his soldiers died in a battle against the Oitaioi, a mountain tribe that lived on nearby Mount Oita. Then, in 394 BC, an army from Thebes and Argos captured Herakleia and slaughtered all the Spartans they could find living there. Thereafter, the Spartans may have regained control over the city briefly, but by 370 BC, they had been completely ousted. At around 350 BC, the city passed from the hands of the Trachinians to the Oitaioi. The coins that were being struck in the city at the time already bore the device of the lion's head on the obverse and attributes of Herakles on the reverse. The Oitaioi continued with the lion's head device, gave it more artistry, and placed on the reverse a distinctive standing young Herakles holding a club in both hands. There had long been a veneration of Herakles in the region, notably at Mount Oita, where, according to legend, Herakles, poisoned by a tunic stained with hydra's blood given to him by his wife Deianira (she didn't know that it was poisoned, but good to note - beware wives bearing strange shirts!), had uprooted trees to build his own funeral pyre before dying of the poison. Archaeological digs on Mount Oita have discovered evidence of a cult dating to at least the 6th century BC worshipping there, with finds including burnt figurines, pottery inscribed 'to Herakles' and small bronze statues of Herakles. The Oitaioi continued striking coins at Herakleia Trachinia well into the 2nd century BC, but not always with these types. Feel free to post your coins of the Oitaioi, Thessaly or Herakles. THESSALY, The Oitaioi AR Hemidrachm. 2.75g, 16.3mm. THESSALY, The Oitaioi, Herakleia Trachinia, circa 360-344 BC. Valassiadis 1; BCD Thessaly I 1211 (same rev. die); BCD Thessaly II 487 (same rev. die); HGC 4, 129 (same obv. die as illustration). O: Head of lion left, with spear in jaws. R: OIT-[AO]N (retrograde), Herakles standing facing, holding club. Ex BCD Collection, his tag noting "W. of C'm Hd" (West of Cierium Hoard)
That lion head is very cool! How about a Herakles I haven't shared: Pisidia, Selge. Æ12, 2.4g, 7h; 2nd-1st centuries BC Obv.: Laureate and bearded head of Herakles facing, lion-skin around neck; club to left. Rev.: Forepart of stag right, head left.
I have NO Oitaioi or Thessaly; only Herakles: Makedonon Kassander 316-297 BCE AE15 Herakles Lion reclining SNG Cop 1140 Makedonon AE 20 Kassander 319-297 BC Herakles Horse prancing S 6754 var SNG Cop 1142 Makedonon Antigonos I Monopthalmus 319-305 BC AR Drachm Magnesia and Maeandrum Mint 3.9g 16.5mm Herakles lion-Zeus Makedonon - Kassander 319-297 BCE AE 20 Herakles - Youth on Horse prancing SG 6754 Frentani - Larinum AE 18mm Quadrans 210-175 BCE Herakles - Centaur SNG COP 272 Comments: The Frentani were related to the Samnites, but were on the Adriatic Coast and not in the Mountains.
i've always thought that lion head/spear obverse was pretty awsome...nice Z. here's an imitative herakles from a bit to the north, and a century or so later. CELTIC, Lower Danube, Uncertain tribe. 2nd century B.C. AR Drachm O: Head of Herakles wearing lionskin headdress knotted at throat, right. R: Zeus enthroned holding eagle. 17mm 3.42g Lanz 939. Ex Mat collection!
Don't have any from Oitaioi, but do have some coins of Herakles. Kings of Macedonia, Kassander 39-297 B.C. / AE18, 4.45g O: Head of Heracles right, wearing lion skin headdress R: KASSAN-DROU above lion, lying right, EY in right field AMNG 1
WOW @zumbly !!!! LOVE that unusual spear in lion mouths device---SO COOL!! Well, I have this Tet of Herakles (Thasian) from Macedonia with the Dionysos obverse---
It is a very striking representation for sure. It's interesting to compare it with the more conventional head in profile style on obols issued at the same city before the Oitaioi took it over. Here's an example (not my coin):
I do indeed. I also have a computer with a cracked an unusuable screen and won't be on CoinTalk much until it is repaired, nor will I be able to edit coin tie pictures or much of anything else . Here's my Oitaioi with excellent pedigree: THESSALY, The Oitaioi 167-146 BCE AR Hemidrachm (15mm, 2.30 g, 1h) Herakleia Trachinia mint Obv: Lion’s head left, spear in its jaws Rev: OITAI downward to right, ΩN downward to left, Herakles standing facing, holding club in both hands Ref: Valassiadis 9; BCD Thessaly II 494 (same obverse die) Acquired from @@Ardatirion (Bill Dalzell, Classical Numismatic Group Numismatist) Ex BCD Collection (Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 290), lot 57 Ex Peus 384 (2 November 2005), lot 199 Ex Vinchon (20 May 1959), lot 483 Ex M. Ratto 11 (16 May 1935), lot 239 Ex R. Ratto (4 April 1927), lot 1023 Ex Naville-Ars Classica V (18 June 1923), lot 1764
Thanks! This coin has a pretty striking relief that isn't obvious in this picture. Not sure if you'll see this...but computers work better when you don't take auction losses out on them! Haha! Just kidding! I hope it all works itself out soon!
Wow Z-Bro, fantastic OP-example ... oh, and amazing backup singing by the rest of our cool coin-gang (great coins!!) I have one of these super sweet types as well ...
