The tortured city of Selinute

Part of my recent holiday included a visit to the ancient ruins of Selinos, had not read much about it's history until the visit, and Gee Wiz it was a huge busy Greek/Phoenician empire since 7th century BC, but a lot of the cities troubles were bought on by themselves with continued fighting with neighboring Segesta which began a long tough war culminating in the end of Sicilian Hellenism. The Selinuntines even supported Carthaginians during the great expedition of Hamilcar 480 BC, but they were to late to send an army to the battle of Himera which seen the defeat of Hamilcar. 413BC seen the Selinuntines call on Athens for help against Segestans and Syracuse, in which the Segestans succumbed to the Selinuntines, but not happy in 409 BC Segasta called on Carthage which culminated in the total destruction of Selinos with 16,000 killed and another 5000 taken as slaves......this was the start of Carthage foothold into Sicily and Italy and Rome's future woes.

On a lighter note if you are still reading, I picked up this coin from Marc Breitsprecher the other day chosen not only because of it's sharp detail but it's minting in that crucial historical time 415 BC-409 BC time frame. And below that a few pics I took of what Selinute Archaeological park looks like today.
Attribution: CNS 11; HGC 2, 1238
Date: Circa 415-409 BC
Obverse: Head of Herakles right, in lion skin headdress
Reverse: ΣE; Bow and Quiver
Size: 16.35mm
Weight: 3.62 grams
Rare
Description: choice EF with an attractive mottled green patina.
Below is a map showing the main ancient cities of the time.

The park is to big to walk around and see everything so we had like a golf buggy drive us around (below)



Below what is mainly ruins of the Acropolis closest of the temples to the beach.



PLEASE POST YOUR SELINOS COINS OR ANYTHING RELATED. ( I KNOW TIF HAS AN ABSOLUTE STUNNER)

 

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Both a pretty and historical coin, AA. Enjoyed the writeup and, as usual, love those awesome pics.

I don't have anything from Selinos, but here's one from the opposing side.

SICILY, Segesta
AR Didrachm. 8.16g, 21.9mm. SICILY, Segesta, circa 440/35-420/16 BC. Hurter, Didrachmenprägung 129 (V39/R73); HGC 2, 1135. O: Hound standing left. R: Head of Segesta right, within linear circle.

 

Nice big silver coin zumbly in fine style, it's incredible to think that if only they had known they were opening the floodgates to Carthage would they have done that?

 

This is one of the first coins I bought when I started collecting.


Selinos, circa 480-460 BC, litra 0.75g, 10.5mm
leaf / leaf
Ref: Sear 732
ex Treasure Island Stamps and Coins, a local coin store in Palo Alto CA.
"Said to be ex-Frank Kovacs, and ex-Sotheby's"

 

Nice pics, write up, and coin (that quiver has a lot of detail with all the riveting)

SELINOS (us):


Sicily Selinus
Litra 400 BCE AR 10mm 0.67g
Nymph on rock touching serpent Selinon leaf -
Man-faced bull
Mildenberg 27

 

A beautiful bronze @Ancient Aussie. Nice pics from the site.

SICILY, Selinos. Circa 540-515 BC. AR Didrachm. Selinon leaf; two pellets across upper field, two pellets flanking stem / Incuse square divided into ten sections. Arnold-Biucchi Group I; Selinus Hoard 13–5; HGC 2, 1209; SNG ANS 665

 

Great coin and fabulous pictures! I don't remember seeing your coin type before.

Here's my coin you mentioned


SICILY, Selinos
Circa 410 BCE
AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h
Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above
Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right
Ref: Potamikon, p. 116 figure 152 (this coin); HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare.
ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich;
ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404;
ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript


There are several coins of Selinos I'd like to have, including the one showed by @Meander (great coin!).

 

Nice one Ed, there's always something great in the first few coins you buy and your's is no exception.

 

Another great one of that type, with a nice clear man-face on the bull. I initially was spelling Selinus instead of Selinos but found a lot more come up in search engines with the spelling Selinos.

 

Meander and TIF, in my book you both have the most beautiful best of type and are a credit to your numismatic buying skills.

 

Selinos, Sicily; circa 455-409 B.C. AR Tetradrachm (26mm; 17.15 gm; 5h). Obv: Artemis driving quadriga left, Apollo beside her drawing bow. Rev: Draped figure of river-god Selinos standing left, holding phiale over altar and branch; rooster on altar; to right, selinon leaf and bull on basis. SNG ANS___; SNG Copenhagen 599

 

Segesta, Sicily. AR didrachm (24mm; 8.36 gm; 10h). ca. 461-415 B.C. Obv: Hound standing l. sniffing ground, female head l. above. Rev. ΣEΓEΣTA ΗΙ Βaround diademed head of nymph Segesta, l. SNG Dewing 672 (same reverse die with characteristic die break behind the nymph's head). Dark gray tone. Unusually broad flan.

 

Two fantastic additions to the thread PeteB, both with great historical significance and the toning on the Segesta is real eye candy.

 

Wow! You were able to walk inside the ruins?? I've never been outside of Athens and Sounion and assumed everywhere in Greece would be roped off.

Here's my Selinus tetradrachm, 420 BC:

 

Spectacular, Ancient Joe!!!!

 

Absolutely fantastic coin Joe, beautifully toned.

 

Wow Spectacular is the word !! and many other great coins on the thread.

The mint of selinous was very inventive and innovative.

I have quite few coins

Spread flan didrachm 540-515 BC

Dumpy flan didrachm 515-470 BC

Obol 515-470 BC

Tetradrachm 440-420

cast bronze Onkia 450-440 BC

cast bronze Hexas 450-440 BC

Struck bronze 412-409 BC

And to finish with a coin from my black cabinet, a modern forgery of the same type

 

Fantastic coin collection from Selinos, all interesting in their own right. That last fake was that from the 2012 Bertolami auction? If so I think CNG sold another from the same dies here.....https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=239394 a year later, or it was the one the fake dies were copied from.

 

The temples in Sicily are some of finest anywhere from the ancient world that I've seen. Notice the columns and the massive size of them, all toppled in the same direction from an earthquake. Fabulous!

 

Yea I hope it never happens but it will probably be next earthquake that takes those columns pictured at the acropolis out, if you liked it there what did you think of Akagras?