COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
AIC_.1922.4908
amicoid
AIC_.1922.4908
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
oty
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Object Type
false
Creator Name:
Unknown
crn
Unknown
Creator Name
false
Creator Nationality:
European; Southern European; Mediterranean
crc
European; Southern European; Mediterranean
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Dates/Places:
Ancient Greece Early Western World,Ancient Mediterranean,Ancient
cdt
Ancient Greece Early Western World,Ancient Mediterranean,Ancient
Creator Dates/Places
false
Creator Name-CRT:
Greek
crt
Greek
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Coin Showing Persephone ('Kore')
otn
Coin Showing Persephone ('Kore')
Title
false
Title Type:
preferred
ott
preferred
Title Type
false
View:
obverse
rid
obverse
View
false
Creation Date:
Hellenistic Period, 310/07 B.C.
oct
Hellenistic Period, 310/07 B.C.
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
-310
ocs
-310
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
-307
oce
-307
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
Silver tetradrachm
omd
Silver tetradrachm
Materials and Techniques
false
Classification Term:
Coin
clt
Coin
Classification Term
false
Subject Description:
The obverse of this coin has political overtones. The older coinage of Syracuse had as its obverse type the local spring nymph Arethusa. By the end of the fourth century B.C., she had become somewhat identified with another maiden goddess, Persephone (Kore). With this coin, the merging of these elements is complete: whereas seaweed once wreathed the nymph's hair, here Kore is crowned with grain in homage to Sicily's fame as the breadbasket of the Mediterranean (Kore's mother/double is Demeter, goddess ofgrain and all the fruits of the earth). To ensure that the metamorphosis is recognized, Kore's name is spelled out on the coin.On the reverse a winged Victory crowns a trophy of armor advertising Agathokles' military success.
sup
The obverse of this coin has political overtones. The older coinage of Syracuse had as its obverse type the local spring nymph Arethusa. By the end of the fourth century B.C., she had become somewhat identified with another maiden goddess, Persephone (Kore). With this coin, the merging of these elements is complete: whereas seaweed once wreathed the nymph's hair, here Kore is crowned with grain in homage to Sicily's fame as the breadbasket of the Mediterranean (Kore's mother/double is Demeter, goddess ofgrain and all the fruits of the earth). To ensure that the metamorphosis is recognized, Kore's name is spelled out on the coin.On the reverse a winged Victory crowns a trophy of armor advertising Agathokles' military success.
Subject Description
false
Creation Place:
Europe,Italy,Sicilia (region) ,Siracusa (province),Syracuse
ocp
Europe,Italy,Sicilia (region) <Sicily>,Siracusa (province),Syracuse
Creation Place
false
Dimensions:
Diam.: 2.7 cm (1 in.)
met
Diam.: 2.7 cm (1 in.)
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
The Art Institute of Chicago
oon
The Art Institute of Chicago
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
oop
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1922.4908
ooa
1922.4908
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Martin A. Ryerson
ooc
The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Martin A. Ryerson
Credit Line
false
Inscriptions:
Obverse [in Greek]: 'Koras'; '[coin of} Kore'Reverse: around, 'Agathokleios' [in Greek]; '[coin of] Agathocles'
oin
Obverse [in Greek]: 'Koras'; '[coin of} Kore'Reverse: around, 'Agathokleios' [in Greek]; '[coin of] Agathocles'
Inscriptions
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/rights/main.rights.html"target="_new">http://www.artic.edu/aic/rights/main.rights.html</a>
Rights
false
Context:
Greek, minted in Syracuse, Sicily;issued by Agathokles, tyrant of Syracuse, reigned 317-289 B.C. This exquisite coin owes its design to political violence and ambition. It was minted to commemorate the victory of the would-be king Agathokles over his political rivals in Syracuse and their dangerous Carthaginian allies in 317 B.C. Sicily was wealthy, powerful, and sophisticated; the cosmopolitan city of Syracuse had long prided itself on the high quality of its artists-including its cooin engravers-and Agathokles continued that tradition. It has been suggested that Agathokles, while not wanting to tamper too much with the successful and recognizable coinage of Syracuse, still preferred to abandon the local nymph Arethusa in favor of a pan-Sicilian grain goddess who would advertise the fact that he now ruled nearly the entire, wheat-wealthy island.
cxd
Greek, minted in Syracuse, Sicily;issued by Agathokles, tyrant of Syracuse, reigned 317-289 B.C. This exquisite coin owes its design to political violence and ambition. It was minted to commemorate the victory of the would-be king Agathokles over his political rivals in Syracuse and their dangerous Carthaginian allies in 317 B.C. Sicily was wealthy, powerful, and sophisticated; the cosmopolitan city of Syracuse had long prided itself on the high quality of its artists-including its cooin engravers-and Agathokles continued that tradition. It has been suggested that Agathokles, while not wanting to tamper too much with the successful and recognizable coinage of Syracuse, still preferred to abandon the local nymph Arethusa in favor of a pan-Sicilian grain goddess who would advertise the fact that he now ruled nearly the entire, wheat-wealthy island.
Context
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
AIC_.E28682.TIF
ril
AIC_.E28682.TIF
Related Image Identifier Link
false