Silver Tetradrachm of Thasos with Dionysos and Herakles
Silver Tetradrachm of Thasos with Dionysos and Herakles
Place of OriginGreece, Thasos (modern-day Limenas)
Dateafter 146 BCE
Dimensions1 1/4 × 1 1/4 × 1/8 in., 31.87mm, 16.6g (3.2 × 3.2 × 0.3 × 3.2 cm, 16.6 kg)
MediumSilver.
ClassificationMetalwork
Credit LineGift of the Popplestone Family
Object number
2006.105
On View
Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic
DescriptionA "New Style" silver tetradrachm from the island of Thasos (after 146 BCE). The obverse features a wreathed head of young Dionysos; the reverse depicts Herakles standing with a club and lion skin (ref: SNG Copenhagen 1039–1045).
Label TextWe know that the man depicted is Herakles because he holds a lion skin in his left hand and leans on a knotty club, his weapon of choice. The more defined of these two coins comes from Thasos in Greece, while the more abstract representation is of Celtic origin. The similarities between the coins demonstrate the influence that the Greeks yielded over a wide geographic region. Although they adopted the Greek hero Herakles, the Celts chose to depict him in their own style.
2nd-1st century BCE
about 320-319 BCE
2nd-1st century B.C.E.
Second half of the 1st century CE
2nd Century BCE
5th century BCE
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