Interesting Ancient Greek Myths

Melicertes Palaemon

Melicertes or Palaemon was a sea-god who came to the aid of sailors in distress. As a once mortal child, Melicertes’ parents incurred the wrath of Hera after fostering the young god Dionysos. As a result, Melicertes’ father was driven into a murderous rage and Melicertes fled with his mother, ultimately jumping off the cliffs and into the sea. The pair was transformed into sea-gods and received the names Palaemon and Leukothea. Palaemon is typically depicted in coins and mosaics as either a dolphin-riding boy, or a fish-tailed son of Triton.

CORINTHIA, Corinth. Lucius Verus. 161-169 A.D. Æ 27mm, 10.81g. Melicertes on dolphin. BCD Corinth 752 (image courtesy of CNG; from the Bill Hearn collection)

CORINTHIA. Corinth. Marcus Aurelius. 161-180 A.D. Æ 19mm 6.51g. Melicertes on dolphin. BCD 730 (image courtesy of CNG)

CORINTHIA, Corinth. Septimius Severus. 193-211 A.D. Æ 25mm (image courtesy of CNG)

Palaemon riding a dolphin, 5th cent AD Roman mosaic in Antakya, Turkey

Archeological museum in Spain, ca. 350 BC

CORINTHIA, Corinth. Claudius. 41-54 A.D. Æ 15mm 3.97g. Melicertes lying on two dolphins. BCD 432 (image courtesy of CNG)

Triptolemos

Triptolemos was part god and part mortal. He presides over the sowing of grain and seed. Triptolemos was instructed by the goddess Demeter in the art of agriculture and was given a winged chariot drawn by serpents in order to travel the world spreading seed.  

THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla. 198-217 A.D. 27mm 14.70g (image courtesy of CNG)

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius 139-161 A.D. Æ Drachm 34mm Triptolemus. Dattari 3210 (Author's collection)

MYSIA, Cyzicus. Stater, electrum, about 430-400 B.C. EL 16.05g. Unbearded Triptolemus (image courtesy of NY sale)

CILICIA, Tarsos. Caracalla. 198-217 A.D. Æ 35mm. Triptolemos (image courtesy of Kunker)

EGYPT, Alexandria. Philip II 246-247 A.D. Æ 11.90g 22mm (image courtesy of Monnaies 10)

Hero and Leander

Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite who lived in a tower in Sestos (on the Dardanelles). Leander was a young man from Abydos who lived on the opposite side of the strait. Leander fell in love with Hero and would swim every night across the Hellespont to be with her. Hero would light a lamp at the top of her tower to guide his way. However, one stormy night the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes blew out Hero's light. Leander lost his way and drowned. When Hero saw his dead body, she threw herself over the edge of the tower to her death to be with him.

TROAS, Abydus. Caracalla 198-217 A.D. 38mm Leander swimming across Hellespont toward Hero in her tower. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)

THRACE, Sestos. Septimius Severus, 193-217 A.D. 7,44 g. Leander swimming across Hellespont toward Hero in her tower. BMC vgl. 200, 18 (image courtesy of Munzen and Medaillon)

TROAS, Abydos. Septimius Severus 193-211 A.D. 38mm 21.35g Hero swimming the Hellespont toward Leander in her tower. (image courtesy of CNG)

TROAS, Abydos. Severus Alexander, 222-235 A.D. 25,78 g. Leander swimming across Hellespont toward Hero in her tower. SNG von Aulock 7543 (image courtesy of Munzen and Medaillon)

Rape of Persephone

Hades fell in love with Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, and asked Zeus for permission to marry her. Zeus feared to offend his eldest brother by a downright refusal, but knew also that Demeter would not forgive him if Persephone were committed to the underworld. Zeus therefore answered politically that he could neither give nor withhold his consent. This emboldened Hades to abduct Persephone, as she was picking flowers in a meadow, and carry her away in his horse-drawn chariot to the underworld.

MACEDON, Stobi. Caracalla 198-217 A.D. 25mm AMNG III 12 (image courtesy of CNG)

LYDIA, Hermokapelia. Trajan, 98-117 A.D. (image courtesy of Gorny & Mosch)

PHRYGIA, Hierapolis. Civic issue. Circa 2nd century AD. 27mm 12.15g Head of Dionysos SNG Cop 428 (image courtesy of CNG)

LYDIA, Daldis. Philip I. 244-249 A.D. Æ 38mm, 26.01g unpublished (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XV; formerly the Bill Hearn collection)

SAMARIA, Sebaste. Elagabalus 218-222 A.D. 25mm Hades abducting Persephone. Rosenberger 27 (image courtesy of Goldberg; Author's collection)

Judgment of Ares

Ares slew Halirrhothios, son of Poseidon, for assaulting Ares' daughter, Alcippe. The site where Ares came before the gods for judgement, escorted by Dike (Justice) and the herald Hermes, became the Areopagus (Hill of Ares) in Athens, the location of the Athenian law courts. Ares was absolved of murder.

CILICIA, Syedra. Gallienus. 253-268 A.D. 32mm Ares walking left between Dike and Hermes (image courtesy of CNG/Triton VII)

Kouretes

The Kouroi or Kouretes were Cretan guardians of the infant Zeus. According to Hesiod, when Gaia came to Crete and hid the infant Zeus, the Cretan Kouretes used their ritual clashing of spears and shields to drown out the cries of infant Zeus in order to prevent his discovery by Cronus.

CILICIA, Seleucia ad Cadycadnum. Severus Alexander 222-235 A.D. 29mm Kouretes clanging shields around infant Zeus. (image courtesy of CNG)

PAMPHYLIA, Side. Maximinus I 235-238 A.D. 17.74g Korybantes surrounded infant Zeus. SNG vAulock 4826 (image courtesy of Kunker)

THRACE, Mesembria. Gordian III and Tranquillina. 241-244 A.D. 27mm two kuretes with shields and swords. SNG Fitz 1560 (image courtesy of CNG)

CILICIA, Seleucia ad Cadycadnum. Caracalla 198-211 A.D. 30mm Infant Zeus surrounded by Kouretes. Levante 748 (image courtesy of Edward Waddell)

Korybantes

LYDIA, Tralles. Antoninus Pius 138-161 A.D. 20.76g Kouretes dance around infant Zeus. (image courtesy of Ars Classica)

The Corybantes were armed and helmeted dancers who worshiped the Phrygian goddess Cybele with drumming and dancing.

Lapith and the Centaurs

Like the Myrmidons and other Thessalian tribes, the Lapiths were pre-Hellenic in their origins. The genealogies make them a kindred people with the Centaurs. In the Iliad the Lapiths send forty manned ships to join the Greek fleet in the Trojan War.

The best-known legend with which the Lapiths are connected is their battle with the Centaurs at the wedding feast of Pirithous, the Centauromachy. The Centaurs had been invited, but, unused to wine, their wild nature came to the fore. When the bride was presented to greet the guests, the centaur Eurytion leapt up and attempted to rape her. All the other centaurs were up in a moment, straddling women and boys. In the battle that ensued, Theseus came to the Lapiths' aid. They cut off Eurytion's ears and nose and threw him out. In the battle the Lapith Caeneus was killed, and the defeated Centaurs were expelled from Thessaly.

MYSIA, Cyzicus. Stater 5th-4th century BC, EL 15.87g. Lapith kneeling on back of fallen centaur r.; strangling him with l. arm and holding sword von Fritze 170. Boston 1547 (image courtesy of NAC)

THESSALY, Mopsion. Circa 350 BC. 20mm Lapith battling Centaur. McClean 4648 (image courtesy of CNG)

Frieze of Lapith fighting Centaur (Pantheon)

Metamorphosis of Ambrosia

The figure on the reverse has traditionally been described as Dionysus holding vines, as in Rosenberger, but as the type clearly represents a female this identification can be discounted. For more recent interpretations of this very interesting type, see G. Bijowski, “The myth of Daphne on a coin minted at Damascus,” AJN 15 (2003), pp. 53-9 and K. Butcher, “Ambrosia in Damascus?,” NC 170 (2010), pp. 85-91.

COELESYRIA, Damascus. Philip I. AD 244-249. Æ 30mm, 16.74g, 12h. Obv: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS P F AVG, Rev: COL AMAC METRO; Ambrosia standing facing in flower, head right, holding grape vine in each hand. RPC VIII Online 26786; Rosenberger 49 corr. (Philip II). AJN 15 (2003), pp. 53-9 and K. Butcher, Ambrosia in Damascus?, NC 170 (2010), pp. 85-91 (Author's collection)

SYRIA, Coele-Syria. Damascus. Philip I. AD 244-249. Æ (31mm, 18.56 g, 12h). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Female figure (Ambrosia?) facing, head right, metamorphosing into grape vine. De Saulcy –; Rosenberger 49 corr. (Philip II). Near VF, dark green patina, earthen deposits. (image courtesy of CNG; from the collection of Bill Hearn).

Coins depicting Helle and Phrixos

This could be the first Hellenistic issue, struck as soon as the city was moved to its new location on the coast. The artwork, especially on the reverse, is still of high quality and the reverse theme has not yet changed from Helle to Phrixos.

THESSALY, Halos. Late 4th century BC. Æ Chalkous (15mm, 2.05 g, 11h). Laureate and bearded head of Zeus r. / ΑΛΕ above l., Ω above r., Ν sideways r. down, Helle, draped, seated sideways and looking r., on ram flying r., her hands on either side of her, holding on to its back; below, small male head to r. Reinders series 5. Not in Rogers. (image courtesy of CNG; from the Bill Hearn collection).

THESSALY, Halos. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (15mm, 1.87 g, 6h). Diademed and bearded head of Zeus r., border of dots / ΑΛΕΩΝ below circular, Phrixos, naked but for cloak billowing out behind him like wings, riding ram to r., holding onto its neck and chest with both arms; to l. monogram. Reinders series 7.5; Rogers 242, fig. 116; SNG Cop. 64 corr. (image courtesy of CNG; from the Bill Hearn collection)

Coins depicting Io

Io was a human, seduced by Zeus. In order to hide his act of betrayal, Zeus transformed Io into a heifer. In more modern mythology, Io was depicted as the lover and guide of Perseus (Clash of the Titans).

IONIA, Phokaia. Circa 478-387 BC. EL Hekte – Sixth Stater (10mm, 2.55 g). Head of Io, Incuse square punch. Bodenstedt Em. 96; SNG von Aulock 1710 (image courtesy of CNG; from the collection of Bill Hearn).

LYDIA, Tralles Antoninus Pius 138-161 AD Æ 35mm 28.30g Poplius grammateus magist. struck 139-144 AD Obv: Laureate bust of emp. r. ΑV ΚΑΙ ΤΙ ΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ΑΝΤΩΝƐΙΝΟС Rev: Hermes leading Io (princess of Argos) ΓΡ ΠΟ ƐΙΟVС ΓΑΜοС ΤΡΑΛΙΑΝΩΝ Ref: RPC online 1595; BMC 142 (Author's collection)

JUDAEA, Gaza. Hadrian. AD 117-138. Æ (28mm, 14.19 g, 1h). Io and Tyche standing facing one another, clasping hands; Phoenician mem between. SNG ANS 915 (image courtesy of CNG; from the collection of Bill Hearn).

JUDAEA, Gaza. Commodus. AD 177-192. Æ (23mm, 9.26 g, 12h). Io and the Tyche of Gaza standing clasping hands. Cf. Rosenberger 129 (year 249); cf. SNG ANS 941 (image courtesy of CNG; from the collection of Bill Hearn).