King HIERON II. / POSEIDON-TRIDENT 275-215 BC. Æ BRONZE GREEK Coin + COA GGcoins

Description: King Hieron II. Reign; 275 - 215 BC. Syracuse, Sicily. Ancient Greek Coinage Æ Uncia coin: Size: (18.mm). Weight: (5.6gm.) Description: Obverse: Bust of Poseidon facing left... Reverse: Trident between two dolphins, unreadable Greek legend IEΡΩNOΣ in exergue... Reference: SNG ANS 987 _____________________________________________________________ History of Coin: King Hieron II, also spelled Hiero, (died 216/215 bc), tyrant and then king of Syracuse, Sicily, from about 270 to 216/215 bc, who struggled against the Mamertini and eventually allied his city with Rome.On the departure of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, from Sicily in 276, the Syracusans appointed Hieron commander of the troops, and he strengthened his position by marrying the daughter of Leptines, the city’s leading citizen. Meanwhile, the Mamertini, a body of Campanian mercenaries who had been employed by Agathocles, the former tyrant of Syracuse, had captured the stronghold of Messana (Messina, in northeastern Sicily), from which they harassed the Syracusans. Hieron defeated them in a pitched battle near Mylae (Milazzo), but Carthaginian forces intervened to prevent him from capturing Messana. His grateful countrymen then chose Hieron as king. When in 264 he again attacked Messana, the Mamertini called on Rome for aid. Hieron at once joined the Carthaginian leader Hanno, who had recently landed in Sicily, but they were defeated by the Roman consul Appius Claudius Caudex, and Hieron withdrew to Syracuse. Pressed by the Roman forces, in 263 he was compelled to conclude a treaty with Rome that restricted his kingdom to southeast Sicily and the eastern coast as far as Tauromenium (modern Taormina). From this date until his death he remained loyal to the Romans, frequently supplying them with soldiers and provisions during the Punic Wars. Hieron maintained a powerful defensive fleet and employed his famous kinsman, the Greek Archimedes, in the construction of ingenious mechanical devices for defense of the city. Hieron’s system of taxation was held up as a model of its kind and was used by the Romans in 241, when they annexed Sicily as the first province. Poseidon is the violent and ill-tempered god of the sea. One of the Twelve Olympians, he was also feared as the provoker of earthquakes and worshipped as the creator of the horse. A hot-blooded deity, Poseidon had many disputes with both gods and men, most famously with Athena and Odysseus.God of the sea and rivers, creator of storms and floods, and the bringer of earthquakes and destruction, Poseidon was perhaps the most disruptive of all the ancient Greek gods, not only for mortals but also to Zeus’ peaceful reign on Mount Olympus. Despite the above, the trident-bearing god was not always a negative force, and he did have a role as a protector, particularly to mariners, and as the patron of horses and horse breeding. To the Romans, he was known as Neptunus or Neptune.Origins & FamilyCults to Poseidon date as far back as the late Bronze Age and the Mycenaean civilization (at its peak from the 15th to 12th century BCE), as attested by Linear B inscriptions found at Pylos in the Peloponnese and Knossos on Crete. Indeed, the god seems to have been one of the most important Mycenaean deities, perhaps no surprise given the culture’s obvious seafaring skills. It may be that Poseidon was a mix of an indigenous but pre-Greek god with Potis, an Indo-European deity. Pylos, we know, had Poseidon as its main god with a priestess as the head of his cult.Poseidon was the father of the hero Theseus, the hunter Orion & the winged-horse Pegasus.In later Greek mythology, Poseidon was the son of Kronos and Rhea, and brother of Zeus and Hades. He was a key figure in the battles for control of the universe between the Titans, the Giants, and the Olympians. On their victory, the three brothers drew lots to decide which domain they would reign over, and Poseidon gained the seas. The god dwelled in magnificent golden mansions beneath the sea, beautifully adorned with coral and sea flowers. Traditionally, this undersea palace, which included the god’s stables of fine white horses, was located near Aegae in Euboea. Seemingly not content with the seas alone, Poseidon often interfered in the plans of Zeus, and once even attempted to overthrow his brother with the aid of Hera and Athena. It was as punishment for this treachery that Poseidon was made to build the magnificent walls of Troy Disputes with Other Gods and MenPoseidon Challenges ZeusPoseidon had a very violent character, Impulsive and hot-blooded, he couldn’t put up with Zeus’ arrogant behavior as a ruler. So, he teamed up with Hera and Athena to teach him a lesson. However, with the help of Thetis and Briareus, Zeus overpowered his challengers.Poseidon, Laomedon, and the TrojansAs punishment, he sent Poseidon and Apollo to serve the Trojan king Laomedon, for whom they built the vast, beautiful walls surrounding Troy. However, when the time came, Laomedon refused to pay them. As a result, Poseidon – even against the advice of Zeus – fought on the Greek side during the Trojan war, sending a sea monster named Cetus to torment the Trojans.Poseidon, the Greeks, and OdysseusEven so, the narcissist that he was, Poseidon destroyed the fortifications built by the Greeks, firmly believing that his walls are the only buildings of the type worthy to remain. And, mad at him for blinding his son Polyphemus, he had a decade-long feud with one of the greatest Greek heroes, Odysseus.Poseidon and AthenaThe god of the sea was also greedy – especially when it came to earthly kingdoms. Once, he even wanted to obtain Athens from Athena, claiming that the city would have much more benefit from him than her. To prove this, he struck his trident into a rock, creating a seawater stream which welled up in the Temple of Erechtheion on the north side of the Acropolis. Athena, in turn, planted an olive tree. Cecrops, the first king of Athens, decided that Athena’s gift was more useful since it gave fruit, wood, and oil. Athena kept Athens, and ever since then, the olive branch is a universal symbol of peace.Poseidon’s Women and Children Just like Zeus, Poseidon had a weak spot for women. And, much like him, he was not exactly loved back by them. However, what he couldn’t acquire with romance and gentleness, he did with violence and craftiness. Caeneus and MedusaFor example, he took by force both Caeneus and Medusa, who was afterward transformed into a beast by Athena as a punishment for allowing this. After Perseus beheaded the pregnant monster, Medusa gave birth to Poseidon’s children, Chrysaor and Pegasus.Poseidon's Symbol of PowerAfter the Titanomachy, the gods (who now called themselves the Olympians) chose Mount Olympus as their official residence, and Zeus as their King, while Poseidon replaced Oceanus as the Lord of the Seas. Hence, while the Trident remained Poseidon's personal weapon in times of need, it also became his Symbol of Power, along with the horse, the bull, and the dolphin. He wielded the Trident on multiple occasions, most notably while fighting sea monsters, or sinking the ships of mortals who had angered him. In Greek myth, Poseidon's trident was forged by the cyclopes ...Poseidon wields his trident on a number of occasions. Poseidon used his trident to strike a rock upon the hill of the Acropolis, producing a well of seawater, in what developed into a contest between him and Athena over possession of Attica. The well was later to be called the Erechtheis. There is further myth that Poseidon (Neptune) produced a horse by striking the earth with the trident, in order to bolster his claim, but there is no attestation for this among Greek writers. The alleged trident print on a rock and the sea well within the Erechtheion were witnessed by the geographer Pausanias while visiting Athens.In another myth, Poseidon creates a spring or springs with the strike of his trident to reward Amymone for her encounter with him. In a version of another myth Poseidon wields his trident to scare off a satyr who tries to rape Amymone after she mistakenly hits him with a hunting spear.There is also a myth where Poseidon touches the island of Delos with his trident, affixing it firmly to the sea floor. Another myth tells how Poseidon, enraged by sacrilegious behavior of Ajax the Lesser, splits with trident the rock to which Ajax was clinging. The oldest coins of Poseidonia from the 6th century BC depict trident wielded by Poseidon in his right hand, similar to Zeus's thunderbolt. An Attic red figure kylix from c. 475 BC depicts Poseidon killing the Giant Polybotes with his trident.______________________________________________________________________ The Coin: A very pleasing example of a Ancient Greek coin it saw some use before it found a safe place to wait out the centuries. Always Guaranteed Authentic, I have never knowingly sold a copy or reproduction! As grading is subjective please Judge the coin photos to determine this for yourself. Personalized COA Included Photos are of the actual coin that you will receive..! Authenticity is guaranteed or your 100% money back. Please ask any question before you bid. If there is any issue pertaining to your order from us , please message us directly and we will resolve the matter as timely & smoothly as possible, we strive to remain free from any negative feedback. Certificate of Authenticity--(COA):What is a certificate of authenticity and what guarantees do you give that the item is authentic? 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Price: 75 USD

Location: San Diego, California

End Time: 2024-10-31T11:44:37.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.95 USD