Silver Decadrachm
ca. 400-375 BC
Syracuse
29-126-41
Racing four-horse chariot with a flying Nike personifying Victory crowning
the driver. The space below is filled with captured Punic arms. This spectacular
coin may commemorate the victory of Dionysius I over the Carthaginian general
Himilcon and the deliverance of Syracuse from its Punic siege in 396 BC The
reverse of the coin is signed by Euaenetus, one of the most renowned coin
designers of antiquity. Commemorative types became especially popular in the
Hellenistic period after Alexander's death in 323 BC
Dia. 34.0 mm. Photo courtesy Registrar's Office, University of Pennsylvania
Museum.
© Copyright 2002