Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XXV 22-23 Sep 2022
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Mysia, Kyzikos EL Hekte. Circa 450-350 BC. Helios, radiate, crouching nude to right, holding the reins of two horses, the foreparts of which are visible facing to left and right behind him; tunny fish below to right / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze I 148; Jameson 2194; SNG von Aulock 7312; Kraay & Hirmer 715; BMC 106. 2.66g, 10mm.
Near Mint State. Extremely Rare.
From a private collection in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The sun god Helios and his horses, as seen on this coin, are perhaps most well known in mythology for their role in the myth of Phaethon, found in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Euripides' Phaethon. Phaethon was the son of Helios and the mortal Clymene. As he lived solely with his mother, Phaethon's classmates were sceptical of his lofty paternal claims. Angered and embarrassed by repeated taunting on this topic, Phaethon decided to prove his parenthood once and for all.
Visiting his father Helios' palace in India, where it is rumoured the chariot of the sun started its daily journey, Phaethon tricked Helios into promising to grant him any wish he wanted. With this power Phaethon asked to be allowed to ride the chariot of the sun and drive the four horses, Aethon, Eous, Phlegon, and Pyrois, two of which can been seen depicted on this coin, across the sky for one day. Helios was aware that a small boy would be unable to control these most powerful of all horses and that it would be extremely dangerous to allow him to do so, but he was bound by his promise and had to agree.
Therefore at dawn the following day Phaethon boarded the chariot, while many words of warning were spoken by Helios, noting particularly that Phaethon keep a central course through the sky, and not fly too high or too low. Heedless of his father's warnings Phaethon rode the chariot close to the earth to ensure that his sceptical classmates could see him and stop their teasing forever. The horses of the sun, unused to such inexperienced handling, ran riot and overcame the young Phaethon so he was unable to control them. They scorched the sky creating a permanent mark that we call the Milky Way, before plunging into the land on the continent of Africa and scorching the earth, creating the Sahara Desert. This mythological etymology for geographical and astronomical phenomena was common among the Greeks and helped to explain the world around them. Zeus, king of the gods, looking down from Mount Olympus and seeing the destruction caused by Phaethon, struck the boy down with a thunderbolt, killing him instantly. It is hard when seeing any image of the sun god with his horses not to recall this tragic tale of reckless youth.
Near Mint State. Extremely Rare.
From a private collection in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The sun god Helios and his horses, as seen on this coin, are perhaps most well known in mythology for their role in the myth of Phaethon, found in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Euripides' Phaethon. Phaethon was the son of Helios and the mortal Clymene. As he lived solely with his mother, Phaethon's classmates were sceptical of his lofty paternal claims. Angered and embarrassed by repeated taunting on this topic, Phaethon decided to prove his parenthood once and for all.
Visiting his father Helios' palace in India, where it is rumoured the chariot of the sun started its daily journey, Phaethon tricked Helios into promising to grant him any wish he wanted. With this power Phaethon asked to be allowed to ride the chariot of the sun and drive the four horses, Aethon, Eous, Phlegon, and Pyrois, two of which can been seen depicted on this coin, across the sky for one day. Helios was aware that a small boy would be unable to control these most powerful of all horses and that it would be extremely dangerous to allow him to do so, but he was bound by his promise and had to agree.
Therefore at dawn the following day Phaethon boarded the chariot, while many words of warning were spoken by Helios, noting particularly that Phaethon keep a central course through the sky, and not fly too high or too low. Heedless of his father's warnings Phaethon rode the chariot close to the earth to ensure that his sceptical classmates could see him and stop their teasing forever. The horses of the sun, unused to such inexperienced handling, ran riot and overcame the young Phaethon so he was unable to control them. They scorched the sky creating a permanent mark that we call the Milky Way, before plunging into the land on the continent of Africa and scorching the earth, creating the Sahara Desert. This mythological etymology for geographical and astronomical phenomena was common among the Greeks and helped to explain the world around them. Zeus, king of the gods, looking down from Mount Olympus and seeing the destruction caused by Phaethon, struck the boy down with a thunderbolt, killing him instantly. It is hard when seeing any image of the sun god with his horses not to recall this tragic tale of reckless youth.