Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XXV 22-23 Sep 2022
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Sicily, Akragas AR Tetradrachm. Circa 460-450/445 BC. Sea eagle standing to left, with wings closed; AKPACANTOΣ (partially retrograde) around / Crab within shallow incuse circle. Westermark, Coinage 371 (O12/R42); SNG ANS 979-80; HGC 2, 78. 17.45g, 28mm, 1h.
Good Extremely Fine; beautiful underlying lustre, well centred and detailed design.
From the Paulo Leitão Collection.
According to Thucydides, Akragas was founded by colonists from Gela and Rhodes in around 582-580 BC (History of the Peloponnesian War, 6.4). The last of the great Greek cities in Sicily to be established, Akragas was situated in a highly favourable location on a plateau overlooking the sea, with a constant supply of water from two nearby rivers, the Akragas (for which the city was named) and the Hypsas. The city's position benefited it greatly, and it quickly became one of the wealthiest Greek colonies on the island, eclipsing neighbours Gela and rivalling even Syracuse.
Under the reign of the tyrant Phalaris (circa 570-554), who Aristotle tells us had seized power in the city after having been entrusted with the building of the temple of Zeus on the citadel (Politics, v.10), the city attained considerable prosperity. Along with expanding his territory through military victories against the indigenous Sikanians, Phalaris also managed to secure favourable trade agreements with Sicilian neighbours and also the great Mediterranean power of the time, Carthage. Such deals allowed the Akragantines to embark on an extensive building program, which saw the construction of intimidating defensive fortifications and grand public buildings. Yet for all this, Phalaris was renowned for his cruelty and sadistic tendencies, which supposedly included cannibalism. His notorious reputation is etched in legend, as it was he who commissioned the so-called 'Brazen Bull', a hollow bronze statue invented by the sculptor Perillos of Athens as a novel way to execute criminals, in which the victim would be placed, before a fire was set below the statue. A complex system of tubes converted the victim's screams into the sounds of a bellowing bull. Perillos, expecting a reward for his service, was instead thrown into the bull to test it. More tyrants followed before a democracy was established in 473, most notable of whom was Theron (ruled 489-472), who played a critical role in the joint Syracusan and Akgragantine victory over the Carthaginians at the Battle of Himera in 480, an event which led to the crippling of Punic power in Sicily for many decades.
Silver civic coinage was struck at Akragas relatively early, from at least the end of the sixth century BC, with the iconic eagle and crab types emerging almost immediately: the eagle being sacred to Zeus, to whom a vast temple was dedicated on the city's 'hill of Athena', and the crab being a popular local delicacy harvested from the rivers located nearby. The duo continued to feature on Akragantine coinage throughout the fifth century, with the depictions of the eagle(s) in becoming ever more elaborate and impressive (see HGC 2, 81-2), before the crab gave way to Nike/quadriga types just before the turn of the century, a clear indication of the influence of contemporary Syracusan coinage.
Good Extremely Fine; beautiful underlying lustre, well centred and detailed design.
From the Paulo Leitão Collection.
According to Thucydides, Akragas was founded by colonists from Gela and Rhodes in around 582-580 BC (History of the Peloponnesian War, 6.4). The last of the great Greek cities in Sicily to be established, Akragas was situated in a highly favourable location on a plateau overlooking the sea, with a constant supply of water from two nearby rivers, the Akragas (for which the city was named) and the Hypsas. The city's position benefited it greatly, and it quickly became one of the wealthiest Greek colonies on the island, eclipsing neighbours Gela and rivalling even Syracuse.
Under the reign of the tyrant Phalaris (circa 570-554), who Aristotle tells us had seized power in the city after having been entrusted with the building of the temple of Zeus on the citadel (Politics, v.10), the city attained considerable prosperity. Along with expanding his territory through military victories against the indigenous Sikanians, Phalaris also managed to secure favourable trade agreements with Sicilian neighbours and also the great Mediterranean power of the time, Carthage. Such deals allowed the Akragantines to embark on an extensive building program, which saw the construction of intimidating defensive fortifications and grand public buildings. Yet for all this, Phalaris was renowned for his cruelty and sadistic tendencies, which supposedly included cannibalism. His notorious reputation is etched in legend, as it was he who commissioned the so-called 'Brazen Bull', a hollow bronze statue invented by the sculptor Perillos of Athens as a novel way to execute criminals, in which the victim would be placed, before a fire was set below the statue. A complex system of tubes converted the victim's screams into the sounds of a bellowing bull. Perillos, expecting a reward for his service, was instead thrown into the bull to test it. More tyrants followed before a democracy was established in 473, most notable of whom was Theron (ruled 489-472), who played a critical role in the joint Syracusan and Akgragantine victory over the Carthaginians at the Battle of Himera in 480, an event which led to the crippling of Punic power in Sicily for many decades.
Silver civic coinage was struck at Akragas relatively early, from at least the end of the sixth century BC, with the iconic eagle and crab types emerging almost immediately: the eagle being sacred to Zeus, to whom a vast temple was dedicated on the city's 'hill of Athena', and the crab being a popular local delicacy harvested from the rivers located nearby. The duo continued to feature on Akragantine coinage throughout the fifth century, with the depictions of the eagle(s) in becoming ever more elaborate and impressive (see HGC 2, 81-2), before the crab gave way to Nike/quadriga types just before the turn of the century, a clear indication of the influence of contemporary Syracusan coinage.