Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 134 21 Nov 2022
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Greek Coins. Leontini.
Tetradrachm of the Demareteion type circa 470, AR 16.92 g. Slow quadriga driven r. by charioteer holding kentron and reins; above Nike flying l. to crown him. In exergue, lion springing r. Rev. LEONTI – NO – N Laureate head of Apollo r.; hair plaited behind the neck. Around, three laurel leaves; below neck truncation, lion springing r. Rizzo pl. XXII, 15 (these dies). Randazzo 90 (this reverse die). Gulbenkian 210 (these dies). Kraay-Hirmer pl. 6, 18 (these dies). AMB 348 (these dies). Dewing 623 (this reverse die).
Very rare and among the finest specimens known of this important and intriguing
issue. A perfectly-centred portrait of excellent late Archaic style. Minor
areas of porosity on obverse, otherwise extremely fine
Ex NAC sale 10, 1997, 115. From an Exceptional Collection assembled between the early 70s and late 90s.
In the late eighth century BC, colonists were dispatched from Sicilian Naxos to found Leontini near Mount Aetna. Unfortunately, political discord that developed in the new city over the course of the seventh century BC resulted in the establishment of a tyranny in ca. 608 BC. A certain Panaetius ruled as the tyrant in Leontini-the first tyrant ever to seize power in a Sicilian city. His success had the dubious result of inspiring many others to try their hands at tyranny in their own cities. While tyrannies largely ceased as a viable form of government in mainland Greece in the fifth century BC, they lived on much longer in Sicily, where they did not die out until the third century BC and the rise of Rome. Despite hosting the original Sicilian Greek tyranny, in the fifth century BC Leontini found itself under the domination of a series of foreign tyrants. In 496/5 BC, the city was conquered by Hippocrates, the tyrant of Gela, and in 476 BC, fell to Hieron I as the first tyrant of Syracuse. As part of his policy of population redistribution, the Syracusan tyrant emptied the cities of Naxos and Catana of their inhabitants and forcibly resettled them all at Leontini. Despite the obvious burdens that this must have placed on their city, the Leontines hosted their dispossessed fellow Chalcidian Greeks until 467 BC, when the death of Hieron I finally made it possible for the Naxians and Catanians to return to their original homes and Leontini again became an autonomous city free from Syracusan control. This beautiful tetradrachm was struck at Leontini during the period of Syracusan domination and may very well have been produced in connection with the expenses related to housing and feeding the refugees from Catana and Naxos. Perhaps not surprisingly, the types echo those used at Syracuse in the early fifth century BC. The slow quadriga is drawn directly from Syracusan tetradrachms struck under Hieron I while the head of Apollo is modelled on the Arethusa type of Syracuse. Just as the head of Arethusa is regularly encircled by four dolphins, here the head of Apollo is encircled by three laurel leaves. A lion (leon in Greek) has also been added to both the obverse and reverse to serve as a punning badge of the city and to visually advertise the identity of the issuing authority.
Tetradrachm of the Demareteion type circa 470, AR 16.92 g. Slow quadriga driven r. by charioteer holding kentron and reins; above Nike flying l. to crown him. In exergue, lion springing r. Rev. LEONTI – NO – N Laureate head of Apollo r.; hair plaited behind the neck. Around, three laurel leaves; below neck truncation, lion springing r. Rizzo pl. XXII, 15 (these dies). Randazzo 90 (this reverse die). Gulbenkian 210 (these dies). Kraay-Hirmer pl. 6, 18 (these dies). AMB 348 (these dies). Dewing 623 (this reverse die).
Very rare and among the finest specimens known of this important and intriguing
issue. A perfectly-centred portrait of excellent late Archaic style. Minor
areas of porosity on obverse, otherwise extremely fine
Ex NAC sale 10, 1997, 115. From an Exceptional Collection assembled between the early 70s and late 90s.
In the late eighth century BC, colonists were dispatched from Sicilian Naxos to found Leontini near Mount Aetna. Unfortunately, political discord that developed in the new city over the course of the seventh century BC resulted in the establishment of a tyranny in ca. 608 BC. A certain Panaetius ruled as the tyrant in Leontini-the first tyrant ever to seize power in a Sicilian city. His success had the dubious result of inspiring many others to try their hands at tyranny in their own cities. While tyrannies largely ceased as a viable form of government in mainland Greece in the fifth century BC, they lived on much longer in Sicily, where they did not die out until the third century BC and the rise of Rome. Despite hosting the original Sicilian Greek tyranny, in the fifth century BC Leontini found itself under the domination of a series of foreign tyrants. In 496/5 BC, the city was conquered by Hippocrates, the tyrant of Gela, and in 476 BC, fell to Hieron I as the first tyrant of Syracuse. As part of his policy of population redistribution, the Syracusan tyrant emptied the cities of Naxos and Catana of their inhabitants and forcibly resettled them all at Leontini. Despite the obvious burdens that this must have placed on their city, the Leontines hosted their dispossessed fellow Chalcidian Greeks until 467 BC, when the death of Hieron I finally made it possible for the Naxians and Catanians to return to their original homes and Leontini again became an autonomous city free from Syracusan control. This beautiful tetradrachm was struck at Leontini during the period of Syracusan domination and may very well have been produced in connection with the expenses related to housing and feeding the refugees from Catana and Naxos. Perhaps not surprisingly, the types echo those used at Syracuse in the early fifth century BC. The slow quadriga is drawn directly from Syracusan tetradrachms struck under Hieron I while the head of Apollo is modelled on the Arethusa type of Syracuse. Just as the head of Arethusa is regularly encircled by four dolphins, here the head of Apollo is encircled by three laurel leaves. A lion (leon in Greek) has also been added to both the obverse and reverse to serve as a punning badge of the city and to visually advertise the identity of the issuing authority.