Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Triton XVIII Sessions 1 & 2 6 January 2015
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Withdrawn. Extensively tooled from original condition, see: Peus 410 (31 October 2013), lot 657
THRACE, Perinthus. Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Æ Medallion (41mm, 36.98 g, 12h). AV K Λ CЄΠTI CЄVHPOC ΠЄ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / ΦIΛAΔEΛΦEΙA ΠEP–INΘEI–ΩN/ NE[Ω]KOPΩN, Hercules standing right, nude but for lion's skin, siezing the Cretan Bull by its horns. Schönert, Perinthos 524 = Varbanov 204 (R9, same rev. die). VF, green patina, minor smoothing. Very rare.
Hercules, made temporarily insane by the goddess Hera, murdered his wife and children. Once recovered, and distressed by his actions, he consulted the Delphic Oracle to find a means of expiating his sin. As a punishment, the oracle responded that the hero would have to serve his cousin Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and a man whom Hercules despised, for a period of twelve years. Because Eurystheus also hated Hercules, he devised a series of ten feats of the greatest difficulty for the hero to complete. Because Hercules received assistance in undertaking two of the tasks, Eurystheus added two more, with each becoming more fantastic. Once Hercules accomplished the Labors, he was absolved of his guilt and proceeded to perform many other heroic feats.
Hercules' seventh labor was to capture the Cretan Bull. Minos, the king of Crete, gave the hero permission to take the bull away, as it had been causing destruction on the island. Hercules subdued the bull with his bare hands and shipped it back to Athens. Although Eurystheus wished to sacrifice the bull to Hera, the goddess refused the sacrifice because it reflected glory on her sworn enemy. The bull was released and wandered into the town of Marathon, where it became known as the Marathonian Bull.
THRACE, Perinthus. Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Æ Medallion (41mm, 36.98 g, 12h). AV K Λ CЄΠTI CЄVHPOC ΠЄ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / ΦIΛAΔEΛΦEΙA ΠEP–INΘEI–ΩN/ NE[Ω]KOPΩN, Hercules standing right, nude but for lion's skin, siezing the Cretan Bull by its horns. Schönert, Perinthos 524 = Varbanov 204 (R9, same rev. die). VF, green patina, minor smoothing. Very rare.
Hercules, made temporarily insane by the goddess Hera, murdered his wife and children. Once recovered, and distressed by his actions, he consulted the Delphic Oracle to find a means of expiating his sin. As a punishment, the oracle responded that the hero would have to serve his cousin Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and a man whom Hercules despised, for a period of twelve years. Because Eurystheus also hated Hercules, he devised a series of ten feats of the greatest difficulty for the hero to complete. Because Hercules received assistance in undertaking two of the tasks, Eurystheus added two more, with each becoming more fantastic. Once Hercules accomplished the Labors, he was absolved of his guilt and proceeded to perform many other heroic feats.
Hercules' seventh labor was to capture the Cretan Bull. Minos, the king of Crete, gave the hero permission to take the bull away, as it had been causing destruction on the island. Hercules subdued the bull with his bare hands and shipped it back to Athens. Although Eurystheus wished to sacrifice the bull to Hera, the goddess refused the sacrifice because it reflected glory on her sworn enemy. The bull was released and wandered into the town of Marathon, where it became known as the Marathonian Bull.