Name/Title
BCE 0390 - 0380 IONIA, Ephesos. Circa 390–380 BCE. Æ. Turreted Head of Artemis / Bee.Description
Ephesos Bronze with Artemis and the Bee (ca. 390–380 BCE)
Ionia, western Asia Minor
This small bronze coin was issued by the city of Ephesos in the early fourth century BCE, a period when Greek cities across Asia Minor were reasserting civic identity after decades of war and political disruption. The obverse depicts a turreted female head traditionally identified as Artemis, the patron deity of Ephesos. The turreted crown emphasizes her role as a protector of the city, blending divine imagery with the visual language of civic fortification. Although rendered schematically due to the coin’s small size, the image would have been immediately recognizable to local users as a reference to the goddess whose sanctuary dominated Ephesian religious life.
On the reverse appears a bee, one of the most enduring symbols of Ephesos. The bee was closely associated with Artemis and her priestesses, known as melissai (“bees”), and functioned as a civic emblem rather than a decorative motif. Its presence on even the smallest bronze denominations underscores how religious identity permeated everyday economic transactions. Coins like this circulated widely in local markets, embedding sacred symbolism into routine acts of exchange and reinforcing the bond between the city, its deity, and its inhabitants.Create Date
August 25, 2025Update Date
June 4, 2026
