Hieron II - AE 26mm
Obverse
Name/Title
Hieron II - AE 26mmEntry/Object ID
C2017-G73-460Description
A coin issued by Hieron II depicting himself in the manner of a Hellenistic king.Context
Hieron II (r. 296-215 BCE) was a Hellenistic king of Syracuse. Originally a military general, he was recognized as the third king of the city-state following his victory at the battle of Longanus. By the time Hieron came to power and took the title basileus (king), there was already a tradition of Hellenistic kings across the Mediterranean putting their portrait on coinage. However, Hieron was the first to do so in Sicily, minting coins with his own idealized and youthful portrait on the obverse with a horseman on the reverse. The horseman has been identified as Hieron himself, who chose to depict himself as a victorious general throughout his reign. By depicting himself in this manner on coinage, Hieron was able to legitimize his own kingship through both his military successes and imagery adopted from other eastern monarchs during the Hellenistic period (323-30 BCE.)Collection
Hellenistic GreeceMintage
Mint
SyracuseDate made
274 BCE - 216 BCETime Period
HellenisticPlace of Origin
City
SyracuseRegion
SicilyManufacture Method
StruckCoin Details
Obverse
Description
Head of Hieron II diademed, left.Reverse
Description
Horseman with spear, riding right; N below in field.Transcription
[I]EΡΩNOΣ in exergue.Translation
Of/belonging to Hieron.Issuing Authority
Hieron IIDenomination
AE 26mmEthnography
Cultural Region
Region
SicilyCulture/Tribe
Greek - Hellenistic