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Taking a loan from the Gods - Emergency Gold Coins of Akragas during the Carthaginian Siege of 406 BC.
Colonists from Gela founded Akragas circa 580 BC on a plateau overlooking the sea. İt was quite unusual to mint gold coins in classical Greece. The coins of the Greek cities were usually made of silver or bronze. Gold was only minted if you couldn’t get hold of any silver.
In ancient times, temples served as large treasuries. In good times, the faithful trusted their wealth to the gods. When times were hard, they would come to ask the gods for a loan.
The great Phidias, for example, designed the gold and ivory statue adorning the Parthenon in Athens so that its gold accessories could be removed. They would have weighed 44 talents, approximately 1150 kg.
In fact, in the year 296 BC, the Athenians paid the mercenaries who defended their city against Demetrios Poliorketes using exactly this gold. The golden votive offerings were melted down and minted into coins.
In Akragas, the golden votive offerings of the gods were also melted down to pay the mercenaries. On the obverse, an old design popular in Akragas was reused. The eagle snatches at its prey, which it will kill in due course.
This is what the coins of Akragas usually look like. On the obverse they show an eagle, and on the reverse a crab. This design was often used in Greek art to represent the omnipotence of Zeus. As it was the eagle’s decision to seal the fate of its prey, Zeus alone determined the fate of the people. He could condemn them to death or award them victory. This shows that the inhabitants of Akragas had not yet given up hope.
Click for more coin images of the ancient city Akragas.
Colonists from Gela founded Akragas circa 580 BC on a plateau overlooking the sea. İt was quite unusual to mint gold coins in classical Greece. The coins of the Greek cities were usually made of silver or bronze. Gold was only minted if you couldn’t get hold of any silver.
In ancient times, temples served as large treasuries. In good times, the faithful trusted their wealth to the gods. When times were hard, they would come to ask the gods for a loan.
The great Phidias, for example, designed the gold and ivory statue adorning the Parthenon in Athens so that its gold accessories could be removed. They would have weighed 44 talents, approximately 1150 kg.
In fact, in the year 296 BC, the Athenians paid the mercenaries who defended their city against Demetrios Poliorketes using exactly this gold. The golden votive offerings were melted down and minted into coins.
In Akragas, the golden votive offerings of the gods were also melted down to pay the mercenaries. On the obverse, an old design popular in Akragas was reused. The eagle snatches at its prey, which it will kill in due course.
This is what the coins of Akragas usually look like. On the obverse they show an eagle, and on the reverse a crab. This design was often used in Greek art to represent the omnipotence of Zeus. As it was the eagle’s decision to seal the fate of its prey, Zeus alone determined the fate of the people. He could condemn them to death or award them victory. This shows that the inhabitants of Akragas had not yet given up hope.
Click for more coin images of the ancient city Akragas.