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Salamis on Cyprus was reputedly founded by the Achaean hero, Teucer, who was unable to return home after the Trojan War because of his failure to avenge his brother Ajax. The historical city had been inhabited by a population reflecting Greek and Phoenician cultural influences since the eleventh century BC, but by the sixth century BC the Greek element had become dominant. In the Classical period, the city was frequently in alliance with Athens in order to oppose the Persians and to expand Salaminian influence over the other cities of Cyprus.
Nikodamas, the issuer of this stater, was a Greek king of Salamis in the decade before the expedition of an Athenian fleet under the general Kimon against the Persians on Cyprus in 450 BC Simultaneous battles fought on land and on the sea before the walls of Salamis resulted in victory for the Greeks. Unfortunately, what role Nikodamas may have played in these events, if any, are unknown.
This unique and artistically attractive stater ultimately derives its recumbent ram from the coinage of Evelthon, the first king of Salamis to strike coins in the sixth century BC This reuse of this old type served to advertise Nikodamas as a legitimate king from the dynasty of Evelthon [other rare issues also include the name of Evelthon in the obverse legend] and followed the royal numismatic custom at Salamis. Nikodamas’ recognised predecessors, as well as Evanthes, who has been variously considered a successor or predecessor of Nikodamas, all employed this dynastic ram obverse type. The ram’s head of the reverse may have been a novelty introduced by Nikodamas, if he did not inherit this reverse type from Evanthes, who also used it. The detailed execution of the head invites comparison with the best of the ram’s head rhyta [drinking horns] that were fashionable at Greek drinking parties at the time that Nikodamas and Evanthes produced their coinages.
Nikodamas, the issuer of this stater, was a Greek king of Salamis in the decade before the expedition of an Athenian fleet under the general Kimon against the Persians on Cyprus in 450 BC Simultaneous battles fought on land and on the sea before the walls of Salamis resulted in victory for the Greeks. Unfortunately, what role Nikodamas may have played in these events, if any, are unknown.
This unique and artistically attractive stater ultimately derives its recumbent ram from the coinage of Evelthon, the first king of Salamis to strike coins in the sixth century BC This reuse of this old type served to advertise Nikodamas as a legitimate king from the dynasty of Evelthon [other rare issues also include the name of Evelthon in the obverse legend] and followed the royal numismatic custom at Salamis. Nikodamas’ recognised predecessors, as well as Evanthes, who has been variously considered a successor or predecessor of Nikodamas, all employed this dynastic ram obverse type. The ram’s head of the reverse may have been a novelty introduced by Nikodamas, if he did not inherit this reverse type from Evanthes, who also used it. The detailed execution of the head invites comparison with the best of the ram’s head rhyta [drinking horns] that were fashionable at Greek drinking parties at the time that Nikodamas and Evanthes produced their coinages.