This coin was minted at the site of the ancient Olympics in Elis, but was not minted for the games. Rather, it is one of the types which the members of the Achaean League were required to produce. Elis employed talented engravers for their Olympic coinage so it's fitting that the style on the obverse of this coin is very aesthetic. Post your coins from the Achaean League! The Achaean League was originally established as a means for the twelve Achaean cities of the northern Peloponnese to protect themselves against raids from across the Corinthian Gulf. The death of Alexander the Great caused the league to fall apart, but the ten surviving cities renewed their alliance in 280 BC. The new Achaean League allowed more city-states to join, expanding beyond its geographic limitations and making it considerably stronger. The first new city to join was Sikyon, and its statesman, Aratus, became the overall leader of the Achaean League. The League continued to acquire new land, working to drive out Macedonian control from much of the Peloponnese, acquiring Corinth, Megalopolis, and Argos. With a greater army and more funding, Achaea was able to hire more mercenaries and continue its expansion. However, they were faced with the threat of complete disintegration when the Spartan king Cleomenes III attacked, wanting to take control of the Peloponnese. Achaea was forced to form an alliance with Antigonus III Doson of Macedon, and Doson’s forces successfully subdued Sparta, making it a Macedonian ally and renewing the Macedonian hold over Greece. After their leader died, the Achaeans turned their back on their alliance with the Macedonians and sided with Rome, defeating the Macedonian kingdom in 197 BC. This led to nearly the entire Peloponnese being incorporated into the Achaean League. After some initial resistance to Roman supremacy, Elis, the patron city of the Olympics, was forced to join the Achaean league, becoming an instrument of Roman dominance in Greece. The Achaeans supported the Roman general Quintus Marcius Philippus in the Third Macedonian War, creating a statue in his honor at Olympia. However, more than 1,000 Achaeans were accused of sympathizing with King Perseus against Rome and were detained for seventeen years. Upon their return, they started a revolt against Roman control by attacking Sparta in defiance of Rome, starting the Achaean War in 146 BC. The battle was brief and Rome won decisively, defeating the Achaeans at the Battle of Corinth, razing the city, and dissolving the Achaean League. This ended Greece’s independence and split the Achaean League into the Roman provinces of Achaea and Epirus, with a permanent Roman presence in all cities associated with the League. This coin was minted by the Achaean League at Olympia in Elis, although it was not minted for the Olympic games. An inscription found in the city Orchomenus stated that the members of the Achaean League must follow Zeus and Athena, and using a common coin type was one way in which they adhered to this mandate. The sanctuary of Zeus Hamarios was located at Aigion, the capital of Achaea, and provided the prototype for face of the coinage from the Achaean League. This coin features an obverse with an incredibly fine portrait of Zeus Hamarios wearing a laurel wreath. The reverse includes the initials A and X, referencing Achaion, surrounded by a floral wreath and sitting on a thunderbolt, also used to signify the power of Zeus. While the Achaean League ultimately fell, the concepts pioneered in ancient Greece have continued on today, seen prominently in the European Union and NAFTA, which are both comprised of members that retain their independence but meet together to form legislation and enact common economic policies, resulting in easier trade and stability in a complex society. Elis, Olympia AR Hemidrachm. Achaean League type. Circa 40-30 BC. Kallippos, magistrate. Laureate head of Zeus right, KAΛΛIΠΠΟΣ behind / AX monogram; FA to left, XE to right, Φ above, thunderbolt below. BCD 691; Clerk 275. 2.38g, 15mm, 2h. Good Extremely Fine. Rare. An incredibly fine portrait of Zeus on a relatively small coin. From a private American collection; Privately purchased from Harlan J Berk.
I had to Google that ... I thought I had a relevant coin to post but I'd mixed up my league names Another beauty and another excellent write-up. Thanks!
Hi AJ => yah, I'm merely posting my new sweetie to keep your thread up-to-date!! (it's my OCD shining through like the sun!!) Achaean League, Pallantion AR Tetrobol 1st Century BC Diameter: 15.1 mm Weight: 2.3 grams Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus Reverse: Monogram of the Achaian League References: BCD Peloponnesos 1593.2 Other: nicely toned ... oh, and please don't hit "like" (most of you dudes have already noted this coin in my current thread ... thanks)
Always welcomed Your coin is quite attractive, and impressively round! I'm behind on posting new threads as I've been busy buying more coins...
