Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 15, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted May 15, 2023 (edited) Thought it would be fun for a trivia contest! To make this a bit more interactive, if you know one of the questions and have a coin from there (from any time period), then post it. [edit: feel free to answer any of the questions even if you don't have a coin] If your answer is correct, then I'll mark the original question in bold. Each correct answer will result in one kudo, delivered to your house or office by an invisible unicorn while you're away. 1) Achilles originally hailed from this region of Greece. 2) This city in the Peloponnese is believed to have been the last to give up a traditional monarchy. 3) Citizens of this city did not require an obol for the ferry because they had a shortcut to the Underworld. 4) More of the 12 Olympian gods were born on this island than on any other. 5) Not long after Alexander the Great died, this Peloponnesian city was run by a woman for six years after her husband died. 6) This city is believed to have been named after one of the giants that fought against the Olympian gods. 7) Hector's tomb was originally by this city. 😎 Although Alexander neither wanted nor ordered this, one of his generals left behind for defensive purposes ordered a siege on this city. The siege was unsuccessful and the entire army was annihilated during the retreat. 9) This city is believed to have founded more colonies than any other. 10) When Kassander's brother Alexarchos created his wacky utopian city, most of his 'conscripts' came from this city. 11) Aphrodite washed up in a clam shell near this city. 12) Alexander the Great nearly drowned in a river near this city. 13) This city was named after the fruit for which it was famous. Botanically the fruit is a berry. 14) Antigonos I Monophthalmos originally named this city Antigoneia, but the name soon changed (perhaps by Antigonos himself). 15) Lysimachos renamed not one but two cities for his son Agathokles. What were they? 16) This city in Crete featured an artificial closed port that was a bit of a tourist attraction in its time. 17) Legend has it a singing contest between the muses and the sirens took place at this city. 18) When this island was colonized in the 7th century BCE, a canal was built to turn it into an island. 19) The city is generally assumed to be the port for Priene, but it also issued its own coins for a period. 20) According to Thukydides, the savage butchering of the men, women, and children by Thracian mercenaries was "unsurpassed in magnitude, and unapproached by any in suddenness and in horror." 21) When a group of colonists were advised to find the first spot with a fox and a cub, this is the city they founded. 22) In ancient times, a famed meteorite landed near this city and was displayed for some time. Although there was speculation that it dislodged after a close call with Halley's Comet, most scientists today are skeptical. 23) This city was given as a gift to Pyrrhos and he made his palace and capital there. 24) This city capitulated to Alexander on initially fair terms, but when they revolted after he left, he turned around and imposed much harsher ones. 25) This city literally had the word 'fart' in its name, perhaps the reason that it appears to have been renamed. Random coin for fun: Edited May 17, 2023 by kirispupis 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientOne Posted May 15, 2023 · Member Share Posted May 15, 2023 Cool questions! Fairly certain #9 is Miletos. Ionia, Miletos. Gallienus AE21. Diogenous Dionysiou Obv: AVT K ΠO ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHN, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right. Rev: EΠI AP ΔIOΓE MIΛHCIΩN. Cult statue of Artemis facing, holding patera in right hand and bow with left. Magistrate: Diogenous Dionysiou. BMC 167. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 15, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 15, 2023 14 minutes ago, AncientOne said: Cool questions! Fairly certain #9 is Miletos. And you are correct! One kudo heading your way! FWIW, this is an interesting book on Miletos - https://www.amazon.com/dp/047211199X/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted May 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 16, 2023 (edited) Cool coin and great questions! "23) This city was given as a gift to Pyrrhos and he made his palace and capital there." Since I recently did a thread on this one I'll respond, Tarentum! ITALY. Calabria. Tarentum. Didrachm or nomos (silver). Approx. 280 - 272 BC Chr. Obv: warrior on horseback with Macedonian shield and spear riding left; Zeta Omega in left field, magistrate's name between legs. Rev: Naked Taras with spindle and bunch of grapes, riding left on dolphin; in the field on the right ear of corn. 22mm 6.45g HN Italy 1013; Coll. Vlasto 800. Very nice. *Edit- unless you are referring to, Ambracia, which was given to him by the Epirots.. though both were given to him. I'm thinking this was the answer you were looking for. Edited May 16, 2023 by Ryro 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 16, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 16, 2023 2 minutes ago, Ryro said: Cool coin and great questions! "23) This city was given as a gift to Pyrrhos and he made his palace and capital there." Since I recently did a thread on this one I'll respond, Tarentum! Sorry. 😞 Pyrrhos came to the assistance of Tarentum. He was never given the city 'as a gift', nor did he build his palace there and make it his capital. That was a city further east... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted May 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 16, 2023 3 minutes ago, kirispupis said: Sorry. 😞 Pyrrhos came to the assistance of Tarentum. He was never given the city 'as a gift', nor did he build his palace there and make it his capital. That was a city further east... Tarentum was handed to him on a silver platter. They soon regretted asking for his assistance. And my understanding is that he made it his home base... until he was done fighting Romans. I did put in an edit that you may have missed. *Edit- unless you are referring to, Ambracia, which was given to him by the Epirots.. though both were given to him. I'm thinking this was the answer you were looking for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulla80 Posted May 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 16, 2023 #13 This city was named after the fruit for which it was famous. Botanically the fruit is a berry. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 16, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 16, 2023 (edited) 21 minutes ago, Ryro said: Tarentum was handed to him on a silver platter. They soon regretted asking for his assistance. And my understanding is that he made it his home base... until he was done fighting Romans. I did put in an edit that you may have missed. *Edit- unless you are referring to, Ambracia, which was given to him by the Epirots.. though both were given to him. I'm thinking this was the answer you were looking for. Yup. Both were 'given' to him, but I'm not aware of Pyrrhos building a palace in Tarentum or making it his capital, both of which happened in Ambrakia. One kudo heading your way! Don't worry about the address. The invisible unicorn will find you... Edited May 16, 2023 by kirispupis 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 16, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 16, 2023 18 minutes ago, Sulla80 said: #13 This city was named after the fruit for which it was famous. Botanically the fruit is a berry. Yup! That would be Side! Here's mine, which includes a pomegranate. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisimo Posted May 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 16, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, kirispupis said: 5) Not long after Alexander the Great died, this Peloponnesian city was run by a woman for nine years after her husband died. Perhaps this is a reference to Cratesipolis who ruled over Sikyon on behalf of Cassander after her husband Alexander was assassinated? I believe she was in power for 6 years though so perhaps you are referring to someone else? I’ll say Sikyon. Edited May 16, 2023 by Curtisimo 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 16, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 16, 2023 1 minute ago, Curtisimo said: Perhaps this is a reference to Cratesipolis who ruled over Sikyon on behalf of Cassander after her husband Alexander was assassinated? I believe she was in power for 6 years though so perhaps you are referring to someone else? I’ll say Sikyon. That's it! You also proved that I cannot count... Over the weekend I researched whether there are any coins that can be directly attributed to her reign, but I found none... 😞 I do have this coin from Sikyon, though it's nowhere near as nice as the one you showed. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted May 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 16, 2023 11) Aphrodite CYPRUS. Paphos. Onasioikos, ca. 450-440 B.C. AR Stater May I have a kudo? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 16, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 16, 2023 1 hour ago, Deinomenid said: 11) Aphrodite CYPRUS. Paphos. Onasioikos, ca. 450-440 B.C. AR Stater May I have a kudo? Gladly! And that's a stunning coin! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulla80 Posted May 17, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 17, 2023 (edited) Marble sarcophagus with the contest between the Muses and the Sirens public domain image with thanks to the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art. 17) Legend has it a singing contest between the muses and the sirens took place at this city. This coin gets us close: On the market-place of Coroneia (Boeotia) I found two remarkable things, an altar of Hermes Epimelius (Keeper of flocks and an altar of the winds. A little lower down is a sanctuary of Hera with an ancient image, the work of Pythodorus of Thebes; in her hand she carries Sirens. For the story goes that the daughters of Achelous were persuaded by Hera to compete with the Muses in singing. The Muses won, plucked out the Sirens' feathers（so they say) and made crowns for themselves out of them. Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.34.3 Boeotia, Federal Coinage, circa 395-340 BC, hemidrachm (Silver, 14mm, 2.59g) Obv: Boeotian shield Rev: BO-I Kantharos; above, club; to right, bunch of grapes Ref: BCD Boiotia 31 Great questions by the way 🙂 Edited May 17, 2023 by Sulla80 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 17, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 17, 2023 1 hour ago, Sulla80 said: 17) Legend has it a singing contest between the muses and the sirens took place at this city. This coin gets us close: On the market-place of Coroneia (Boeotia) I found two remarkable things, an altar of Hermes Epimelius (Keeper of flocks and an altar of the winds. A little lower down is a sanctuary of Hera with an ancient image, the work of Pythodorus of Thebes; in her hand she carries Sirens. For the story goes that the daughters of Achelous were persuaded by Hera to compete with the Muses in singing. The Muses won, plucked out the Sirens' feathers（so they say) and made crowns for themselves out of them. Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.34.3 Nice coin! My understanding though was that Koroneia had a statue of Hera with sirens, but the event itself actually took place in Aptera. Ἄπτερα, πόλις Κρήτης, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν Μουσῶν καὶ Σειρήνων ἔριδος, τῆς ἐν τῷ μουσείῳ πλησίον τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῆς θαλάττης τόπῳ τοιῶσδε καλουμένῳ γενομένης, ἐν ᾧ μετὰ τὴν ἐν μουσικῇ νίκην τῶν Μουσῶν αἱ Σειρῆνες δυσφοροῦσαι τὰ πτερὰ τῶν ὤμων ἀπέβαλον καὶ λευκαὶ γενόμεναι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἐνέβαλον ἑαυτάς· ὅθεν ἡ πόλις Ἄπτερα, αἱ δὲ πλησίον νῆσοι Λευκαί. - Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnika Aptera, a city of Crete, of the race of the Muses and Sirens, in the museum near the city and the thalatta, a place called Genomeni, where, after the victory of the Muses in music, the Sirens dislodged the wings of the oars and were born white in the They threw themselves into the sea, whence the city of Aptera, and the nearby islands of Lefkai. - Google translate of the above Crete, Aptera 3rd-2nd centuries BCE AE 5.72g D/ T. fém. à g., coiffée de la stéphané. R/ Torche allumée. De part et d'autre, ΑΠΤΑ-Ρ[ΑΙΩΝ]. Svoronos, Crète, 16, pl. I, 20 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulla80 Posted May 17, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 17, 2023 8 hours ago, kirispupis said: Nice coin! My understanding though was that Koroneia had a statue of Hera with sirens, but the event itself actually took place in Aptera. Ἄπτερα, πόλις Κρήτης, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν Μουσῶν καὶ Σειρήνων ἔριδος, τῆς ἐν τῷ μουσείῳ πλησίον τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῆς θαλάττης τόπῳ τοιῶσδε καλουμένῳ γενομένης, ἐν ᾧ μετὰ τὴν ἐν μουσικῇ νίκην τῶν Μουσῶν αἱ Σειρῆνες δυσφοροῦσαι τὰ πτερὰ τῶν ὤμων ἀπέβαλον καὶ λευκαὶ γενόμεναι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἐνέβαλον ἑαυτάς· ὅθεν ἡ πόλις Ἄπτερα, αἱ δὲ πλησίον νῆσοι Λευκαί. - Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnika Aptera, a city of Crete, of the race of the Muses and Sirens, in the museum near the city and the thalatta, a place called Genomeni, where, after the victory of the Muses in music, the Sirens dislodged the wings of the oars and were born white in the They threw themselves into the sea, whence the city of Aptera, and the nearby islands of Lefkai. - Google translate of the above Crete, Aptera 3rd-2nd centuries BCE AE 5.72g D/ T. fém. à g., coiffée de la stéphané. R/ Torche allumée. De part et d'autre, ΑΠΤΑ-Ρ[ΑΙΩΝ]. Svoronos, Crète, 16, pl. I, 20 @kirispupis interesting coin and thanks for the better answer 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted May 17, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 17, 2023 For question 3 this is just an educated guess as to the no obol policy for Underworld access. I was going for Katane (quick drop through Etna but...) Cumae? Right on the Phlegraean Fields, Sibyl there, some deep caves and tunnels. Certainly has that feel even now. Campania, Kumai, Didrachm, c. 420-380, head of Sibyl right, rev. κωμαιον, mussel shell, grain kernel above, 7.38g 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 17, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 17, 2023 37 minutes ago, Deinomenid said: For question 3 this is just an educated guess as to the no obol policy for Underworld access. I was going for Katane (quick drop through Etna but...) Cumae? Right on the Phlegraean Fields, Sibyl there, some deep caves and tunnels. Certainly has that feel even now. This is a bit of a tough one, though I did write a post not long ago about it. 🙂 Hermione is one of the important cities; and its seaboard is held by the Halieis, as they are called, men who busy themselves on the sea. And it is commonly reported that the descent to Hades in the country of the Hermionians is a short cut; and this is why they do not put passage money in the mouths of their dead. - Strabo 8.16.12 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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